Page 72 of The Fake Date Agreement

Reid laughs, and Javier snorts a laugh.

“Maybe I love the way Javier listens to me like I’m the only person in the world,” I say quietly.

Javier straightens as Beau slowly nods.

“But I do love the way Reid helped me through something I didn’t think I could get out of on my own.” Namely, heartbreak. “And Caleb is actually one of the sweetest, most thoughtful men I’ve ever met under that grumpy exterior, so if I had a list, he would not be third. None of them would.”

Beau’s stare lengthens, and then a slow smile stretches across his face. I get the sense that I just passed some sort of test. “You coming to the big game, Tobie?”

“Wouldn’t miss it for the world.” Though I’m sure Reid, Caleb, and Javier will have forgotten all about me long before then.

As he skates away to join the other players on the ice, I turn to Javier. He’s staring at me, and he’s not the only one. Reid has lost his smile.

“What?” I run a hand through my hair, embarrassed.

“You meant that?” Reid asks. “About me helping you and the stuff about Caleb and Javier.”

“I wouldn’t have said it if I didn’t.” When they keep staring at me, I start thinking I said something I shouldn’t have. My eyes slide to Beau. “Why did you call him Irish?”

After strapping his pads on, Beau is laughing as he stuffs a helmet on his blond head.

Reid gives him a look, glances at me, and angles his body so he’s blocking my view of him like he’s jealous.

It is sweet. I absolutely would never have a chance in a million years with a guy like that, but Reid seems to think there is a real danger of him catching my eye.

A smile twitches Reid’s lips. “Because he’s Irish.”

I swallow my smile. “And you got stuck with Pollyanna?”

He scratches his jaw. “Just ain’t fair, is it?”

The coach blows his whistle, and Javier rests his hand on the plexiglass with a smile. “Walk me to class after practice, beautiful?”

The beautiful must be for the eavesdroppers, and the hand on the plexiglass may be some kind of hockey player sign of affection because the girls watching from the stands sigh.

“Sure.”

As Reid and Javier return to practice, I glance over at the stands, and the girls who were whispering and laughing aren’t focused on the guys—they’re focused on me.

I look away.

On the ice, their intense warmup would be the equivalent of a full workout for me.

Someone thumps beside me, yanking my focus away from the ice.

It’s a blonde girl. She’s beautiful in a pair of blue skinny jeans, a tank top, and a peach-colored sweater over the top. She’s still wearing her coat, so she must have just arrived. I don’t think she was sitting with the girls opposite.

“You’re new,” she says, still not looking at me.

I smile. “Yeah, I’m Tobie. I just?—”

“Won’t be sticking around when you get what you came for, huh?” Her voice is saccharine sweet, her expression open, but I’m getting the impression she doesn’t like me one bit.

“I don’t know what you mean.”

She gestures to the ice. “The players. You’re here to watch them practice, huh?”

“Caleb invited me,” I say defensively. “I didn’t just walk in.”

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