Page 27 of Guarded Love

Loyalty.

Him mentioning that hits harder than I expect and maybe it’s something I can work the article around. A theme if you will. “Good stuff, guys. Really.” I tap my pen against my notebook. “So, final question for the group, then I’ll let you get back to your pizza and…whatever game you’re pretending to watch.”

A few chuckles. Wilder shoves the last of his crust into his mouth.

“Looking ahead, beyond graduation, beyond Crestwood,” I say. “What’s one thing you’ll take with you from being a Red Wolf, something that isn’t about wins or losses, but about the experience itself?”

The room goes quiet again. This time, it’s Asher who speaks first. “The discipline, I think. Juggling classes, practice, games…it forces you to manage your time, to be accountable. That’s not just a hockey skill, that’s a life skill.”

Levi nods. “For me, it’s the brotherhood. Cheesy, I know.” He grins. “But these guys…they’re family. That bond, you don’t just leave that behind when you graduate.”

My pen pauses. A second ago, I was planning how to work loyalty into this feature, but now I’m thinking about brotherhood and how that could work better. Family. Found family at that. I like it a lot.

"Okay," I say as I press the record button once more on my phone to stop it. I close my notebook and look up at the guys and Selene. "I think that's everything I need for the group stuff. Thanks, guys. You actually gave me some decent material."

"Decent?" Knox snorts and rolls his eyes. "We poured our hearts out, Wills. That was pure gold."

"I'll be the judge of that," I say, tucking my phone and notebook into my bag. "But seriously, thanks. This helps."

Wilder gives me a thumbs up. He then stands up and begins trying to balance a stack of pizza boxes on his head, much to Asher’s amusement and Levi’s exasperated sigh. Levi startsgathering discarded napkins and paper plates, a small frown creasing his brow as he surveys the living room.

“Anytime,” Levi says, offering me a small, genuine smile as he passes by with a handful of trash.

As the guys clean up, Selene walks over to me and says, “Hey, Isla mentioned that you were in the creative writing class that she’s also taking this semester. I was thinking of taking it next fall and wanted to know what you thought of it. Especially since writing is your thing.”

"Oh, yeah," I say, my mind still half on hockey loyalty and brotherhood, half on the empty space Blaise hadn't occupied. "Professor Martinez’s class? It's…intense. Good, but intense. Lots of reading, even more writing. She doesn't pull punches with feedback. If you're serious about creative writing, it's worth it. But don't expect an easy A."

"That's what Isla said. She loves it, but she also said she's never worked harder for a B-plus."

"Yeah, Martinez definitely makes you earn it, but it’s rewarding either way.I’m very happy with how my writing has improved."

"Well, thanks for the intel," Selene says, her voice light. "Might stick to my current plan of easy electives then." She pauses, for a moment before her gaze lands back on me. "So, everyone made it tonight except for one."

My stomach clenches because I know she noticed how awkward I was at the Senior Night game. With a heavy sigh, I brace for it. Because here it comes.

"Yeah, well," I start and then pause. I’m failing at being unaffected by what she’s implying. "Blaise had a group project thing. You know how it is, end of semester."

"That makes sense. Knox has talked about how rigid Blaise’s schedule can be." Selene's words are casual, but the tone of her voice is anything but.

I know what she’s getting at, but I refuse to take the bait. "Mhmm," I mumble, suddenly very interested in adjusting the strap of my bag instead of looking at her. "He's probably got a color-coded calendar along with his color-coded notebooks to keep up with everything."

Selene studies me for a moment longer than is comfortable. "Probably. Though it's a shame he couldn't make it. The article would feel more complete with all the seniors, don't you think?"

I shrug. "I'll catch him another time. No big deal." That had been my plan anyway, although the thought of it annoys the shit out of me.

"Right," Selene says, but her eyes tell me she's not convinced. "No big deal at all."

Before she can press further, I glance at my phone to check the time. "I should get going. Got to start transcribing all this while it's fresh."

"Of course." Selene smiles. "I'll walk you out."

As we head toward the door, Knox calls from the kitchen, "You heading out, Wills?"

"Yeah," I call back. "Got everything I needed."

My brother appears in the doorway, dish towel in hand. When did he become so domestic? "Let me know when the article's coming out. I want to make sure you quoted my brilliance accurately."

"I'll be sure to include your modesty as well." I slip my arms into my coat that Selene hands me.

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