Page 117 of First Puck

After dinner, we usually spread out around the living room, stuck on the TV, and just drank and chatted. It was like that whenever we came home from the holidays. Only this time, Brad and I had a secret.

Or I thought we did…

The instant his mom asked the question, Brad slammed his hand down on mine.

“I’m in love with Alex!” he shouted happily, and the room instantly plunged into a heavy silence.

I drew in a harsh breath, trying to whip my hand from his, but he held me tight.

The air was sucked out of the usually comfortable space as the tension hiked so high so quickly it was like we were in a rocket.

I was ready to run. Ready to take Brad and get out of there and save us both.

Because I thought it was going to explode.

My gaze jumped between our parents, trying to gauge their reactions as fear suddenly swallowed me up.

My chest grew even tighter the longer they stared at me and Brad, who was grinning like an idiot at them.

I hadn’t been ‘grumpy’ with him since we started going out, even though he kept saying more and more embarrassing things when we were fucking. But my irritation quickly spiked.

I didn’t want them to turn around and hate us because we were in love. I was scared of being kicked out and losing them because of it. I never planned on telling them because there was no need to.

I scanned their faces. Both our moms had frozen, wine glasses in the air, while Brad’s dad sat cross-legged on the floor opposite mine.

They didn’t even blink.

My heart sank at the looks on their faces. Because they couldn’t say a thing. It was like with Brad, when he needed space to catch up, so they were just adjusting to the news.

We’d have enough money to live by once we began playing on the main team, but it couldn’t cover the cost of losing our families.

I flinched back as my dad shot up from the floor, throwing his fist out.

“Yes! Finally!” he whooped as he grinned at us before swerving, shooting his open palm at Brad’s dad. “Alright, hand it over!”

“Dammit,” Brad’s dad grumbled as he shifted, lifting his ass from the carpet to pull his wallet out of his back pocket. “But I still won all those other times.”

The tension broke in the room as our moms burst into bright smiles.

“Seriously, Alex. I was giving up hope.” Mom sighed.

Brad’s mom nodded, too. “We said we wouldn’t push you both but, really you two, it’s been years.”

“W-what?” I asked shakily as Brad’s dad whipped out a wad of cash. “What are you talking about?”

Brad’s mom took another sip of wine. “Your dad and Brad’s had a bet over how long it would take for you to admit your feelings. We were actually wondering if you’d already told Brad, and my darling son was just too dense to get it.”

“Mom!” Brad gasped, apparently scandalized, even though I had been wondering the same thing for years.

“Yeah.” Dad picked up the baton as he narrowed his eyes at me. “You’ve cost me nearly a thousand dollars. I had so much faith in you that I told this dickhead,” he jerked his thumb at Brad’s dad, “I’d give him twenty-five bucks every month until you started dating. Three years, Alex!Three. Years.”

The blush which had been an almost permanent feature on my face since Brad first kissed me flared up again.

“Though he had to cough up five hundred when you eventually did,” Dad said with a laugh, puffing out his chest. “He didn’t have the same faith I did.”

“And it didn’t pay off,” Brad’s dad bit back as he handed over the cash.

“That really isn’t the point,” Dad glowered at him. “I had faith in my kid, unlikesomeone.”

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