Page 42 of Off The Ice

“What?” I protested. “No. Absolutely not.”

“You are! Why else would you be acting like this?”

“No, I had plans to go out already,” I straight up lied. “The guys from the team are already out at a bar.”Truth. “So, you guys can just come along.”

Maggie’s lips jutted out as she considered my words. I was betting that she’d buy it, considering I had never lied to her before.

“I don’t want my big brother at the same bar as me when I’m trying to have a good night!” she pouted.

“Ew, Maggie. What constitutes a ‘good night’ that you don’t want me there to see?” I groaned.

“Listen.” She held up a hand to silence me. “It’s been a long week. My best friend got dumped by a jerk. Mom islivingin myshoebox apartment and has been up my ass for days. And I just want to unwind with my friend. Okay?”

“And I don’t see any reason why you can’t do that with me there?”

About to protest, I stopped her with another half-truth. “Listen, my friend Brody has been dying to hang out with you, and he’s not going to get off my case until I set it up. He’ll be there tonight. It’s the perfect chance for us all to hang out with no pressure,” I told her, hoping she wouldn’t see through my flimsy excuse.

“Brody?” She raised a brow. “The guy from the locker room?”

“Yeah, that’s him,” I confirmed.

“Why does he want to meet me?”

“I don’t know, Mags,” I said, feeling like I was dealing with my kid sister again, even though we were now in our mid-twenties. “Can you just stop with all the protesting already?”

“Fine,” she relented. “You can drive us. But I don’t want you doing anything weird tonight because you’re seriously freaking me out. Like, I almost think you got a brain transplant or something.”

“Fine,” I bit out.

“I’m going upstairs to make sure Cassie doesn’t pick out something boring to wear,” she said, heading for the staircase.

I stood planted where she’d left me in the living room and watched her pause halfway up the stairs.

“And just so you know,” she said, eyes squinting at me. “Cassie ismine.So don’t you go getting all territorial like you do just because she’s staying at your place for a few nights.”

She disappeared before I had a chance to respond, but I sank back against the couch with her words ringing in my ears.

Somehow, I didn’t think her warning was unwarranted.

Chapter Fifteen

Cassie

Sitting in the backseat of Liam’s car was a wild place to be on a Friday night, considering I’d only agreed to go out so he could have his apartment to himself for the first time since I’d moved in.

If I’d known that he had plans to go out for the night, I would’ve gladly stayed tucked up in his apartment, safe and warm from the horrors of the world.

Going out had never been my thing, but I couldn’t think of a time that I wanted to go less than when I woke up from the coziest nap of my life, only to see Maggie standing there waiting for me.

I wasn’t in any mood to be out in public. I didn’t drink, so it wasn’t like I could nurse my broken heart with alcohol.

The only reason I said yes was because I knew that Liam probably needed a break from me, but here he was anyway. I’mnot sure if Maggie asked him to come or if he’d been going anyway, but it didn’t matter. Now the three of us were sitting in the silence of his car while Liam’s fingers thrummed anxiously against the wheel as he maneuvered in and out of Boston traffic.

“So, where are we going?” Maggie asked, her eyes glued to the Instagram feed she was scrolling through.

“The Trap,” Liam replied tersely, his body far more rigid than normal.

“No way!” Maggie instantly dropped her phone on her lap. “Are you kidding? That place is always so hard to get into!”

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