Page 117 of Off The Ice

“Yeah,” I brushed it off. “But enough of that. Tell me about you and the beautiful man you had wrapped around your finger last night.”

Maggie beamed.

“It’s going good,” she trailed off devilishly, leaving much to be desired.

“I’d say more than good.” I laughed, raising my brows at her giddy smile.

“He makes me laugh,” she said wistfully. “And there’s something about him that just feels like a real person. There are no weird pretenses or acts he’s trying to put on. He’s just him. He actually reminds me a lot of you in that way.”

“Maggie Brynn, are you telling me you’re in love with me?” I joked.

“You know you’re my number one, always.” She winked across the table.

Warmth spread through my chest. Sometimes, I tricked myself into thinking I was alone in the world. That if I didn’t have my mom, I’d be completely lost. But every time I saw Maggie, it was a reminder that maybe the world wasn’t as bleak as my mind sometimes convinced me it was.

“But I have to admit, I am getting a little jealous,” she started, smirking at me knowingly.

“Jealous of what?” I rolled my eyes playfully.

“I’m starting to worry that I’m not your favorite

Brynn anymore.” She feigned a pout.

I froze, staring at her wide-eyed. “What do you mean?”

“I mean, there’s something going on between you and my brother, and you’re holding out on me with the details.”

“Nothing’s going on,” I said immediately.

“Bull,” she countered. “You sound like him.”

Oh my God, had she mentioned something to him? Did he think I had a big, stupid crush on him while I was living in his house?

“Maggie—”

“No.” She held a hand to stop me. “You can’t convince me that there’s nothing going on after I watched my brother flip the hell out the way he did last night.”

“It’s not like that.” I shook my head, flailing as I tried to deny it.

“Okay, then, how’s apartment hunting going?” She raised a brow, daring me to answer.

“I—” I paused. “I haven’t looked in a while.”

“Ha!” She slammed her hands down on the table. “And why not?”

Because I don’t want to leave him.

“I’ll tell you why,” she jumped in. “It’s because you looove him, too. Don’t you?”

I stared at her. She stared at me. And then I groaned, hiding my hands in my face as if I could make the world disappear around me.

“I knew it!” She giggled maniacally. “I knew it, I knew it, I knew it!”

“Please stop,” I begged, peeking out through my fingers. “It’s so humiliating. I feel like a fangirl with a big stupid crush.”

“What?” Her jaw dropped. “Cassie,no.He’s totally obsessed with you. I can tell.”

“I don’t know,” I said while my stomach fluttered at her words. “I mean, weren’t you the one telling me how he’s not into any of that stuff?”

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