Page 175 of Break the Ice
“And you’re eating them?” I drop into the stool, watching Jayden demolish two fritters before Finley’s made it to the electric kettle.
“So good,” he says, reaching for another before I snatch the plate away. Giving me a sad frown, he asks, “How did it go with Coach?”
“I’m not back on the ice for another four games. Jordan isn’t budging on the timeline, but at least Doc and Coach agreed to bring me back to practice tomorrow.”
The smile on his face is so big, I’m sure it hurts. Just like that, he earns back the plate of fried goodies without having to lift a finger or utter a single word.
Needless to say, he’s damn lucky he’s got such a pretty smile.
CHAPTER 53
JAYDEN
It’s near sunset when we reach the Hollywood sign. Finley can’t stop snapping photos. She’s so enamored with our surroundings, she’s glowing.
Making her happy feels like the world is finally doing what it’s supposed to.
“Say cheese, boys!” she croons, spinning her phone on us. I tuck my DSLR back into its pouch—battery’s on its last gasp after a hike’s worth of shots of her and Elijah.
“Come on, Elijah, don’t make me beg,” Finley whines, and I have to bite my tongue not to tell her how perfect she is when she begs.
“You get one photo,” he says, stepping closer to me.
“Okay, but at least look like you’re not strangers.” She slides in, wraps my arm over Eli’s shoulders, then guides his around my waist.
Even staged, the contact lights my pulse like brushfire.
“Better,” she declares, snapping a quick shot before skipping back.
To my surprise, Eli doesn’t peel away like usual. Before the spell breaks, I draw Finley into us. He slides his arm over her collarbones; I fish out the camera again and rattle off a run of selfies, shifting angles until we’ve got something usable.
“Can you take one on my phone, too?” she asks.
“What happened to one photo?” Eli mutters, fidgeting like a kid with ants in his pants.
“Just smile, Bombshell,” Finley giggles. The result is chaos—two goofy grins and one mock glare. Us.
Before handing her phone back, I shoot the pic to mine and Eli’s. “Next time you consider being a grumpy asshole, look at that.”
“You have no boundaries,” he says, checking his screen. The corners of his mouth betray him anyway.
“Aww, Hotshot…” Finley tucks into my side and lifts her phone. “I love it.”
“Here.” Eli leans in, palm wrapping her hand where she holds the phone. His head blocks whatever he’s doing. “There you go, sweet girl.”
When he steps back, she squeals. Our trio is now her lock screen. “Oh my God, it’s the best. Thanks, guys.”
Eli glances at me over her head, lashes low, a faint grin tugging color into his cheeks. Too handsome for his own good, especially when he’s loosened up like this. He breathes deep, looks back at Finley as she blows him a kiss.
I’m so far gone on the two of them that they’ve become my compass. If they’re smiling, my world is right-side-up. With the sun gilding everything in sepia—Finley swinging his hand like they’re light as air—I’m living my best life.
Like this, it’s hard to believe I can’t be in love with the two of them.
It’s plausible that we could be lovers.
We could be soulmates.
We could be perfect together.
