“You two still haven’t talked?” Scarlett asks.
She and Jade eagerly wait for my answer. We’re sitting in the stands watching the team warm up, and I’ve just told them how I successfully managed to put off all serious conversations with Tyler so he couldn’t break up with me.
“I was going to talk to him last night, but then everything went down with his sister.”
In hindsight, I should have probably sucked it up and told him straight away that I wasn’t going to let him push me away this time, and that we belong together instead of distracting him with lots of hot sex. I have regrets, but a week of nonstop hot sex isn’t one of them. Still, I could have spared a few minutes before or after to tell him what was on my mind. Saying it now with everything going on, the words don’t feel like they’re nearly enough.
“And the lingerie?” Jade asks.
“It was well appreciated,” I say, heat spreading over my skin at the memory of Tyler worshiping me that night.
“Ditto.” Scarlett sips her drink with a playful smirk.
Jade pulls out her phone. Good to know. I’m going to rearrange the article to put it at the top of the honeymoon must-have list. And then I’m going to order it in every color.”
Scarlett snorts and then her gaze scans the ice. Tyler keeps looking up into the stands to the seat next to me.
He plays it off by smiling at me right after, but I know he’s checking to see if Everly is here. It breaks my heart to see him like this. Everly and her mom are spending the day together, so I haven’t had a chance to talk to her and see where her head is with everything. I thought they were coming to the game. We saved them seats, but we’re minutes from puck drop and it doesn’t look like they’re going to make it.
“How is he?” Scarlett asks.
“Quiet,” I answer. “He barely spoke last night or this morning. He won’t say that he hopes she stays because he doesn’t want to sway her decision, but he’s going to be sad if she goes.”
Scarlett gives me a reassuring smile. “It isn’t just him. I have never seen them all look so dejected over something non-hockey related.”
“I thought it was just me projecting.”
“No. They’re really upset. Some of them just because they feel bad for Tyler, but they all got pretty attached to that little spitfire.”
“Me too.”
Scarlett reaches over and squeezes my arm.
When the game starts, I settle in. Watching the guys play I forget about everything going on until Everly takes the seat next to me.
“Hi. You’re here.” I move my coat off the armrest to give her more room. “We thought you might have left already.”
“Left? No, I’m not going anywhere.” She says it all with such teenage indifference like we all haven’t been stressing over her decision all day that it makes me laugh.
“You’re staying?”
“Y-yeah,” she says slowly, giving me a curious look with a small smile.
“Really?! For good?”
The small smile on her face falls. “At least until graduation. After that it depends on if I get into college or not.” She looks down at her hands quickly, then back at me. “I’m sorry. I know it’s weird having the tag-along little sister hanging—”
I lunge for her and throw my arms around her shoulders. She freezes at my outburst, but then laughs. “I guess you’re not mad.”
“No. I’m so glad. Have you told Tyler?”
“Not yet.” She shakes her blonde head.
“But your mom…”
“She still isn’t one hundred percent on board, but I told her about all the things you and Tyler, and the guys, have done for me.”
“And that convinced her?”
She bobs her head side to side. “Not exactly, but when I showed her my report card, she was shocked. I’ve never had all As and Bs before. She’s here. She’s getting popcorn.”
I hug her again. I can’t help myself. Tyler is going to be ecstatic, and I guess I am too.
A moment later, Everly and Tyler’s mom, Stephanie, shuffles down the aisle and takes the seat on the other side of her daughter.
She hands Everly a drink and our eyes meet. I give her a polite smile. One decent decision doesn’t undo all the hurt she’s caused, but it’s a start.
I find Tyler coming off the ice from his shift and taking a seat on the bench. A glimmer of happiness crosses his face when he sees Ev, and something else when he sees his mom.
“Is this the first time she’s seen him play?” I lean closer to whisper.
Everly nods. “Since he was like fifteen or something.”
“Wow,” I mouth the word.
The first period is fast-paced and high-scoring. Leo gets a penalty for hooking in the final minute. An echo of boos surrounds us. Scarlett makes a little sound, like a happy squeal next to me.
“You almost seem happy about your man being sent to the penalty box.”
“Oh, I am. Not about the penalty but wait for it.” She nudges me with an elbow, and I watch as Leo skates off the ice and into the penalty box.
“What exactly am I waiting for?” I ask as the jumbotron zooms in on Leo. He throws himself onto the bench and glares ahead.
“That look.” She shivers. “It’s the same one he gets on his face during sex.”
She says the last word quietly so Everly can’t hear.
“Sexy death glares do it for you, huh?”
“Everything about Leo does it for me.”
Jade makes a gagging sound then grins at her best friend.
Nashville scores during the power play and Leo comes out of the box just in time for the first period to come to an end. As the guys head down the tunnel, I catch Ash, Declan, Leo, and Jack all staring at Everly and smiling. She’s oblivious as she chats with her mom.
I try to silently communicate the good news that his sister is staying with Tyler as he goes by, but I don’t think he gets my wide eye, big grin as anything out of the ordinary. Fair. Giving him big, toothy smiles is pretty common these days.
During the intermission, Scarlett’s mom comes over to say hello, and she and I talk about school, and I update her on my plans for next year.
“If you’re looking for something part-time while you go to school, the middle school where I work is hiring.”
“Really?”
She nods and smiles. “Think about it.”
“I will. Thanks.”
Everly is grinning at me when she leaves. “You are a badass. You haven’t even graduated, and you already have a job.”
“I don’t have it yet. Besides, I think I might want to stick with high school.”
She doesn’t shudder at the idea like she would have when I first met her, but she still makes a face. “Only you, Pipes.”
From the start of the second period, the Wildcats have a completely different energy than the first. They score within the first ten seconds. Ash holds up his stick as the fans cheer, then he skates by to tap gloves with the bench. He points to Everly as he circles back to the center ice.
“I think that one was for you,” I tell her.
She laughs it off with a shake of her head. “I think he was just pointing to the crowd in general.”
I know better, but don’t push the issue. The action starts back up and only a minute later, the goal post lights up again. Jack does the same thing, skating by and pointing at Everly after he’s congratulated by his team.
This time she rolls her eyes. “Are they trying to guilt trip me in to staying?”
“They think you’re leaving,” Scarlett tells her. “It’s their way of saying goodbye.”
I glance at Everly’s mom, trying to get any kind of read on her, but she has a really great poker face.
The momentum from the two early second period goals has energized the stadium. Nashville loses a little of their spark and the Wildcats take full advantage.
The next goal is Tyler’s, a tip in from a rebounded shot. Leo and Declan crowd around him. Two guys sitting in front of us stand and high-five. They have on matching Wildcat number twenty-one jerseys.
The announcer lets everyone know that the goal pushes Tyler back to the number one spot for most points this season among rookies in the NHL.
“Atta boy, Sharpie!” One of the guys in front of us calls, cupping a hand to his mouth to make his voice louder.
Everly and I throw our arms up as we scream with the rest of the fans. I don’t think it will ever get old watching Tyler play hockey. I know what it means to him and how hard he’s worked. Being here to witness it is one of the most fulfilling things to ever happen to me.
Tyler points to Everly, just like the guys before him, but he lingers on her just a little longer. Then he winks at me.
“Are those guys friends with your brother?” Stephanie asks, pointing to the guys wearing Sharp jerseys. They’re still standing and cheering even as the rest of the crowd has quieted down.
“I don’t think so,” Everly says, and looks at me.
I shake my head. “I don’t know them.”
Stephanie lets her gaze go back to the guys and she smiles, small at first but it grows like she’s slowly realizing her son is a famous hockey player.
Tyler has her smile.
