“It’s still not the same. We need to make this year count.” I’m just not sure what that means.
“We can do that, big guy.” Archangel sips his coffee. “Thank you for this.”
“You’re welcome.”
“If you want me to spend the night, I will,” he says softly.
I smile. “I’d like that.”
“Just not when I’m horny,” he says pointedly.
It’s my turn to roll my eyes. “You can go without getting laid occasionally. I’m better than any man could ever be, anyway.”
He looks at the ceiling, shaking his head. “Whatever—” He stops and pulls his phone out of his pocket. “My mom is calling me.”
I’m not surprised he looks unhappy about it. Archangel has a love-hate relationship with his family. They’re very southern in their beliefs about homosexuality. They wished he was one ofthose straight-passing gays or whatever. But that was never who he was. So they clashed. Since I hated going back to Savannah, I didn’t mind that he usually didn’t bother going for breaks, either.
“Are you going to answer it?” I ask when he just stares at his phone.
“My mom never calls. This has got to be bad news.”
THREE
ARCHANGEL
There is something about speaking to my family that completely drains me. It doesn’t matter if we just talk about the weather or the hat Granny wore to church, my body instantly goes into fight or flight. So I’m still processing the call after dinner when Wolfe finds me sitting in the living room staring at the wall.
“What’s wrong?” Wolfe doesn’t even try to start with small talk. It’s one of the reasons I love him.
“How do you know anything’s wrong?” I toss my phone aside and lean back, sliding my hands behind my head.
“Because you’ve been glaring at your phone, feverishly texting while making that face you do when you talk to your parents.” He gives me a knowing look.
“Sometimes I hate that you’re one of the only straight men who actually pays attention.”
“Do you want me to be a bad friend or no?” He crosses his arms, and I feel like he knows the figure it cuts and what it does to people. If he doesn’t, maybe that’s better. He shouldn’t be able to use that against the unsuspecting public.
“My sister is getting married,” I say unceremoniously but hold my breath.
I’ve been putting off telling him all day. It’s going to hurt him, and I don’t want to be the cause. I also don’t want to witness the devastation. Something inside me feels like it will be the last nail in the coffin of my crush. I’m not ready to let it go. But I can’t keep it from him.
“She finally found someone to fall for her bullshit?” Wolfe rolls his eyes. The reaction is better than I could have hoped, but I hope it’s not performative. He’s soft inside, and I hate that he ever hid it to make her happy.
“She did. Are you upset?”
He shakes his head. “I’m great.”
I don’t know if I believe him, so I decide to test the waters. “I’m honestly just shocked she settled down. She seemed like she was going to make ‘puck bunny’ her whole personality.”
“Me too, and so young. She’s barely twenty-two. I expected her to move into the big leagues with the NHL.”
I laugh, but it hits me in the chest. “Don’t let it get to you.”
“She can’t hurt me.” Wolfe’s voice is bitter, and I know he’s lying about not being hurt. He still hasn’t dated anyone in all this time.
“I’m sorry. I didn’t want to tell you because I don’t want you hurt.” I step closer and open my arms to hug him.
“I’m not. I just don’t like her,” Wolfe says, but I know he’s lying. He hasn’t been the same since she cheated. He accepts my hug, and I melt into his arms. We stay like that for longer than I probably should allow, but when he pulls back, he asks me the last thing I want him to. “Who’s she marrying?”
