The room gets deathly silent.It’s like everyone is holding their breath, and then I realize that I actually am.Of course, the guy who got so drunk he outed my brother on a fucking Instagram live isn’t going to play for the Riptide.Grady shrugs.“Coach Larue sent him a tryout contract.”
“No!”Callan barks and stands so abruptly his chair scrapes loudly across the floor.I shush him so he doesn’t wake Randie.“I’m not fucking playing with that asshole.”
“That asshole is my cousin,” Grady says in a voice so calm and so level it’s almost offensive.
“About that,” I chime in.“How is he your cousin?I mean, you’re a Garrison, and he’s a Richard.And I get that his mom is related to Tate Garrison’s mom and also to Conner Garrison’s step-mom, but not toyourmom oryourdad.So he’s not your cousin, by blood.”
“There’s more to life than blood, Lola,” Grady replies.“His dad was basically raised by my grandparents along with my dad and uncles.”
“Your loyalty is misplaced.”Grady glares at Callan, and I know he’s hit a nerve in a man who usually appears not to have any.“Landon is my actual blood brother, and I don’t like what Theo did to him.Or to you, FYI.”
“I appreciate your allegiance, Cal, but I’m okay,” Landon replies.“We weren’t hiding our relationship.”
“Have you missed all the homophobic slurs on your Instagram?On the team’s Instagram?”Callan asks, turning to Landon.He folds his arms across his giant chest.“OnmyInstagram?”
“Yeah, Cal, I have missed that because I haven’t been checking Instagram,” Landon says.He stands up and starts collecting the dirty dishes.“Because I’ve been busy raising my beautiful daughter, fucking my gorgeous partner, and training so I can hopefully help win Portland their first Cup.”
“In other words, we’re living our best gay life,” Grady adds and smiles up at my brother as he clasps his fingers behind his head and leans back like he hasn’t a care in the world.“Fuck the haters.”
“Well, it’s my first season in this league and on this team,” Callan says hotly.“And I play defense, in case you forgot, which means I’ll have to play closely with him.I really donotneed the shit show circus that Theo Richard’s drunk ass is going to bring to the pre-season or the season if they’re crazy enough to keep him.”
“You just keep your head down and concentrate on making the team, Cal,” Landon advises.“As a second-round draft pick and a rookie, you’re gonna have to really impress them to not be dropped to the farm team your first season.”
“And pitching a fit about this won’t convince the Tide to keep you,” Grady adds, and Callan gets even angrier.He looks like he wants to punch something or blow steam out of his ears.
“I’m going for a run,” he says as he storms away from the table.
A second later, the front door slams.Grady’s shoulders slump.Landon frowns and looks at me.“You had to bring that upthatway?Couldn’t talk to me privately?”
“I didn’t mean to make this a thing,” I say and feel a twinge of guilt.“But Cal might be right.Maybe this guy doesn’t deserve a second chance from you guys or the league.”
“He does.”Grady's voice is firm, and you can tell hewantsto believe it.
“You never did tell us how the breakup went,” Landon says, and I grit my teeth.So much for changing the subject.
“Why aren’t you worried about Theo and being on the same team as him?”I ask, keeping the focus off me.“Won’t it add to the media storm that has just started dying down, to have him back in the league and playing with you?”
“Probably, yeah,” Landon says softly.“But he deserves a second chance.He didn’t do it sober, and he’s made it clear he regrets it.Lastly, and this isn’t to be overlooked, he is a fuckinggreathockey player.He’s the best offensive defenseman the league has seen in a decade.The Riptide needs that if we’re going to win the Cup.”
Of course, it’s about the fucking Cup and the stupid game of hockey.I shake my head.“I swear every fucking guy in my family would forgive a murderer if they had a good forecheck.”
I push back my chair and stomp through their perfect little house by the sea to the porch at the front and shove my feet into my Adidas.
Landon follows me, then leans against the door frame.“How did Pete take the breakup?”
“Not great, but it’s done.”
“So no more late-night visits?No more flowers?No more?—”
“No.And stop before I get super mad,” I snap.
Landon, Callan, and Grady think I’m weird for not wanting the attention Pete gave me.They think it’s “cute” that he had flowers delivered to my apartment a couple times and once showed up at ten o’clock at night with chicken soup when I called in sick to a work shift.
What they don’t know is that I never gave Pete my address.He followed my Uber home from work one night, without my knowledge, to find out where I lived.They also don’t realize that we had established that we were a fling and nothing more, but Pete changed his mind without caring or asking if I’d changed mine.I hadn’t.“Not every woman has to swoon over any and all attention a man gives her.”
Landon’s face pales instantly.“I didn’t mean that!It’s just… I’m sorry.He seemed like a good guy, and you deserve a good guy.”
“He wasn’t, and, for your information, I don’t wantanyguy.See you tomorrow.”I open their screen door and let it close loudly behind me as I stomp down the stairs to the cracked sidewalk below.
