Leons grinds his teeth together, rolling his eyes but I see the anger drop from him like a physical entity. "Fine. Just don't lie to me anymore."
I nod. "Okay."
"How did it happen?"
I cringe, looking to Asher for help but he only grins back, the look causing my heart to pitter patter in my chest with the way he looks, wet hair pushing back from his face a bloody lip.
"You asked me not to lie, so if you really want to know, I won't lie."
Leon looks between Asher and I with narrowed eyes before he looks to Charlotte, and she gives him a subtle shake of her head. His shoulders drop. "I don't want to know," he looks to Asher, "But you better treat her right, Ash. Or best friend or not, a broken nose will be the least of your worries."
Asher nods. "Noted."
"You broke his nose?" I scowl at my brother but Asher laughs. "He wishes he was that strong, he gave me a split lip, nothing different then we get on the ice." He wraps an arm around my waist and pulls me into his side and I relax.
"Don't push it." Leon mutters, "Just because I'm willing to come round to the idea doesn't mean I want to witness it." He scowls but his eyes flit between us softly and he nods at me.
I smile back, tucking myself further into Asher's arms.
Leon steps forward, walking close to Charlie and I hear him whisper, "Does she know?"
"I don't keep things from my best friend." Her eyes settle on me. "Anymore." I grin and take Ashers hand in mine, dragging us out of the rink.
"Stop pouting, Leon, you'll get wrinkles."
Leon glares at me and then at Asher. "What the hell have you done to my sister?"
Asher grins. "I didn't give her an attitude, that's all her."
I whack a hand into Ashers stomach, but only hard muscles meets my knuckles. Asher laughs, wrapping his arms around me and pulling me into a warm hug.
"This is fucking weird." Leon grumbles and Asher ignore him, placing a soft kiss on my lips.
The matching retreating footsteps of Charlotte and Leon rings out across the rink and Asher grins against my lips before muttering, "Leon and Charlotte slept together, didn't they?"
"I didn't say anything."
"He's such a hypocrite."
I tap his shoulder, pinning him with a look. "You do not know, okay. I promised Charlotte I wouldn't say anything."
Asher sighs ad gives me another kiss, "Know what?"
I smile into the kiss, bliss filling me.
Epilogue
Asher
The roar of the crowd pulses in my ears like a second heartbeat as I lace up my skates, my hands steady despite the adrenaline already coursing through my veins. Tonight's the big game, the final one of the season, and everything feels like it's been building to this moment. My eyes briefly catch on a spot in the stands where Ivy sits, sandwiched between my mom and sister, all decked out in our team colours. Her smile sends a jolt through me-better than a shot of espresso straight to the bloodstream.
The game starts with a blast of the whistle, the sound slicing through the arena. I'm on the ice, every sense heightened, the chill from the rink biting through my jersey. I catch the puck, my stick feeling like an extension of my arm, and I'm off-skating hard, the slap of my blades on the ice syncing with the pounding in my chest.
I pass to Leon, who's positioned just right. We've done this a thousand times in practice, but tonight, every move feels like it carries the weight of every game we've ever played. Leon shoots a look back at me, and I nod, a silent conversation we've perfected over the season.
The opposing team is tough, their goalie blocking shots like he's got brick walls for hands. But we keep at it, pushing harder,faster. Our coach yells from the sidelines, a garbled mess of encouragement and strategy that somehow makes perfect sense.
Halfway through, during a break in the action, I glance up at the stands. Ivy's there, cheering, her voice somehow reaching me above the noise. Her energy is contagious, and I feel it-a new burst that propels me back into the fray with renewed vigour.
