Page 87 of Trade Deadline

“Have you told him?”

I shake my head. “He’s about to go on a road trip, and won’t be back until late on New Year’s Eve. I don’t want to risk ruining his game.”

My brother frowns. “He needs to know, Alex.”

“I know, and I’ll tell him at some point, but it’s not something I wanna mention when he’s about to go on the road.”

Plus, maybe it’s naive of me, but I’m hoping the messages are just a fluke, and these people will soon get bored when they realize they’re not getting a rise out of me. I don’t want to worry Blaine for nothing. They must know how pathetic they look sending abusive messages to a player's other half.

Jacob gives me a pointed look, letting me know he’s not buying it, but thankfully drops it. We have a busy day ahead with custom orders for birthdays, a wedding, and several new year’s parties, and the moment we open the bakery, it’s non-stop. People line the streets to get their hands on our Christmas-themed menu before it disappears in a few days, and when my best friend walks through the door, I’m overcome with joy.

“Ho, ho, hoes, baby!” He grins, holding his arms out wide.

I walk around the counter and wrap my arms around him in a tight hug.

“How was your Christmas?” I ask.

“Good, me and my sister didn’t kill each other, and my mom didn’t burn down the kitchen, so I’d say it was a success.”

I chuckle at his unabashed grin.

When we were in college, Nate would return to campus after the holidays with so many stories. Most of them involved his mom setting something on fire, whether it was food or a dish towel, and it didn’t help that Nate and his sister Sophie had quite a rocky relationship. He once returned home with a black eye after she’d thrown something at him in a fit of rage.

“But how was your Christmas with the Olsen clan?” Nate rests his forearms on the counter. “I saw the photo he posted.” He wiggles his brows.

“It was really nice. His parents are great, they made us feel welcome”.

“And Blaine?”

I tuck my chin to my chest, trying to hide my flushed cheeks as I remember his admission on Christmas Eve:You should get two minutes for tripping, ‘cause I’ve fallen for you.

My heart swelled to triple its size in my chest. It was cheesy as hell, but it took me back to all those cheesy pick-up lines he used on me when we first met. So now every time I close my eyes, I’m reminded of his face. The way his eyes crinkled at the side; his smile so wide from joy, I would be surprised if his cheeks didn’t ache.

“What?” Nate asks with a bright smile. “Tell me what just made you smile like that, ‘cause I like it. I fully support whatever it is.”

I chew on the inside of my lip, my stomach twitching with nerves. “He told me he’s fallen for me.”

My best friend’s face lights up.

“Shut the fuck up, are you serious?” He wraps his arms around me again in a tight hug, lifting me off my feet. “I’m so fucking happy for you.”

I thank him, suddenly feeling shy.

“So, are you two official now?”

“I don’t know, we haven’t said the words or put a label on it, but I'm not seeing anyone else, and I don't think he is either…” My words drift off.

Is putting a label on it important? My gut feeling says we’re exclusive and given how smitten and possessive Blaine seems to be, I doubt he’ll be seeing anyone else.

“So now that you’re like a WAG or a HAB or whatever it is, you can hook me up with the cute goalie.” He rubs his chin as his head tilts to the side, drifting off into his thoughts. “I bet he can do the splits… I’ve never had sex with someone who can do the splits.”

I snort. “You’re impossible.”

“You love me.” He winks.

* * *

The mid-morning suncasts a warm glow through the full-length windows, gently waking me up as I try to stretch my aching body without waking Blaine, who’s snoring softly beside me. His thick arm lays heavy over my stomach, like a protective band restricting my movements.

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