Page 34 of Pucking Curves

“Wren!”

I groan internally as Micah’s sharp voice cuts across the hallway. When I glance up, he’s stomping toward me, his face set and his brown eyes narrowed. He looks mad as hell.

“Crap,” I whisper.

“Good luck.” Alice squeezes my arm and then gently untangles her arm from mine. Her and Emilia disappear, leaving me to face my brother alone.

“Hey,” I mutter when he reaches me.

“Hey? I’ve been trying to call you since yesterday,” he growls.

“I know.” I meet his gaze, stealing myself for this battle. “I’ve been ignoring you. You don’t get to make demands like I’m four, and expect me to obey, Micah.”

He looks at my jersey, his lips compressing into a thin line. “You’re wearing his jersey. Are you fucking him?”

“Keep your voice down!” I snap. “And what happens between the two of us is our business, not yours.”

“Jesus Christ. You are fucking.” He pinches the bridge of his nose, grinding his back teeth together.

“What if we are?” I glare up at him, my arms crossed. Defiant. “That’s my business, Micah!”

Archer emerges from the locker room, his eyes immediately coming to me. He takes a step like he’s going to come over here, but I quickly shoot him a look, silently pleading for him to wait. I need to handle this one on my own. And Micah is mad enough already. The last thing I need is them coming to blows right before their game.

He jerks his head in a nod, letting me know he understands. But he doesn’t go back inside the locker room. He just stands there…patiently waiting. Watching over me.

I want to cry. How did we mess everything up so badly that Micah is mad at us both and Archer’s worried about leaving me alone with my own brother? None of this was supposed to happen!

“You’re fucking my captain—my best friend—and you don’t think it’s my business? You used to tell me everything, Wren,” Micah says. “Now, I have to hear it from him instead.”

Guilt rips through me. He’s right. Once upon a time, I did tell him everything. And then I fell for Archer. Now, I can’t talk to him because he’s the reason I’ve hidden it for so damn long. He’s the reason I felt like I had to pretend it wasn’t happening. And that’s not really his fault. He’s never been anything short of the most amazing brother to me. But I almost died, and he’s felt guilty ever since. It screwed everything up.

Or maybe I’m the one screwing everything up. Maybe I’m trying so damn hard to please everyone that I’m not being fair to anyone. I don’t know anymore. It seemed so simple when Archer and I were in that bed in Vegas. No one would find out. No one would get hurt.

But that was before I knew Archer feels the same damn way I do. It’s not simple and uncomplicated now. It’s not just their friendship on the line or my relationship with Micah. It’s my heart and Archer’s too. Don’t our needs and hopes and dreams and feelings deserve consideration in all of this?

I think so. And I think, if I were anyone else, Micah would agree. But I’m his sister and he’s a pain in the ass, so he’s going to be stubborn and refuse to see it from our side because his feelings are hurt.

I try to reason with him anyway.

“I’m sorry I didn’t tell you,” I whisper to Micah. “You’ve always been the best brother. I should have told you when I realized how I felt, but I didn’t want to give you another reason to worry about me. I didn’t want to come between the two of you. But I…like him, Micah. Ireallylike him. I have for a while. I can’t just pretend that isn’t happening because you don’t like it. That’s not fair to me or to him.”

“You don’t even know him, Wren,” Micah growls.

“Stop,” I plead. “Just stop. He’s your best friend, and we both know he’s your best friend because he’s a good guy. Don’t pretend like that isn’t true just because you don’t want me dating one of your teammates.”

My brother mutters a curse, shoving his hand through his hair. “It’s not about that, Wren.”

“Really? Because it sounds like it to me,” I mutter. “He was good enough until I started dating him, and now he isn’t.”

“That’s bullshit.”

“Thisis bullshit!” I cry. “It’s my life, Micah. And I get to decide what I do with it.”

“Yeah, well, as history has proven, you can’t be trusted to look after your own best interests. Your decisions suck.”

I rock back on my heels like he slapped me, shock coursing through me. He must see it on my face because he flinches, regret stamped across his face.

“Shit. I didn’t mean–”

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