Page 163 of Wild Blades

“My favorite.” Zane pulls his mouth to the side, making Lola’s face light up like a jukebox. “Mine too, and Wade’s.” She points her spoon at me while Zane slides into the seat opposite. “That’s one thing we all have in common. You two might be more similar than you think.”

“Maybe,” I mutter.

“Both handsome, both hockey players. Share the same dad. Like creamy coconut sundaes. What else?”

“Okay, you made your point.” I poke her ribs gently.

“She doesn’t have an off switch. Talked the entire way here.” Zane tucks his lips into his mouth.

“You traveled together?”

“And returning together.” Zane pretends to be mad about that, but does a terrible job of hiding his smile.

“No off switch.” I burst out laughing. Fuck, this is bizarre.

Protesting, she mumbles with a mouth full of white ice cream, “Hey, that’s mean. I have an off switch.”

“When?”

“When I’m sleeping.” She takes another giant spoonful. “Dig in. It’s good.”

Which is what we all do until it’s finished. Every minute or so we glance at each other and shake our heads at the bizarreness of our situation.

I drop my spoon into the finished sundae, which makes a tinkling sound as it hits the glass. “So.” I wipe the sides of my mouth on a napkin.

“So.” Zane rests his back against the pink and yellow leather backrest. “I have something to say.”

“Okay.”

“I’m sorry.”

“For?” I want to hear him say it.

“All the hurtful, untrue things I’ve said to you and about you. I’m sorry.”

“Why did you say them?”

“Deflection, I guess.” He shuffles in his seat, looking uncomfortable.

“I don’t understand.”

“A lack of confidence in my ability. But you, you just seem to have this gift. Everything comes naturally to you. He talks about that a lot, you know?”

“Who?”

“Dad. Marcus. Him and I watch tapes together, replays, and every time he points out your techniques and tells me how to improve.”

“You’re a star goalie, Zane, the best in the NHL.”

“I was threatened by you. The things I said were spiteful and disrespectful. It was more about how I felt about myself. It was never about you.”

“Go on.”

He lets out a long breath. “You have this confidence and ability I don’t have. With me it’s all bravado. I needed help. A lot of it. Extra lessons.”

“Me too.”

“Did you?”

---