Page 146 of Brace and Chase

“Yes, we know that,” I tell him, cool as a cucumber now that Nik set the tone.

“It just seems illogical to split you two when the game is on the line.” He waves his hands around as if that’s going to make him sound smarter.

It doesn’t.

“I hate to be the one to have to point this out, but when you’re tied with less than a minute on the clock, you need to score more than you need to stop the other team. The play Santa made,”God, it’s weird calling him that. “Is one he’s only ever done with Bates next to him. And it paid off.”

“So does that mean you’re going to be on the same line otherwise?”

“That’s a question for our coach. He makes those choices, not us.”

The reporter nods and sits down, then the next one stands, and she smiles at me apologetically before she even speaks, so I know I’m not going to like the question.

“Sweetheart, will you retire after this season?”

I open my mouth to answer but Nik beats me to it.

“You can stop calling him that now.” His words are hard and unforgiving, and again, I have to stop myself from laughing at his jealousy. “We gave him a new nickname; it’s King Charles.”

There’s absolute silence in the room, until I let out achuckle as I reach over and pat his arm affectionately. At the same time I lean into my own mic.

“He’s a bit possessive,” I explain, and smile like a lunatic at their stunned expressions.

I don’t know if that’s what Nik wanted us to do during the press conference, but I’m still pretty happy with it.

There’sa party going on in the locker room when we get back there to shower, and Eagle is at the center, dancing like a maniac as the rest of the guys make a circle around him and wave their water bottles around so the drops make spirals in the air.

“What the fuck?” I mutter.

“Eagle got that magazine shut down,” Benny shouts from the circle.

“Really?” Nik asks, delight in his voice. Then... he joins the party.

I stay on the outside, and watch with a smile as he magically turns back into his true self now there’s no media around.

He’s a complicated man, my boyfriend.

“I knowwe’re going to hang out with everyone,” Nik says quietly as we walk toward the family room. “And Iknow we’re in the middle of the playoffs, but we don’t have a game tomorrow so you’re fucking me tonight.”

And that’s why I’m walking a bit funny on my way to greet my family... and meet Max.

I make sure to give the Brotnik brothers all the space they need for their reunion by stealing the family’s attention, making a big show of opening my arms and running toward the big-ass group. They’re taking up half the space in here, and it’s not a small room by any means, so when they all move at the same time, it’s absolute pandemonium.

Engulfed in Yoyo and Lala’s arms, I turn slightly to see Nik engulfing Max in his.

Max is just as tall as Nik, but... well, skinny.

If he were a few inches shorter he wouldn’t look as skinny, but as it is, the embrace of his older brother swallows him whole.

I see the same icy blue eyes I fall asleep to every night dampen, then close with what looks like relief.

And I know nothing’s mended. I know they can never get all those years back.

But today, Nik calling him, Max coming to support him, it counts for a lot. A whole hell of a lot.

Suddenly there’s a loud sound of static.

Most of the people in the room cover their ears, and I turn to the door, scared there’s a fire and we have to evacuate or something like that.

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