“Except, tonight, one of you gets to prove you’re better,” Jaxon says, and I smack him in the back of the head.
“Way to hype him up, man.”
He shrugs, raising his eyebrows at me like he doesn’t know where in that sentence he went wrong.
“Your sister coming tonight?” Zeke asks, and at first, I think he’s talking to me, but then I realize his eyes are focused on Cam.
“I don’t know,” Cam eyes him, “why?”
“No reason,” Zeke begins, and I can see his eyes trying to avoid mine. “Just wondering.”
“Okay?” If I couldn’t hear the confusion in his voice, I’d be able to see it on his face. “But why?”
“I was just asking a question, man.” Zeke stands. “Not trying to get it on with your sister. If I wanted to, I would’ve tried by now.”
Probably not the smartest thing to say to someone’s brother. Especially since Cam doesn’t know that his sister has already shot Zeke down multiple times, and they’re more like siblings than anything with how they bicker.
“Talk about getting with my sister one more time.” Cam takes a step forward, and I step between them.
“I told you; I’m not trying anything.” Zeke takes another step. I’m practically pinned between their bodies. “I was just asking a question.”
“My sister has been through enough because of guys on the team.” Cam finally takes a step back. “So, I don’t want to hear it. From any of you, but especially you six.”
His eyes follow the room, but we know who he’s talking about.
“We made a pact years ago,” Cam continues, “sisters are off-limits. Just because we’re older doesn’t mean that changes.”
He doesn’t look at us again before he pushes through the guys and exits the locker room, even though he isn’t suited up for the game. I know Ember’s his sister, but that was out of character, especially for Cam.
“Now would probably be a bad time to tell him you have feelings for his sister.” Zeke laughs.
Zeke’s right about that. Telling Cam would just ruin things. I thought about making a change by not putting everything after hockey, but at the end of the day, hockey is the only thing I can count on.
Maybe there’s a reason I haven’t brought the kiss up for two weeks. I know there’s a chance that everything Ember and I have built will crumble.
Maybe deep down, I know hockey will always be more important to me. Or maybe it’s because I know Ember's too good for me, and I don’t deserve her. Not after all the pain she’s been through. All the pain I was unwillingly a part of.
I made it two weeks… I can make it through the rest of junior year—
Hopefully.
seventeen
Ember
Somehow, I ended up at the last place I wanted to be tonight—
The hockey game.
Brinley, Maia, and I were about halfway through our movie when Tate called and said the guys were totally off, which I was already aware of because I was keeping up with the game on my phone. But the second Brinley found out, she was heading out the door.
And then, when Maia got called back into work, Brinley told me I had no excuse to not go with her.
Except I did. He went by the name Declan.
“Em, come on,” Brinley groans. “They’re already halfway through the second period!”
“I’m not stopping you from going in.” I cross my arms.
