Page 116 of Revenge Puck

“So? How did it go?” Maya pounces on me as soon as I open the front door back in D.C. as if she was pacing in front of it. “Did you apologize to Elle?”

“Yeah, I did.”

“And? Are you two back together?”

“No, we’re not.”

“What? Why not?”

“I told her about California. She doesn’t want to do long distance, which means she’s not going to consider moving for me. I couldn’t even talk her into spending time together during the off-season, so…”

“Aww. Well, if you care about her, then don’t give up so easily just yet.”

“I don’t know what else I can do, Maya.”

“You need to come up with more than an apology. It’ll take a grand gesture to prove to her you’re serious about making this work and that you won’t push her away again when things get tough.”

“Like what?”

She gives me a light punch to my shoulder. “That’s for you to figure out, big brother.”

“Yeah, I don’t know if there’s any figuring this out. I don’t want to walk away from her. Being in D.C. without Elle doesn’t even feel right.”

And that’s when an idea hits me.

It’s a really, really stupid idea. If the Warhawks win the trophy tomorrow, I’ll beg Elle to take me back on national television the first time someone shoves a microphone in my face.

But that won’t fix anything for Maya.

Which reminds me…

I scrape my fingers through my beard then tell my sister, “There was something else I had to do in Greensboro, someone else to apologize to.”

“Oh yeah? Who?”

“Do you think you and Finley could come to the game a little earlier tomorrow? There’s something I was wondering if you would do before the puck drop.”

“Sure. Is there a pre-game party or something?”

“No. I was hoping, well, let’s sit down and I’ll start at the beginning.”

“Oh-kay,” she drawls.

We both go over to the living room and take a seat on the sofa. “I told Riley about Finley.”

Maya blinks at me, her face stunned. “You did what now?”

“I told him he’s Finley’s father. And he wants to meet him.”

“Preston!” Getting to her feet, she explodes with her arms flailing all over the place. “What…why…you should’ve asked me first! How could you do this, after all this time, without talking to me first?”

“I know I should’ve asked what you wanted five years ago, and I didn’t. I’m sorry. I just wanted to make things right as soon as possible.”

Curses I’ve never heard before come spewing out of my sister’s mouth as she storms around the living room, her fingers tugging on her ponytail.

Standing up, I grab her shoulders to stop her pacing. “Look, Maya, I know it’s last minute, and I’m an asshole for springing this on you, but you don’t have to tell Finley who Riley is. He can just be a friend of mine if you want to take things slow.”

She shakes her head, shakes my hands off her by taking a step back. “I don’t know. Lying to Finley about this feels wrong.”

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