A tear trickles down my cheek. “Of course I was there. Despite everything, I couldn’t stay away. After your accident, I wasn’t myself. I was distracted. I couldn’t work. I hardly ate. Anna could tell. She was kind and patient, but I think she was also hurt because after all this time, my worry for you upended my entire life in an instant.” Hot tears spill down my cheeks. “One day, after we had a huge argument, I took a drive to cool off and found myself outside the hospital in Vancouver. It was late—the tail end of visiting hours. You were asleep, but I held your hand and spoke to you.”
He squeezes his eyes shut, and when he reopens them, he’s just as wrecked as I am. “I thought I was dreaming; you said…”
“I said that I loved you,” I whisper, and when he nods, our lips brush and an electric shock shoots through my body. I push toward him and kiss him properly, cupping his face, my tongue sliding between his lips. I climb onto my knees and straddle his lap. Our breaths mingle. The kiss is raw and sloppy, but so overtly passionate that I feel like I’m flying. He tastes like the Pepsi he drank in the truck and salty tears, and his earthy scent mixes with the leather from his jacket.
I can feel him hard against my abdomen, but neither of us acts on it. When we finally pull apart, I graze my fingers along his jawline.
“Thank you,” he says huskily, and the gold flecks in his warm hazel eyes light my soul on fire.
“For what?”
“For never giving up on me even after I pushed you away.” He squeezes my hips as if he’s afraid I’ll disappear. “I was so depressed after the accident. My dad was just gone. My teammates were around at first, but they had a rigorous hockey schedule to get back to. I was so alone.” He gives me an apologetic look. “I felt so guilty with every hangover. I know what you went through with your mom. I wasn’t any better, and I thought about how ashamed you’d feel if you saw me like that. If it hadn’t been for Bastian…”
I cock my head curiously. “What do you mean?
He licks his swollen lips. “I got kicked out of a couple bars in the beginning. I’m not proud of it. I was a drunk, belligerent asshole. But when I started going to Brothers’ Beer and Bourbon, Bastian was always there to pick me up. He never kicked me out.” His thumb absently traces circles on my waist. “Don’t get me wrong, he certainly didn’t enable me.”
“Damn right, I didn’t.”
I swing my head toward the bathroom door. Seb is nakedexcept for a low-slung towel, and I have to stop myself from ogling every curve of his ab muscles.
“I gave him shit almost every night. Gabriella was the enabler.”
“She just has a soft heart,” B says with a rueful smile. “But you took care of me too, even if it meant punching me in the face.”
“Like I said before: tough love. Or something like that.”
I huff a laugh. “Guys are so weird.”
Seb shrugs and walks over to his bag, riffling through it for some clean boxers. “He deserved everything I gave him—though I’ll admit I may have gone too far the night I punched him.” He gives Brantley a serious look. “But you did start a fight with some hockey douches and fucked up my bar, so we’ll call it even.”
B and I watch with appreciation as Seb drops the towel and slides his underwear up his muscular thighs.
“Well, fuck, my balls are blue,” B mutters.
I giggle. “Sorry, baby.” I pat his cheek. “But it’s not really the time for a fuckfest.”
“Shame,” Seb says, adjusting his semi-hard cock obscenely. “I was thinking I might want to try giving another blowjob.” He shrugs nonchalantly. “Maybe next time.”
B’s eyes darken. “You’re a tease.”
Seb looks up at him innocently.
“No, he’s right,” I growl. “Now I have lady blue balls.”
There’s a knock on the door, and I practically fall off the bed when Brantley pulls his legs out from under me. I glare at him.
“What?” he whisper-yells. “If that’s Lincoln, I don’t want to make him even more mad. He’s scary as shit.”
Seb snickers and walks over to the door.
“Seb!” Charlie throws her arms around her stepbrother.
“Hey, little sis,” he says with a chuckle, kissing the top of her head and hugging her back.
She looks up at him with a wide smile, her wavy brown hair trailing down her back. Then, her eyes meet mine over his shoulder, and she pushes Seb aside and launches herself at me with an excited squeal.
“Well, I see who the favorite is,” Seb grumbles.
