“It only will if we let it.” He sounds confident about this. “Look, after the thing with Bex, I only want her if she wants me too. If it’s you that she wants, I wouldn’t even blame her. You’re a fucking catch.”
I shake my head, amused by his reasoning. “You’re not so bad yourself. So what do we do?”
“We both get to know her,” Tucker shrugs. “Whatever that might look like. We take her on dates and spend time with her. We can let her know that it’s fine to hang out with both of us and see where that takes us. She might decide that neither of us is right for her, especially once the official hockey season starts and classes. We’ll be really busy. And so will she if she makes the cheer team.”
“You aren’t completely wrong. But what happens if she chooses me over you? I seriously don’t want to lose our friendship, Tuck.”
Sincerity shines in his eyes. “Look, I survived when Bex wasn’t interested in me. It hurt, sure. But I was still able to play hockey with Jamie, Connor, and Keene and to hang out withthem as friends. I would survive losing to you too as long as you were happy.”
I give the idea some thought. “I guess I could too. So what do we tell Taryn?”
“What do you guys tell me about what?” Taryn returns from the restroom in that precise moment.
Tucker wraps his arm around my neck, pulling me into a loose headlock. “Colsen and I have teamed up to win you the souvenir you wanted. And the one who wins more prizes or your favorite item gets to drive you home tonight. As long as you’re game.”
“It sounds fun.” Taryn smiles. “I have a thing for little tacky souvenirs. Let’s go.”
She grabs my hand and one of Tucker’s and runs forward.
Laughter bubbles up in my throat, and Tucker’s ear splitting grin feels just as big as my own.
Maybe he’s right. This could be a lot of fun.
TARYN
I didn’t really have to go to the bathroom.
When Colsen joined us, my mind and body went into overdrive.
I feel the same crazy attraction for both of the two hot hockey players.
My pulse is racing a thousand miles per second; I’m excited to the point of dizziness.
There’s only one thing I can do in a situation like this one. I lock myself inside one of the stalls in the women’s bathroom and text Jodie.
Me: 911, Jo-Jo. I need you to tell me what to do.
I can’t help but think about the last time I texted her a 911.
The three bouncing dots signaling that Jodie is typing a response appear the second the message is delivered.
Jo-Jo: Are you ok? Is he a creep? Wait, is he… ?
Me: No, he’s fine. Hella fine, actually. The problem is that Colsen just showed up and he wants to stay and hang out with us. And Tucker and I almost kissed, and I definitely want to kiss him.
Jo-Jo: So you want Colsen to get lost?
I groan as I type my response.
Me: No, that’s the problem. I like him too, just as much. At least as long as he is as nice as he seems at first impression. We haven’t talked much.
Jo-Jo: So your problem is that there are two smoking hot guys who want to hang out with you? Sucks to be you, babes.
Me: Shut up. What do I do?
The bouncing dots appear again as Jodie types another response.
Jo-Jo: The most important thing is, do you feel safe with them? If not, tell me exactly where you are and I’ll be there in a second.
