Page 32 of Ice Block

I cross my legs, placing my arms behind my head. “Yep,” I say, popping the p.

Kara leans in closer, glancing around the beach to make sure no one’s listening. “Okay, but did you watch?”

I just smile, still not looking at either of them.

“Oh my God,you did!” I see Liv covering her mouth as she realizes Isodid.

“Then what happened?!” Kara asks, very flustered at my lack of explanation and anxious to hear every detail. “I mean…is it as big as the rumors? All the guys talk about how big his wang is.”

“Kara!” Liv smacks her playfully on the arm.

“What?! Hayes has never brought that up to you?” Kara blinks, a slow, sly smile lifting her cheeks. “They make jokes about how he hardly ever gets scored on in the five-hole cause he has an extra stick down there.”

We all burst into a fit of laughter, the visual too good to pass up.

After I catch my breath, I respond, “I can neither confirm nor deny those rumors.”

“Holy shit—it’s true. Oh my Lord, I’m not going to be able to look at that man the same again.”

Jealousy hits me out of nowhere, goosebumps peppering my skin as I think about Kara, or any other woman, looking at him like that. Or eventhinkingabout him. I mean, I know my two girlfriends are both happily married, but the thought ofanyonelaying their eyes on him makes me want to go back to the room and lay my claim to him. My breath catches.Does he want that?

“How did you two leave things after that?” Liv asks, resting her chin in her palm.

I look at my best friend, a slight glimmer of hope in my voice. “He actually apologized. For everything.”

“Wait…everything? What am I missing here?”

Liv turns to Kara, grumpy impatience tightening her shoulders. “I’ll fill you in later, but basically, these two hooked up months ago, and Vladi kinda ghosted her.”

I see the same rage on Kara’s face I saw in Liv’s when I told her. “I am going to kill that damn goalie! He better pray he has nine lives like the number on his jersey, ‘cause he’s about to lose one.”

“I appreciate it, but it’s okay,” I snort, reaching over to Kara. “His apology was…surprisinglysincere. I’ve never seen that side of him before.”

“I told you, Mags. He’s a good guy. He’s just got some issues from his past. But, if he apologized to you, I would say that’s a sign he’s trying to work on them.”

I let Olivia’s words sink in, a flutter sparking behind my ribs, Melissa curiously peeking out of her little box. Between that and the fact that he just told me he didn’t see the sun or the ocean, only me, makes me want to believe it. “I just wish I knew what these issues were.”

“Have you asked him?” Kara pipes in. “I know it’s easier said than done, but you guys have done the physical part. Being married for ten plus years,I can tell you the talking part is way harder. Zack and I got married super-fast after we met. Well, not as fast as Olivia and Hayes—but still, we’d only known each other for six months. We knew we were always going to be together, but we still brought a lot of baggage with us. Sometimes it just took him asking me why I had a problem with something or me asking him why he was suddenly closed off.” Her eyes glaze over as she stares at nothing past us, clearly remembering something difficultbetween her and Zack. “Guys are different than us, especially someone who blocks off their emotions like Vladi. And to echo what Olivia said, he really is a sweet, kind-hearted guy. I think he’s just scared.”

“Shit, Kara. You need a podcast. You shouldn’t be giving this kind of advice for free.”Even if it’s advice I don’t want to hear.

“Okay, so girl code…youcannottell your husbands about me walking in on Vladi last night. Swear?”

“I swear to God, Mags,” Olivia replies, drawing an ‘x’ across her chest.

Kara and I look at Olivia with raised eyebrows, neither of us able to keep a straight face.

“Funny how you swear to God you’ll keep a secret, yet Zack somehow wasn’t surprised by his birthday present I told you about.”

Liv looks at the ground, her cheeks heating. “That was one time.”

“How about the time you told Hayes that Vladi and I slept together hours after I asked you not to?”

“Okay, two times! But I swear, guys, I’m gonna keep this a secret. I swear I’ll keep this to myself!”

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vladi

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