Page 67 of Unrivaled

“And she’s all I’ve got, but she’s also my big sister, who raised me since I was fifteen.” He exhaled a cloud of smoke toward the sky. “They broke up because of me, ’cause Amanda wasn’t ready to be a parent.”

“Oh fuck.” That was a lot to hang on a fifteen-year-old.

Now Grady let out a frustrated groan and rolled his head against the deck boards. “But if Jess finds out I have nobody to spend Christmas with, she won’t go.”

And this was the moment Maxknewsmoking was a bad idea, because his brain didn’t eventryto stop his mouth from saying, “So spend it with me.”

Why was he such a dumbass?

Grady turned toward him with dazed eyes and smiled a high, uncomplicated smile. “Yeah?”

Max was completely fucked. “Yeah. I mean, it’ll be chaos. It’s me, my parents, and my brother and sister and their families. Last year my sister’s best friend was getting a divorce, so she tagged along. We rent a place.”

“What, you don’t have room for them all at your house?” Grady laughed. In the dim porch light, Max could make out the crinkles around his eyes.

Sometimes Max forgot how handsome Grady was when he smiled, since he didn’t do it often. This laughing, relaxed Grady was like kryptonite.

Max’s chest hurt. He blamed the pot.

“I could buy a bigger house,” he said, aiming for levity. “But then I couldn’t leave it when my mom starts getting on me about my love life.”

Grady flat-out giggled. It was adorable. “Okay, but, like, that brings up a good point. What do we tell your family? Like, ‘Mom, I brought home a stray hockey player for the holidays’?”

“Fuck no. I’m not going to New Brunswick. There’s, like, six feet of snow.” It’d take him the entire break to dig his car out. “We’re going to Florida. But it’s fine. We’ll just tell them the truth—you’re hanging out with me so your sister can get a second shot with the one that got away. They’re big suckers for True Love.”

Squinting, Grady said, “That’s not the truth, though.”

Max snorted. “Isn’t it?”

“Amanda’s girlfriend is coming.” He sounded unsure. “What am I supposed to tell Jess?”

If he didn’t want to come, he could say no instead of prolonging Max’s agony. “Look, if you don’t want to—”

“I do!” he said. He looked surprised at himself, but he didn’t take it back. Instead he said, “I’ll figure out what to tell Jess tomorrow.” Then, “Thanks.”

Christ. Max took the last of the joint from Grady’s unresisting hand and finished it off in one deep pull. When he exhaled, he pretended it had eased the anxious knot in his chest. “Don’t mention it.”

MAX LEFTbefore noon the following day, apparently needed back in Newark for evaluation. Afterward the house felt too quiet, which rankled because Grady had lived alone for eight years. A few days with a houseguest shouldn’t have been enough to shift his baseline.

God only knew how he’d feel after Christmas, after spending three days in a house with Max’s family. He’d probably have to start sleeping with the TV on.

Truth told, he felt a little weird about agreeing to spend the holidays with Max, but he couldn’t deny it solved his problem. Jess would be able to go on her trip with Amanda and company guilt-free. Grady would probably get laid. If Max’s family members were anything like him, they wouldn’t care that Grady played for a rival team, and if for some reason things went south, they’d be in Florida, so at least Grady could escape someplace warm and sandy.

Which left only the logistics of telling Jess.

Fortunately, Grady had accidentally come up with the perfect strategy when he gave her the names-redacted account of his “date” with Max. Grady picked up his phone and sent her a text.

Bad news/good news. Bad news: I quit internet dating. Good news: Going to Florida with Shithead for Christmas.

The house stopped feeling so quiet after that, because Jess called him within five minutes. “I cannot wait to hear this.”

“Hi to you too,” Grady said.

“Don’t even, little brother. First you’re having hot dates at theAmerican Ninja Warriorgym, then you’re having super competitive sex with the guy, all the while complaining that he’s as much of an asshole as you are, and now you’re spending the holidays with him. I’m going to need details. Not sex ones!” she added quickly.

He tried not to smile at how easily she’d taken the bait. “He invited me to spend Christmas with his family in Florida.”

“What?When?”

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