Page 115 of Play to Win

“Nah.I just drive faster.”

I roll my eyes.He doesn’t have a drink, so he must have just gotten here.TVs above the bar are playing baseball and soccer games.A waitress in jeans and a black Time Out T-shirt approaches with a friendly smile to take our orders.We both request beer, JP an IPA, me a craft lager.

“What up, bro?”JP asks, carefully casual.

I’ll just get right to it.“Why’d you come to my place that day when I wasn’t there?”

“I wanted to talk to Lacey.”

“Why?”

“Because I figured she’s probably the person who knows you the best.Besides me.”One corner of his mouth lifts wryly.“I wanted to know if what Emma said was true.”

“What Emma said?”Now I’m confused.

JP’s face tightens and he drops his gaze.“I know this doesn’t make it any better at all, believe me, but she told me that she’d broken up with you, that day ...you found us.”

Thinking about that day for once doesn’t make my stomach hurt.It’s just something that happened in the past.“She didn’t break up with me.”

“That’s what Lacey said.So Emma lied to me about that.And ...apparently she toldyouthat she andIhad broken up.”

“Yeah.”

“She’s a fuckin’ piece of work.”

“Yeah.Can’t argue with that.She comes across so nice ...fun.Sexy.But ...”

JP sighs.“Yeah.Anyway.I broke up with her.I never should have gone out with her.”He snorts.“Grandpa was right about that.”

I meet his eyes.“You never should have gone out with her because she’s a piece of work?Or you never should have gone out with her because she’s my ex?Or, actually, she was mygirlfriendwhen it started.”

He closes his eyes briefly, the corners of his mouth tightening.“Because she was your girlfriend.No matter if she’s psycho or she’s the nicest girl in the world.”

I nod, my chest expanding.“Thank you,” I say quietly.

“Can you forgive me?”

“Tell me why.Why’d you do that?”

The waitress arrives with our beers, and we stop talking for a moment.I pick mine up and take a healthy swig.

“I don’t know.Honestly.She’s hot.She came on to me.We hung out while you were working, and she flirted and made me feel good about myself ...when she said she broke up with you and ...well never mind exactly what she said.But for the first time in my life, I felt as if someone liked me better than you.”

I gape at him.“What the hell are you talking about?”

He picks up his glass.“Do you know how hard it was being your little brother?I was never as smart as you.As good a skater.As good a goal scorer.”

“Are you fucking kidding me?I had to work my ass off to get anywhere.You have more raw hockey talent than I ever did.”

He lowers his glass and stares at me searchingly.“Seriously?”

“Hell, yeah.”I can’t believe he doubts that.

“Uh, wow.”He shakes his head.“You really think that?”

“Yeah.”

“I never ...I guess there are things about each other we never realized.Even though we were best buddies.”

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