Page 13 of Levi

He got us in this mess; he can get us out.

“Why don’t you tell them,” I say with a sugary sweet smile, staring up at him as the three of us wait on bated breath to hear what he says.

There’s a twinkle in his eyes as he smirks down at me, and I’m not sure if he’s going to embarrass me or save me. Either way, I’m still probably going to pass out.

Turning to smile at my family, Levi puts his arm around my shoulders. “Quinn and I have been dating for…what is it? Almost a year now?”

CHAPTER6

LEVI

I’m startingto think that maybe I need to get my head checked or something because lately my decisions have been nothing but questionable. I mean, who in his right mind would think it’s a good fucking idea to fake date his ex’s little sister.

Definitely not me. Funny how clear things are after the fact.

I have a hard time watching someone I care about struggle, and regardless of how much Quinn pisses me off, I don’t like to watch other people fuck with her.

That’s my job.

It was even worse watching her sister—her actual sister—talking down to her with such cruelty. The second I heard Ally making fun of Quinn, I snapped, all thoughts of why it would be a bad idea to fake date her fleeing from my mind. In that second, the only thing I cared about was protecting Quinn the only way I know how, the benefit of course being that I got to see the anger on both Ally’s and her uncle's faces.

Karma, motherfucker.

Come back to the city I love, the team I love, and try to make waves? Fuck that.

If he wants to make waves, I’ll be grabbing my fucking surfboard.

We had a stare down with Coach and Ally, which ended in the latter throwing a mini tantrum and glaring at us before leaving in a huff.

It's a shame she has such an attitude because she used to be such a cool girl.

The four of us stood in the training room in complete silence until, finally, Ally stomped her foot and hurried off, her uncle following suit. Well, not before he promised me that he’d be in touch soon, but I wouldn’t expect anything different.

The man hates me, and it’s all misguided. Well, most of it. Some of it is just because I’m a pain in the ass who likes to get in fights every now and then, and that pissed him off when he coached me. That all aside though, I just don’t have the heart to tell him his niece is a liar and treated me like shit when I know that man adores his family. It’s just frustrating seeing the way he treats Quinn versus the way he treats Ally, especially because I don’t think he means it the way it comes across.

Coach adores his nieces, both of them, but Ally…she just always needs more of his attention. It’s been like that since I’ve known them. She’s not as driven, or at least isn’t as sure of the path that she wants to take, and it makes her seem less put together, more fragile than Quinn, and I think he treats them as such.

Quinn, on the other hand, knows exactly what she wants to do with her life, and she knows what she needs to do to get there. I mean, what twenty-four-year-old gets a job as an athletic trainer with the NHL in her first year out of college?

I mean, people can obviously make the argument that with her uncle being the new coach, that’s the only reason she would’ve gotten the job, but those people don’t know her. I’m sure her uncle had a part in her name being considered, but I know her work ethic and intelligence are the reasons she got the job. Her uncle is an ass to her, always has been, but it’s only because he pushes her, and he knows she can be something incredible and wants the best for her.

I just wish he’d go about it a little more tactfully, for both of his nieces, but that’s outside my paygrade.

I tried to talk to Quinn about everything a little bit after they left us alone, but she told me that it was time for her to do her job, and she asked me to respect that and be professional. I may be pushy, but I’m not a dick. I understand the importance of boundaries and would never want to jeopardize her job. That’s why, after she kicked me out of our appointment, I emailed HR on the drive home to let them know I had something to discuss with them. I'll let Quinn know before I do it, but if this is actually happening, I'm not going to let politics or stupid rules get in the way of seeing this situation through.

After Quinn asked me the other night, I ended up looking into the details of what could happen if we tried this on the off chance she was right. I’m glad I did, though, because it came in handy. After going over everything, I found out that relationships lasting longer than nine months prior to time of hire, and where there’s no supervisory role over your significant other, were allowed according to our contract.

I also researched her contract, and it was the exact same wording. It will obviously take some communication, but thankfully I have a friend who was visiting Nashville just over a year ago and can vouch for me and Quinn if it comes down to it. Shooting Miles a text, I let him know I’m probably going to need his help confirming that someone saw Quinn and me, together, a year ago. I mean, it’s not a lie; it’s just a whole lot more complicated and fucked up than it sounds.

Before I close out of my phone and head inside my house, I send Quinn one more text telling her to call me, another one I'm sure she'll leave on read. It's like she doesn't remember that if she wants to play hide and seek with me, all she has to do is say the word.

Leaving my stuff in the car for now, I head inside, grab a protein drink and a water, then throw on my headset and fire up my PS5. I log into the game and join Asher’s party onCall of Duty.

It’s become sort of our ritual, at least a few times a week. It’s something we can all do that’s not hockey. Look, we love hockey, and I don’t want to speak for everyone…but damn, sometimes it’s nice to do something different.

At least this way, we all get to be home, relaxed, and still hang out. When I moved into my own house here in Nashville, I knew I wanted a nice game room that could also double as a movie room. I love sitting back, relaxing, and binge-watching movies until I feel like I’m one with the couch.

It’s a whole vibe in here, with color-changing mood lights, big, extra-wide recliners, and an eighty-five-inch TV that’s my pride and joy. It doesn’t matter if I’m playing, watching a movie, or taking a nap, I’m usually camped out in this room if I’m not in bed.

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