Page 19 of Facing the Line

I’m not the only person in costume making my way to Hockey Hall and heading to the third floor. I share an elevator with Eleven fromStranger Things, a sexy witch, and Spider Man. An inflatable dinosaur tries to fit but they need to take the stairs in that thing. I follow the crowd and the noise to the party.

“Hey!” I greet my brother inside the doorway, eyeing his costume up and down. He tips his fedora to me and fingers the bullwhip on his belt. “Oh, I get it. Watch out for snakes, Indiana.”

He shudders. “Why did it have to be snakes?”

I crack up at his impersonation, remembering one summer when we were obsessed withRaiders of the Lost Ark.

“I like your costume, too. You match Jonas,” he says.

I try to play it cool. “Oh yeah? How so?”

“He’s a Marvel character, too. You’ll have to find him and take a picture.”

Hunter glances over my shoulder like he’s looking for someone, so I raise my brows. “Are you the official door greeter?”

“Uh, no.” The lighting is terrible in here—mostly strobes—but is he blushing? “I, uh, invited Natalie. Just checking to see if she’s here yet.”

“Oooh,” I tease in a sing-song voice. “I think you like her.”

He doesn’t deny it. I met Natalie a few weeks back. She does social media for the hockey team, and I’m pretty sure Hunter has a crush on her. She’s great, though—sweet and funny and not intimidated by him, which is exactly what he needs. I got to know her better when he forced her to pick me up from the Sig Alph frat party. I did not ask for nor need a ride, but I’m learning that’s par for the course with Hunter. He’s overprotective, but it’s nice to have someone in my family who cares.

“Well, good luck with her tonight.” I pat his shoulder as I move past him. “And don’t screw it up.”

Wandering into the kitchen, I grab a White Claw and see some other guys I know from the hockey team. Mateo is as obsessed with the game as my brother, but Caleb, Levi, and Drew are cool. I’m in the middle of a conversation with themaboutTed Lassowhen I step back and accidentally bump into someone.

I spin to see who it is and come face to face with the twinkling brown eyes I can’t get off my mind.

“Hey!” Jonas smiles, and my heartrate trips up a notch. “I’m glad you made it.”

“At least I didn’t spill my drink this time.” I shake the White Claw in my hand. “No broken glass.”

“An improvement for sure.”

My palms get sweaty. Why do I feel tongue-tied all of the sudden? I give Jonas a once-over and notice his martial arts outfit. Hunter’s right about our Marvel coincidence. “Uh, cool costume. I like Wong.”

One of the side characters from the Doctor Strange storyline, Wong is straightforward and good. And surprisingly funny. He reminds me a bit of Jonas.

Except for the straightforward thing, of course.

Jonas’s gaze lights up. “Thanks. You match my theme. We’re both in the Marvel Universe.”

“Yeah. Captain Marvel is my favorite.”

“She’s hot.” He chokes on air for a second, coughing, and my cheeks heat. “I mean, I like her. I like a lot of things about her. Her strong sense of justice and?—”

“Jonas, it’s okay.” I cut off his misery. Maybe I’m not the only one who doesn’t know what to say. But for some reason, I want to keep talking to him. His stare is intent, fixed on me like I’m captivating. It’s intoxicating. “Um, how are you? How’s your semester going, and hockey, and all that stuff?”

His face turns serious when I mention hockey. “Good, I guess. What did you decide about your major? Are you taking Natalie’s suggestion and trying everything?”

At Monday Movie Night a few weeks ago, a tradition in their apartment, I mentioned my woes with my major. Natalie andJasmine were great sounding boards and recommended I take a bunch of different classes next semester to see what I like. I haven’t gotten to talk about it with anyone else yet, though.

“I still need to run it by my advisor, but yeah, that’s the plan. I don’t know where to start, though. Any suggestions?”

He rubs his chin. “Oooh, great question. Do you like math or literature better?”

I shrug. “I like to read, but I’m more into billionaire romances than great literature. I guess I’m okay at math?”

He nods. “You could take a business class, then, to see if you like that. Maybe a communication class? That major has a lot of options. Do you like history?”

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