“We’ll figure out Jeremy after,” she said gently, already knowing where my thoughts were heading.
I nodded, blinking up at the ceiling. “When did you get so smart?”
“Please.” She scoffed as I shoulder-checked her. “Always been the brains between us.”
Her phone buzzed, and she picked it up, putting Ollie on speaker.
“I’m snuggling with your boo, Oll. Jealous?” I teased.
His face popped up on the screen, amused. “No funny business, Luna.”
“I’ve been dying to get Nova to fuck me for years, but neither of you will, so I’ll settle for a snuggle.”
“God, Luna!” Nova screeched, tossing a pillow at me.
I cackled, then turned onto my side, giving them privacy as they said their I love yous.
One day I’ll have that. A love that feels full, not like it’s missing something.
10
dirks
I’d tried texting Luna the last couple of days, but aside from a few one-word replies, I got nothing. I knew she’d broken up with her boyfriend about a month ago, and ever since, I’d begged her to come back. Things had shifted between us. I’d pushed too hard. I knew it, but I didn’t know how to fix it.
A knock on the door pulled me off the couch. Probably one of the guys from the game this weekend, forgot something, needed something, whatever. I was ready to tell them to fuck off. I had one day off this week and zero desire to spend it dealing with their dumbass drama.
“Answer the door, fuck face,” someone with a familiar deep voice called from the other side.
I laughed and swung it open to find Ledger and Alex standing there. Alex was holding a tin of his wife’s infamous cookies and Ledger had a six-pack dangling from his fingers.
“We knew you had the day off—” Alex started.
“—And you were gonna sit here and mope like a little bitch,” Ledger finished for him as they brushed past me like they owned the place.
They made themselves at home like they always did. Alex set the cookies on the counter, and Ledger cracked open a beer like it was his name on the mortgage.
We immediately launched into yesterday’s game. Ledger couldn’t shut up about my setup in the third period.
“Tell me you didn’t peak yesterday,” he said, flopping onto my couch like a man who didn’t have cartilage in either knee. “Because if that was it, we’re screwed.”
“I peak every damn game,” I shot back.
Alex shrugged. “It was a decent pass. Maybe top five this season.”
“Oh, okay,” I said. “We grading on a Russian curve now?”
Alex smirked. “Russian curve is perfection. You don’t make the cut.”
Ledger raised his beer in salute. “To our fearless old man captain,” he said dramatically. “Leading us into battle with icy joints and a bad back.”
“I’m thirty-two,” I muttered.
“Exactly,” Ledger said. “Ancient. Practically dust.”
“You’re older than me,” I pointed out.
“Yeah, but I haveyouthful energy,” he said, then immediately groaned as he tried to cross his legs and failed. “Shit. My knee just locked.”
