The Huxley brothers are already there when I arrive. Hunter strips down to a faded t-shirt, hockey stick in hand like an extension of his arm. Jett winds tape around his blade with the focused precision of someone who's done this ritual a thousand times. They all put on blacked-out rollerblades. The corners of my mouth tip up at how seriously they seem to take their street hockey.
To my surprise, Juliet perches on the hood of Hunter's truck looking elegant in jeans and a cream sweater. She spots me first and waves. "Hey girl!"
"Look who actually showed," Jett calls out, eyes narrowing on me with curiosity. "Ice Man brought company?"
I wave awkwardly, suddenly feeling like I'm intruding on something sacred. "Hi. I'm, uh... here."
"Yes you are," Juliet supplies warmly, sliding off the hood to hug me like we're old friends. "I'm really glad you came."
Silas appears at my elbow before I can respond. His hand finds the small of my back, warm and possessive through my shirt. He doesn't say anything, just guides me back to the truck's tailgate. I look up at him, my breath visible in the night air.
"Hi."
One corner of his mouth turns up. "Hi. This looks good on you."
He tugs my hoodie, which is actually his. It's black and grey, Seattle Havoc colors, and enormous on me. The sleeves are pushed up and the hem hits my thighs. I bite my lip, unable to suppress a smile. "Thanks."
"Will you watch?" His gaze anchors me.
"Of course." My smile is meant to be soothing.
Jett whistles low, gaze flicking between us with knowing amusement. "Didn't know you were bringing a plus-one, Ice Man."
"She's wearing my hoodie," Silas says, loud enough for everyone to hear. "That should tell you everything you need to know."
Hunter groans from where he's stretching. "Christ. Here we go."
Juliet's smile is absolutely knowing. She pats the bench beside her. "Come sit with me. Let them posture and be ridiculous."
I sink down gratefully on the truck's gate. Silas and his brothers take to the cracked asphalt lot like it's Madison Square Garden. It seems like they have a loose game with no particular positions. The only goal they seem to have is to be the one to score and they're utterly ruthless with each other, competitive in ways that should probably concern me. When Hunter drives his elbow into Jett's side and leaves him doubled over while he swoops away, chasing the puck, I cringe.
"Don't worry." Juliet leans toward me. "They play hard but they know better than to do any lasting damage."
"Thanks." I bite my lip. "They're all grown ups, I guess."
"Ehh. Sometimes you wouldn't know it." She winks at me.
For his part, Silas looks lethal out there.He’s controlled aggression skating across cracked pavement like it's smooth ice. His shirt's already damp with sweat, clinging to his broad shoulders and defined chest. Dirty blond hair under a backwards black baseball cap that should honestly be illegal. Itshows off the sharp angles of his very-kissable jaw. Those blue-gray eyes are focused and intense as he tracks the puck. Massive thighs power him across the asphalt with explosive speed.
Every line of his body radiates controlled violence barely leashed. Watching him check Hunter hard enough to rattle teeth, I see the raw power in his frame. The way his muscles coil and release with killer precision. He glances over at the truck occasionally, making sure I'm still there and watching.
My heart does this stupid flip-and-squeeze thing every single time.
"So," Juliet says quietly beside me. “It finally happened?”
I’m blushing too hard to meet her eyes, so I just keep watching the boys. "What happened?"
"You two got together." Juliet's eyes are kind when she looks at me. "I've known the Huxleys for a while now. And Silas? He doesn't let people in. He keeps everyone at arm's length. People call him Ice Man for a reason. Cold and unapproachable, locked down tight. But he let you in somehow. He thawed for you."
My lips curve into a soft smile. "I don't know if I'd say that."
"I'd say it." Juliet squeezes my hand. "And I'm glad he found you. He needs someone like you in his life."
I don't know what to say to that. How do I explain that being terrified of being too much for him consumes me? Enzo spent five years telling me I smother people. Now I keep waiting for the moment when Silas realizes I'm not worth the effort because that feels inevitable.
I just paste on a smile and watch as Silas bodies Jett against the low wall, clean and brutal, then looks back at me immediately after. He's making sure I saw, that I'm paying attention.
I did see. God, I saw everything. I shouldn’t find the way he's throwing his weight around and trouncing both his brothers so attractive, but I definitely do. Something about a sweaty alpha male dominating the field just makes me hot and tingly.
