BLAIR
The Rogues winthe game three to one, and Reed and I are both flying high.
“So we’re going to meet him in the family room?” Reed asks, his eyes wide and glittering. “That’s so cool. Let’s go.”
Laughter bubbles out of my chest as my little brother drags me out of our seats and into the crush of people filing out of theirs. Everyone smiles, chattering animatedly after such an exciting game and a win at home.
Having never really been a big sports fan, I can see why people love hockey after tonight. The collective euphoria, the camaraderie of cheering along with thousands of others, the excitement of each stopped goal attempt made by the opposition, and the glory of each goal the Rogues sunk… It’s all a massive shot of adrenaline and dopamine.
“Do you know where we need to go?”
“Kind of?” Logan told me how to get to the family room, but I’ve never had the best sense of direction, and between that and the crush of people, I’m not confident I’ll be able to find our way. Which is why I stop and ask a security guard for help. It’s not mybuddy, Joe, but he gets on the radio to verify Reed and I are on the list of people with approved access, then leads us through the crowds.
Isla, Lexi, and Mira squeal when they see us, and not only do they crush me in a group hug, but Reed too. His cheeks are adorably pink, making his freckles stand out more than they normally do across his nose and cheeks.
“Oh my god, you’re here,” Mira says. Her eyes are slightly glassy and her cheeks are flushed. Something tells me they had a few drinks in the family box tonight. “You’re going out with us, right?”
I glance at Reed, who nods so emphatically, his curls bounce. “Yeah, we’re in.”
“Yay!” Mira claps. “Did you see your man make that shot?”
Spine stiffening and sure every eye has turned my way after Mira’s loudly uttered question, I surreptitiously scan the room. No one is paying us any special attention, and I blow out a breath. “It was pretty incredible.”
“Hell yeah, it was,” Lexi agrees. “He’s been playing really well lately. I wonder why that is?”
I chuckle at her antics when Lexi waggles her eyebrows and elbows me in the side. “He’s just a great player.”
“I mean, yeah, obviously, but I think there’s a little more to it.”
“All our guys played better after they fell in love,” Isla adds, grinning.
“He’s not in love with me.” Once again, my eyes sweep the room as I shift from one foot to the other. “We haven’t been dating that long.”
“He’s totally in love with her,” my traitorous brother pipes up. The little shit looks smug as hell as he reaches into his pocket and pulls out his phone. “I found them like this the other day.”
Knowing exactly what Reed’s about to show the girls, I reach for his phone, but his wingspan is too long, and he holds it out of my reach with a boyish giggle. The photo of me sleeping on Logan’s chest, drool and all, has the girls practically cooing.
“Ohmygod, that’s fucking adorable,” Lexi says as she takes the phone from Reed’s hand and enlarges it. Isla and Mira gather around her, hearts in their eyes. “Look at how happy he looks, even in his sleep.”
They’re making enough of a scene now that we’re attracting attention. Despite knowing that everyone in this room is a close friend or family member of someone on the team doesn’t completely ease the tingle of discomfort that crawls up my spine. I’m still not ready to publicly announce our relationship. I’m not confident enough that my job will be safe, and as much as I’m falling for Logan, Reed depends on me, and that has to come first.
What I want will always come second to that.
The back of my neck prickles, and I shiver. I steal another glance at the people around us, going still when I see a familiar face. One I’d rather not see again.
“What the hell?” I mutter. Isla must hear me, because she turns her head to see what I’m looking at, and frowns.
“What’s he doing here?”
So far, the man I ran into earlier hasn’t noticed me, so I turn back to my friend, hoping it stays that way. “Who is that?”
“You don’t know?” Isla’s eyebrows rise. “I guess that’s not surprising. I only recognize him because of Madds. I don’t think I’ve ever seen him at a game.”
Tapping my foot, I glance back at the older man. “Who is he?”
“That,” Isla says, her voice low and missing her typical generosity, “is Logan’s?—”
“Dad?”
