Page 99 of Any Second Now
Barrett’s face turns red and he scrunches his face and groans dramatically.
“Yeah. I know.” He’s got the common courtesy to cringe. Or maybe that’s a pout.
I grind my teeth together. I’m actually going to punch him.
“Listen.” Barrett clasps his hands together. “I really am sorry about that. I’ve been meaning to apologize but didn’t want to sound like a dick.”
“So you thoughtnotapologizing was the way to handle it?”
“Is this our first fight?”
I’m gonna kill him. I growl.
“Okay, okay. I should’ve apologized right away.” Barrett rubs a hand behind his neck and stares down at the ice. “But you and Lachlan… I don’t want to look like a loser in front of you two. You’re like, my big brothers.”
For fuck’s sake.
I shake my head, words escaping me. Barrett looks up at me with wide eyes, and I almost feel bad.
“I— I get in the zone on the ice and feel like I can bust through walls, like the Hulk on ice.”
I grunt. I know the feeling. And it’s what makes him so damn good. I’m finally starting to accept that we’re probably lucky to have him on the team.
“But you look good now? Aren’t you all healed?” Barrett looks at me like a wounded puppy.
I’m back to wanting to kick him.
Not that I’d ever kick a puppy.
Isthis what it’s like to have a little brother?
“Yeah,” I hiss. “I’m fine. Whatever. You’re forgiven. Let’s never speak ofit again.”
Barrett smiles broadly and I turn back to the penalty box with a roll of my eyes.
Shit, when did I become the old curmudgeon? Barrett is me five years ago. Hell, he’s meoneyear ago.
And when I look at Lachlan, I feel like he’s future me, when Raleigh leaves Fort Collins.
Two. Weeks.
I shake my head to get the image out of her driving the Pink Palace out of that campsite and onto the highway back to Connecticut. It’ll take her at least a week to get back to the East Coast. Will she leave in a week? A few days?
We haven’t talked about it at all. Like we’re pretending there’s no expiration date to our relationships.
When she goes, I’ll be the one crying in the penalty box. Fucking pathetic.
This is why I’ve never let myself date.
Wait, no, that’s not true. I’ve never been afraid of being the one devastated. I’ve been afraid of being the asshole, hurting women along the way.
But it’s different with Raleigh.
I turn into the campsite and let my eyes land on the RV. Lachlan’s breakup is throwing me off. I couldn’t even get details from him on what exactly happened with Melissa, just that she broke up with him and it was very much one sided. He said he was going to her house after practice to beg her to work it out. We tried to talk him out of it—and I cannot believe I’m referring to me and Barrett as ‘we’—but he couldn’t be reasoned with.
I even texted Kellen in England and Harley in Maine to see if they would reach out to him.
The whole this-will-inevitably-crash-and-burn vibe is spot on to me and Raleigh.
