Page 72 of Forever Offsides

Despite myself, I laugh.

Me: I’m washing my hair tonight.

Russel: Need a hand?

Me: Nope. All set.

Russel: It’s just dinner, Quinn. Please. I asked your brothers, and they said they were good with it.

I narrow my eyes at that.

I turn my head and yell out, not even caring that we’re in a decently crowded Starbucks on a Friday evening. “Yo, Crew, were you chatting with the jackhole?”

He looks puzzled. “Jackhole?”

I roll my eyes and pan my hand around the shop. There are children here. “Your least favorite sport boy.”

He grunts and lifts his protein shake that he’s not technically supposed to have in here but since he’s Crew Reyes and he has a game this Sunday in Cleveland, no one is going to stop him.

“Yes,” he grumbles. “He gave me the 'I just want to be her friend’ speech. I don’t like that either, but at least he’s not going to hurt you.”

My eyebrows hit my hairline, and he tosses a hand up.

“What? I’m trying to be a team player. That’s what Coach said we all had to be. I also told the jackhole that if he touches you or looks at you too much or says anything he shouldn’t or even comes within a foot and a half of you, I’d break his fingers one by one.”

I shake my head at my brother and return to my phone.

Me: I’m at Starbucks in Back Bay with my friends. Maybe another time.

“Order for Skylar?”

“Thanks.” I grab our order and head over to the table. I set everything down and take a seat beside Hayes, who’s texting away on his phone, his expression tight and aggravated. “Drug deal go wrong?” I tease.

“Huh?” He looks up and chuckles. “Oh, no. It’s Helene. She’s asking when we can announce the engagement.”

“The what?” all of us cry out at once.

He sets his phone down and drags his hands through his hair. “Why do you think I wanted us to meet somewhere public? It’s safer for me this way.”

“Because you knew we’d kick your ass?” Roman questions, sipping an espresso.

“Something like that. Stop giving me those looks. She makes sense. Marrying her is what I have to do, and she’s not that bad. Some moments she’s decently great.”

“Wow,” Braelyn deadpans. “Decently great.” She smacks Roman’s chest. “How come you never say such loving and romantic things about me?”

He sputters out a laugh and quirks a brow at Hayes as if to say, yeah, that was pretty bad.

“Whatever. It’s done. We’re engaged. We’re also considering a New Year’s Eve wedding just to be assholes like that.”

“Can it be somewhere warm at least?” Forest asks, “If we have to watch you make the mistake of your life and marry the wrong woman, at least we should get somewhere warm and tropical out of it.”

Crew points at Forest. “What he said. Though I have a game on the second so somewhere not too far.”

Hayes sighs. “It’s local, and there’ll be two weddings. One here and one in Paris.”

“Paris,” Forest repeats. “Yeah, that won’t be awkward.”

“Well, I’ll be there since we open my Frankfurt restaurant next month, and after that it’s on to Paris for me.” Roman drops his arm around Braelyn. “I bet I can even convince Brae to come too. You won’t be alone.”