Page 25 of Guarded Love

I grunt instead of coming up with a proper response, grab the water bottle, and put it in its proper place before leaving the kitchen. I need to get away from Knox as quickly as possible. He's one of my best friends, practically a brother, but there are some thoughts I can’t share with him especially when they involve fantasies about his sister.

The moment my bedroom door clicks shut, I drop onto the edge of my bed, head in my hands. I’m going to need a cold shower.

Stat.

7

WILLOW

Why am I nervous to knock on my brother’s door?

It's not like I haven't been here before. Yes, I’ve tried to avoid coming over here for various reasons, but that’s beside the point. Tonight feels different. It’s probably because I’m not coming here in my capacity as Knox’s little sister, but I’m stepping across this threshold as Willow Sanchez, reporter for the Crestwood Chronicle.

My knuckles hover an inch from the door and I still can’t make myself do it. With the track I’m on, I’m going to end up being late for the interview.

"Just knock, Willow," I mutter to myself. "You're here for work. It's an interview. Something you’ve done a million times before."

I tap my knuckles against the door three times before I can change my mind.

The door swings open almost immediately, and I quickly wonder if the person on the other side had been waiting for me to knock. I plant a small smile on my face as I come face-to-face with Asher Bennett.

"Hey, Willow," Asher says with a warm smile, holding the door open wider. "You’re right on time."

Yes, but only because I finally got up enough nerve to knock. Not that he needs to know that. "Thanks," I manage, stepping inside. "Didn't want to keep you guys waiting."

“You didn’t. Pizza just got here so that kept us distracted for a bit. Outside of watching the game, of course.”

“Of course,” I repeat because I don’t expect anything less. I assume the game he’s talking about is hockey because what else would they have on? This is an interview, not a hangout, I remind myself as I follow Asher into the living room. But my nerves are still dancing, annoyingly, as I spot Knox and Selene walking in from the kitchen. Selene is holding cups while my older brother has two big bottles of soda in hand. Levi and Wilder are sitting on the couch.

"Hey, Wills," Knox smirks at me as he slides the bottles onto the coffee table before turning toward Selene. "You made it."

"Amazing, right?" I say, hoping my voice doesn’t give me away. "I'm here. With no last-minute excuses or trying to find a way to get out of this shit."

Knox chuckles and the noise sounds foreign to my ears. Since when does my brother chuckle? Ah. Since he got with Selene. He finally says, "That's a first, especially since sports are involved."

"Don't let it go to your head," I shoot back, shrugging off my coat. Selene takes it from me and drapes it over the back of the couch. I give her a small smile before I turn my attention to the men in the room.

“I never do,” Knox says in response.

He and I can go back and forth and get into a whole sibling argument, but that would be a waste of everyone’s time. So instead, I clear my throat and say, “Alright, let's get this show on the road," I announce. I pull my phone and notebook out of my bag. "Everyone good if I record this?"

Nods and murmurs flow through the room, letting me know everyone is okay with me doing so. Levi moves a stack of textbooks to make more space for me, while Asher brings up a chair for me to sit down on. Wilder at first looks around to see how he can make himself useful before deciding to grab a slice of pepperoni, folding it in half, and preparing to shove it in his mouth.

"Okay," I say, pressing the record button in my app and setting the device down. "Senior Night feature. Big deal. Let’s start easy. Levi, captain duties aside, what’s been the most memorable moment for you this season?"

Levi leans forward as he taps his chin with his index finger. "Most memorable? That's tough. I mean, every game out there with these guys is pretty damn good." He glances around at Knox, Asher, and Wilder, a genuine warmth in his eyes. "But if I had to pick one…probably the comeback win against Brickwood. Down by two in the third, and we just…clicked. Everyone firing on all cylinders. That feeling in the locker room after that win? There’s nothing like it, especially cause it was a hard fought win."

I nod, jotting downBrickwood comebackeven though my phone is capturing every word. It helps me remember things, which sometimes I struggle to do. And it keeps me from focusing on the empty space where a sixth person should arguably be sitting if this were a full senior lineup.

"Yeah, that Brickwood game was nuts." Wilder gestures with the pizza slice. At what, I have no idea. "Mostly memorable for me because I think I sweat out my entire body weight in the third period. And Levi owed me twenty bucks 'cause he bet I couldn't stop that breakaway."

Levi rolls his eyes but doesn't deny it. "Best twenty bucks I ever lost."

"Okay, epic saves and gambling debts noted," I say, scribblingWilder - sweat, $20. Willow, focus. "Asher," I pivotslightly in the chair he provided. "As a right wing, you're often setting up plays or taking shots under pressure. What's the biggest lesson you've learned about handling that pressure over your four years here?"

Asher leans back, running a hand through his brown hair. "Honestly? Learning to trust the guys next to me. Freshman year, I felt like I had to do everything myself, prove I belonged. But hockey's not a solo sport. Knowing Knox is gonna be crashing the net, or that Levi can read the play before it even happens… it takes the weight off. You just focus on your piece of the puzzle." He waits a beat before glancing at Knox. "Most of the time, anyway. Sometimes I still gotta bail him out."

Knox scoffs as he grabs a slice of pizza. "Bail me out? Please. Who scored the game-winner against State last month after you whiffed it at the blue line?"

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