Page 110 of When Love Takes The Ice

“No shit.” Tyler gives Jay a nudge. “But he’s already said he doesn’t know why.”

“And that’s why I’m just sayin’ he should do some digging. It don’t sit right.” He shakes his head. “Trust me, I’ve come from a pretty dysfunctional family. I know a rat when I smell one.”

I glance up at him. It’s the first time he’s ever said anything personal about himself and the first time I’ve heard about anything dysfunctional.

Jay is just known as the happy-go-lucky guy that makes everyone laugh. It’s just the way he is. Just not today. Today, he is choosing to be serious. It’s not a side I’ve ever seen.

“Really?” I ask him about the last part of what he said.

He shrugs. “Just the way it is,” he says. “You can’t pick your family, that much I know. I kind of have a Grandfather that isn’t even blood-related. That’s about all I care to remember about growing up. That and a good friend of mine back home.”

“That shit sucks,” Tyler says. He wouldn’t know. He comes from a very large Greek background with two great parents and a boatload of family. “I guess some of us don’t know how lucky we are.”

“You can say that again.” I sigh. I want to get off-topic. “So, you and Cindy?” I raise my eyebrows at Ty. “Don’t tell me you both attended the charity workshop together in Florida, and Coach Carter doesn’t suspect a thing?”

“We didn’t exactly make out we were going together. I think she told her Dad she was staying with Maddie.”

I give him a look. “You two are grown adults. You need to quit the sneaking around before it comes back to bite you.”

“No shit.” He sighs. “We’re going to tell him before the season starts.”

“About time,” Taylor adds.

“You stuck it to her yet?” Jay asks outright.

We all look at him. I hide my chuckle with a cough. We know they must be fooling around, though Tyler isn’t one to brag about it, even to us.

“Don’t fucking start.” Ty points to him.

Jay laughs his head off. “What are you guys waiting for… Christmas?”

“I don’t have to answer that.”

“Yeah, what are you guys waiting for?” Taylor asks, genuinely intrigued.

“Maybe I just don’t wanna share the details with you guys,” he grunts.

“He’s just saying that because he hasn’t been laid.” Jay shakes his head. “I can’t believe you spent the entire week in Florida sharing a hotel room—and nothing happened?” Jay’s bewilderment is about enough to knock him over on the ice.

“I didn’t say nothing happened. You said that.”

“So, you’re waiting?” Jay confirms, not letting it go.

“No one is waiting,” Tyler says, unconvincingly. Something is going on, but he obviously isn’t willing to share.

“Well, if it’s her putting the reigns on, why the fuck does she wanna do that?”Jay adds, confused.

“Just because you bang the first chick you see in the first few minutes of knowing them doesn’t mean we all do.” Taylor pats him on the shoulder.

“Each to their own.” Jay holds his hands up. “I’m not criticizing, by the way; I’m curious.”

“Well, she’s kinda traditional,” Tyler says. “She hasn’t elaborated too much, but I think her upbringing was pretty strict from her Mom’s side, anyway. She definitely ain’t giving it up easy.”

“And you’re obviously cool with that, to some extent,” I add my two cents’ worth.

He shrugs. “She’s special.”

“She’s a fair bit younger than you, too, bro?” Jay so helpfully adds.

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