Page 79 of The Puck Stops Here

Astrid felt the ridiculous grin on her lips, the rampant butterflies in her stomach, and promptly smothered both. He’snotamusing. He’snotfun. He’s a nightmare!

A woman’s worst nightmare. Much like his brother.

But at least Blake was honest about it. Kind of. Aiden on the other hand had promised Sienna the world and lied through his teeth.

Only you’re finding him quite likeable too…

‘Traitor,’ she muttered, pausing the recording and adding milk and two sugars to her coffee. She stirred it vigorously as she took it to the table before the window where her work was all spread out.

She hadn’t seen the twins in two days, but she’d lived and breathed them – focusing on the article because that was far easier than focusing on the confusing mess of her feelings towards them.

Today, she had interviews lined up at the arena with Coach, Stella, and the equipment manager Ezra. She had other people to contact and book in, too.

She checked her list of potential sources, their mother and father right up top. She understood the twins’ need to protect their mother and she’d respect that. But their father… if ever there was a villain to the piece. She had to try and speak to him. Though the man was proving difficult to trace. Sissi had said he’d not been seen in Ashbury Falls for months now, the house they’d lived in standing very much empty. Empty but well-tended to by an agency.

Astrid had done some digging and discovered that Aiden had bought it last year. Which was odd in itself. Why buy a house you had no intention of returning to? As far as she could tell he hadn’t been back since taking ownership. And she doubted Blake had any intention of doing so. Their mother had to be glad to see the back of it, too. So why buy something that held so much misery for them all?

Her gaze drifted to the early morning frost hovering over Central Park. It looked as cold as she now felt.

Had Aiden bought it for their father?

Their old man was well known for his financial troubles. Would Aiden have bailed him out? Hated the man while gifting him a roof over his head? And if so, didn’t that make the Ice King ever more likeable?

Bugger. She snatched up her mug. Every step forward in her article seemed to be one step back on the karma path…

Why couldn’t he be a Grade A jerk? The 2D guy with the Hollywood smile splashed all over O’Hare airport, arrogant and unfeeling, self-absorbed and selfish.

Perhaps because he’d never been that man at all.

And where did that leave her and the grand karma plan?

If she could just get him onto the subject of Sissi, unpick that thread to his tale and get her friend some kind of closure…

Her phone buzzed with an incoming text and she glanced at the screen.

Mum

Good morning, darling. Hope you have a glorious day! All is sunny this side of the pond xoxo

She smiled and was about to pick it up when another message dropped in…

Aiden

How are you fixed on Tuesday night?

She snatched up the phone. Blinked. And blinked again.

Tuesday night? She checked the Titans game schedule – clear.

Was he… was he asking her on a date? After the disaster of the last one?

Whatever the case, it’s an opportunity to dig for Sissi and the article; get on it!

Astrid

Good morning to you too! Why do you ask?

Aiden

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