Page 77 of Unrivaled

“I’m very fond of him,” Max said, because it seemed rude to agree out loud when Grady could hear him. “But listen. You’re on vacation with your ex and her new girlfriend. It was supposed to be a group trip, but everyone elsesupposedlybacked out at the last minute. Somehow, despite the fact that you’re a single person on vacation with a couple, you got the bigger bedroom. And now your friends’ heat is out and they’re trying to bunk in with you. Kind of a coincidence, don’t you think?”

It took a moment for it to sink in. Then Jess said, “Oh my God.”

“You’re either in a porno or the first-ever lesbian triad Hallmark Christmas Special.”

“Oh my God,” Jess repeated.

“Oh my God,” whispered Grady.

“Bad news is you probably have to actually talk to them to figure out which one it is.” Max considered. “Or you put on your sexiest pajamas and let the cards fall where they may.”

“Holy shit.”

“Merry Christmas!” he said cheerfully. “You want to talk to your brother again?”

She did, so Max passed the phone back and closed his eyes.

This time Grady didn’t talk for long—he and Jess exchanged holiday greetings, and then she apologized for forgetting about time zones and promised she’d grill him about “Shithead—I meanMax” later.

Finally Grady set the phone on the nightstand, and the room fell back into darkness. “Sorry. Didn’t mean to wake you at… three in the morning. Jesus Christ, Jess.”

Didn’t mean to drool all over your chest in my sleep, but here we are.“’S fine. Siblings, right?”

“Right.” He settled deeper into the pillows and adjusted the sheets around them. “I thought women were supposed to be better at talking about their feelings.”

“Eh,” Max said. “Two of them are still hockey players.” Best not set the bartoohigh.

Grady snorted. “Good point.” He settled the hand that had been in Max’s hair on the small of his back instead. “Are you seriously comfortable like that?”

“Mmm-hmm.” He forced himself to raise his eyelids. “Why? Too heavy?” Only Max’s head and part of his chest were resting on Grady—the rest was on the mattress or supported by pillows—but he wasn’t exactly a featherweight.

“No. I have a weighted blanket at home, remember?”

“’Kay.” Max closed his eyes again. “Night.”

Christmas was a huge success. The house didn’t have a fireplace, so they hung stockings off the breakfast bar, and Max’s mom was all too happy to include one for Grady.

Grady took the stocking with his name on it with big, bright eyes and a smile that was a little brittle, and Max desperately wanted to watch him open it, but he felt too protective to let anyone else do the same, so he chased Milo and Carly around the living room and threatened to eat their candy while Grady pulled out the usual stocking staples—toothbrush and toothpaste, socks, lip balm, an organic chocolate bar (Max might’ve helped with that one).

He wasn’t sure if the hugs that resulted surprised Grady or his parents more.

Max’s heart did a little somersault just from watching it.

Then Nora sat down next to him at the breakfast bar and lowered her voice to a conspiratorial whisper. “So you sent him to a dentist, eh?”

Max shook himself and turned toward her. “What?”

She gestured with her head toward Grady. “For a night guard. The shape of his jaw’s changed. No buildup of muscle means no more teeth grinding.”

“I didn’t. I’ve never seen him wear one either.” Not that he spent every night with Grady, but he seemed like the kind of guy who’d wear the night guard in company anyway, even if it was deeply unsexy, because it was for his health, and would glower menacingly if Max ever dared mention it. Now that Max thought about it, he’d never heard Grady grind his teeth at night.

Nora was right, though. Grady’s jaw did look narrower.

Max could feel her gaze on the side of his face when she said, “Huh. He must’ve figured out a really good way to manage his stress, I guess.”

She went to the fridge to grab more orange juice, but Max sat there for he didn’t know how long, wondering if he could get up and press a kiss there, feel the difference under his lips.

“UncleMax,” Carly said, like she’d been trying to get his attention for several minutes. “Can we open your gifts now?”

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