“Sure it was,” Lucky says, dry as dust.
Their banter bounces off the walls, easy and familiar, but I can’t lock in on it.My mind keeps sliding back to the living room, Maddie’s lips still ghosting my mouth.
Lucky narrows his eyes.“You’re quiet.”
“Too quiet,” Kace adds, squinting at me.
I loop the band around my hands, trying to focus on the stretch.I ignore their nosiness.
“Dude,” Lucky drawls.“What’s wrong with you?”
“Nothing,” I mutter, focusing on the band pull, shoulders burning.
“Bullshit,” they say in unison, voices echoing.
I blow out a breath, the fight draining faster than I expected.“Fine.I kissed her.”
Kace’s jaw drops.“Wait—Maddie?”
“Yeah.”
Lucky whistles low, eyebrows shooting up.“Well, damn.”
Kace recovers, leaning forward, eyes gleaming with amusement.“I’m surprised it took this long.She’s hot.”
“Don’t,” I snap before I can think better of it.My tone has teeth, protective in a way I can’t hide.
Kace holds up his hands.“Easy, man.I’m not hitting on her.Just stating the obvious.”
Lucky folds his arms, calm but probing.“So why the long face?What’s the problem?”
I sigh, letting it all out.“Because it’s a bad idea.We’re living together.Co-parenting.Grayce has already been through enough.She doesn’t need to watch us screw this up.Maddie’s never even been in a relationship, not really.And me—” My voice drops, heavy.“I don’t know how to do this either.”
The silence after feels heavy, punctuated only by the distant clank of weights from another room.
Then Lucky steps closer, steady as ever.“Is it lust or do you think there’s more?”
“More,” I say without hesitation.
Kace rubs a towel over the back of his neck.“And Maddie?What does she want?”
“I don’t know.”I shake my head.“It’s complicated.”
“Of course it’s complicated,” Lucky says evenly.“That doesn’t make it wrong.”
Kace grins.“You’ve got the chance at something good, man.My advice is don’t overthink it.”
My chest tightens.I want to argue, to shut it all down, but their words lodge deep.Because the truth is, I don’t want them to be wrong.
“Let’s work out,” I say, brushing the conversation aside.“Playoffs are what I want to focus on.”
They stare at me a moment, weighing the tone of my words and thankfully let it go.
I finish the set, sweat dripping down my spine, but my head’s not in the reps.It’s back in the living room with Maddie, her hands clutching my shirt like she didn’t want to let go.
And no matter how hard I push through the workout, one thought won’t stop.
Maybewearen’t such a bad idea after all.
