Page 116 of The Stud

Everything has always been open and honest and candid, which isn’t what most people expect especially from their parents; however, they were adamant about having things that way.

No, I didn’t call them for tips, but I wasn’t scared to ask about birth control.

Or condoms.

Or signs of an STI – that I knew my sister had.

Our open conversation also helped me be secure enough in a part of myself to understand I didn’t have to be ashamed of what I like and dislike or who or what I may be into unlike so many other people I’ve met.

People we were raised around.

I guess they didn’t want us to end up like their acquaintance’s children, and they didn’t wanna end up like those parents.

And they didn’t.

Sure, the identity stealer has occasionally had a close call or two with scandals over the years, butnothinglike the broadskies she used to run with or the ones she still does.

Seriously.

How many times can you have a “sex tape leaked” before you decide to stop making them?

Or…I don’t know…just become a porn star?

Profit from them?

Getting things whipped together is my job during the pancake prelims and honestly, my second favorite part.

Eyeballing the right amount of water to add to the bowl full of premade mixture unfortunately barely precedes Tanner bringing back up the lost subject. “What happened with youroriginalsurgeon?”

I take the offered duck shaped wooden spoon and begin to whip. “He left the practice.”

“Why?”

“Becausehisfiancée was also hispartner’sfiancée, but they each thought the other one had stopped seeing her, which turned into an even bigger nightmare when they found out thatshe was technicallyalreadymarried to one of their ex-patients who was suing for malpractice.”

“Bloodyhell!”

“Yeah,” Dad casually joins in, spraying the pan, “I’ve got connections to some of the best PI’s in the business.” He pauses to make threatening eye contact. “Recuerda eso.”

“That means ‘remember that’, correct?”

Intrigue crosses his face. “You also learned Spanish from your teammates?”

“I’ve picked up a few things living in Texas, although, admittedly, it was the choice oftoneandcontext cluesthat gave it away.”

Laughter momentarily flutters through the space again before my boyfriend returns to investigating, “When did you discover all this?”

“Day before yesterday.” Stirring increases in speed. “And I wasn’t avoiding telling you. I just hadn’t yet.”

“Because?”

“Because you needed to keep your head in the game. You were still dealing with a bit of jetlag and then Becks drunkenly trashing your apartment and then the league record headlines and the LMC sponsored open skate and I just,” my stare stays planted in the bowl, “I didn’t wanna add to the stats, aye?”

“Arden,” Tanner creeps closer and commands, “look at me.”

Reluctantly, I do.

“You are my Slayer,” he gingerly declares, “andyou matter…your statsmatterto me more than a couple shite night’s sleep or broken freezer door or talks of me breakingrecords or your sister’s tea flavor interrogation in front of a barn full of fans.” His spatula free hand winds around the nape of my neck. “Clearskies?”

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