Page 90 of Hockey Bois
Nick sighed and pushed his plate closer to Terry, who eagerly took a huge piece and shoved it in his mouth before Nick could change his mind. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
“This thing with this guy who all but broke your heart a few months ago? Either talk, which we both know you won’t, or stop hanging out with him so much. Having a crush is one thing. Pining over your best friend is another.”
“Yeah, that seems like a bad idea,” Terry said around a mouthful of cake. It was barely intelligible, and therefore Nick chose to ignore him.
Besides, Jenna was always the harder one to argue with.
“It’s not a big deal. It’s a small crush. And we’re also not best friends, so stop making more of this than there is.”
“He has the power to destroy your stupid heart in his hands, and youkeep giving himthat power!” Jenna said with the same anguish she normally reserved for telenovelas and cheesy horror movies. “You were miserable and hurt after Pennsylvania, and I don’t like worrying it’s going to happen again.”
Nick shook his head. There was a bitterness to his tone when he answered, “It can’t happen again. That whole mess was his fault, and I think he gets that. He’s been very careful not to hint at that kind of thing anymore, and really, he never did much hinting then until the actual day of the tournament.”
“So he got cold feet,” Terry said sagely. “Makes sense. It’s not like you were some random guy he could hook up with on the road and then come home and forget about. Maybe he chickened out because he realized it was going to be a super awkward never-ending one-night stand.”
Nick blinked at his cousin in surprise. That was actually a fair point, but he didn’t expect that kind of insight from Terry.
“I want to go to a game,” Jenna demanded. “I want to meet this guy and put the fear of God in him.”
Nick’s phone buzzed in his pocket. “You’re scarier than God,” he said as he took it out.
Unguarded, his carrot cake lost a few more pieces.
“Can I go to the game? You said there’s a girl on your team…” Terry said.
“She’d eat you alive, Terry,” Nick said automatically.
“Ilikegirls like that,” he whined.
It didn’t matter, Nick was already tuning him out.
Brady (7:12 p.m.)
hey I’m not gonna be there next game
Nick (7:14 p.m.)
uh i think you meant to send this to benns?
Brady (7:14 p.m.)
no I already told him
I’m gonna miss stick n puck this weekend too
Nick (7:15 p.m.)
okay
you have never missed hockey in the history of ever what’s up?
Brady (7:15 p.m.)
my sister’s getting married so I’m driving up for the wedding
spending at least five days in town to help out
Nick felt his cheeks go hot. There was a lot to unpack here. Brady never shared that kind of personal thing. That Nick even knew Brady had a sister was a miracle, and now suddenly there was a wedding?
