Page 100 of Pucking Tangled
“Oookay. Uhm. Good Afternoon?” She raised her brow at their obvious behavior.
“Hey, sleepyhead.” Owen grinned at her.
“I’m just going to say it.” Waylon stood and walked over to her. “We all missed you when you left us last night, early this morning, whenever it was. Also, Luca’s a bed hog. And did you know Casey snores?”
Mia let out a laugh. “You’re all ridiculous.” Her voice grew serious. “I just needed some time to breathe. I didn’t mean to make anyone feel like I was pulling away.”
“You don’t have to stretch yourself thin to prove you care about us,” Owen told her. “We already know. You just have to be honest.”
“I am being honest. I wasn’t pulling away. I wasn’t avoiding anything. Just…needed my own space for a little bit. Nothing’s changed. I still love all four of you in the morning…I mean afternoon light.”
“Good. Then you’re doing fine,” Waylon hastily kissed her cheek.
“Come on, I’ll get you some coffee.” Luca stepped forward and took her hand. “Casey can make you something for lunch before you leave.”
“Thanks, Luca,” Casey snickered.
A few minutes later, Mia slipped out the door with her book bag slung over her shoulder, a full belly, and a refill of coffee in her travel mug.
In the car, she waited for her phone to connectto bluetooth, then dialed Brooke’s number before she backed out of the driveway.
It rang twice before Brooke answered.
"Well, well, well," her friend said, her voice laced with teasing. "Look who remembered she has friends outside of four hot hockey players."
Mia laughed, her breath puffing out in relief. “Don’t start.”
“Too late. I’ve been waiting for this call since we went to the game together.”
Mia hesitated. “I didn’t know how to explain it.”
“Then don’t,” Brooke said. “Just tell me how you feel.”
Mia was quiet for a second.
“I’m happy,” she said softly. “But it’s complicated. Like…stupidly complicated.”
“I can only imagine,” Brooke acknowledged.
“I’ve been with all of them now,” Mia admitted. “Not just physically. I mean,emotionally. I care about them all. Deeply. And they care about me. But we’re still figuring out how to do this…together.”
“Is it working?” Brooke asked gently.
“I think so. But it’s fragile. Like we’re all trying so hard not to break the spell.”
She paused, merging onto the highway.
“But today I slept in my own bed. Just for a little space. It wasn’t about them. I just—” she exhaled, frustrated. “I felt guilty aboutwantingspace. Like I owed them more. Like I wasn’t allowed to take a moment for myself to just breathe.”
Brooke hummed. “Sounds like you’re forgetting that your needs matter, too.”
“I know,” Mia whispered. “But I just love them all so much already. It’s scary. I don’t want to mess this up.”
Brooke was quiet for a moment, then, her voicesoftened. “Mia, let me ask you this—do they make you feel safe?”
“Yes.”
“Do they respect you? Your boundaries, your choices?”
