Page 89 of Playoff
Time to fess up. “I don’t think he wants anything to do with me now.”
Justin narrowed his eyes. “What happened after I stormed out? What did Alek say?”
“Nothing.”
“Nothing?”
“I left before he could say anything. It wasn’t like that, Justin. We weren’t dating, we were just hooking up. And now…” I shrugged. I couldn’t even try to figure it out till Grandma’s service was over.
“Was that all you wanted with him?” There was tension in my twin’s body now.
“That’s what we said.” I gave him a very annotated summary of our time together.
“You’ve been seeing him for two months.” He stared at me in shock.
I closed my eyes. “It was never supposed to happen after that first time.”
He studied me, too perceptive when he wanted to be. “And it was ‘just sex.’”
“Well, it wasn’t like we could go out without everyone finding out. We stayed in private and hooked up.”
“You didn’t talk?” He raised his brows. “Cuddle?”
I rolled my eyes. “Yeah, we talked. That doesn’t mean anything.”
“Nice try, sister. I know you. You’ve been happier these past couple of months. I thought it was because you’d made friends, with Katie and Callie and Jayna. But it’s more.”
More? No, it couldn’t be more. Alek didn’t want more. Not with me, one of the victims of his family’s crimes. Not his teammate’s sister.
“It can’t be,” I whispered.
Justin laid his good hand on mine. “Maybe it can. You’ve put your life on hold for long enough.” I started to object, but he knew me too well. “You never tried that hard, Jess. If I was choosing, Alek’s not the guy I’d pick for you. But if he makes you happy? Maybe he is the right one.”
I jolted. I’d been using that argument as a reason Alek was bad for me. “A teammate? A Denbrowski?”
“That’s up to you, not anyone else.”
My eyes snapped open. “You’re a lot chattier than I’m used to.”
One corner of his mouth quirked up. “I’ve been saving up.”
I studied my twin. I’d wanted him to be himself again and had gradually given up on it happening. This…this was more like the old Justin. “So, punching Alek woke you up?”
He shook his head. “Not just that. When I realized you’d put your life on hold for me. Knowing you had to hide that you liked someone. I felt smug…and then like an asshole.”
Was he right? Was this thing with Alek more than just sex? Maybe for me. Flashing back over talking, sassing him, cuddling with him, and yes, making love to him… Justin was right. But would Alek want anything more? I’d left him, like so many others.
“I’m glad you’re ready to make changes, Jus. Really glad.”
“And you’re going to as well. We’ll honor Grandma while we’re here. Acknowledge all she was for us. Then, you talk to Alek when we get to Toronto again. I’m out for the season, so I can come back here and work on the house. I’ll check with you before I take big steps, but I might as well be useful while I can’t play.”
Justin had avoided PoCo since breaking up with Mia. Coming here, standing up to my parents? I was thrilled that he was changing.
But me and Alek? If there had been something there, it was too late now.
Chapter 37
Pinch me
