Page 4 of Breakaway Hearts

“I was just thinking I was short a few overprotective older siblings,” Tab teases, but she’s smiling as she comes over and wraps her arms around my middle. “I really appreciate everything you’ve done for me, and I feel better knowing you’re here, but treat me like a kid and I’ll disown you,” she warns.

“It would be awkward if you went all caveman over her, since you don’t use your last name,” Mike points out. My dad, Christopher Glass, is kind of a famous actor, and I look just like he did, so I signed up for hockey with my mom’s last name of Brooks.

“I don’t plan on treating you like a kid, Tab, I’ll just see every guy who’s after you as a threat to be neutralized.”

I rib Dave when he laughs.

“It’s like you don’t even want to be an uncle,” she says dramatically before adding, “Again.”

Technically, Tab’s my only full sibling, but we have four older half-siblings who’ve already given us a bunch of nieces and nephews, most of whom are more like cousins to us.

“Definitely not in college, I don’t.”

“Even if I go out, tonight is about bonding with my roomie. And it’s easier to talk my way out of things if I make a great first impression.”

“Just…be careful.” I kiss the top of her head, then grab my tools and follow the guys down the stairs.

“Who’s up for Slapshots? Beers are on me.” I stretch once we’re outside, more than comfortable with lifting weights, but not so much hauling boxes and furniture up stairs, or holding my sister on my shoulders so she can put glow-in-the-dark stickers on her ceiling.

“I’m heading home,” Dave turns me down.

“Thanks for your help, man. I know she’s not your sister, but I feel better⁠—”

“She’s our sister,” he assures me, only half-teasing. “I doubt mine will ever come here, but I know how you’d treat her.”

“If I ever meet her…” I let it linger. This will be my third year on the team with David Alvarez, living in the same house, hanging out all the time, but other than a few shouts over the phone to his mother after we convinced him to put her on speaker, I don’t think any of us have met his family.

“Colt’s at The Commons,” Mike shares after checking his phone. “He’ll be pissed you didn’t ask him to help Tab.”

Unlike Dave, who we met at Wynchester, Colton Beckford moved to Vermont from Los Angeles –not exactly with us – but at the same time.

“He doesn’t know how to turn off the flirting,” I defend myself. “And not that I think Tab is impressionable, but⁠—”

“But he looks suspiciously like that boy band dude from the posters on her wall, and he broke the hearts of more than one of her high school friends?” Mike supplies.

“Those weren’t all his fault.” There were way more unrequited crushes than you’d expect, given how much of an asshole Colt was in high school. “And I don’t not trust him, I just…”

“Felt bad asking? But knew Dave wouldn’t have plans and your sister is immune to my heartthrobness?”

“How do you make that sound both cocky and pathetic at the same time?”

“It’s a gift.”

“Come on, I’ll buy you some beer. And a pizza. I would say wings, but…” Dave got food poisoning from them last spring. “What’s good at The Commons?”

“The prices.”

I laugh and punch him in the arm, both because he’s being a smart ass and it’s true, but also because I know that if it was up to him, he would be eating ramen or whatever starving college students eat. He doesn’t have to, thanks to the meal plan included in his hockey scholarship, but the less he spends, the more he can pocket for after graduation, or to spoil his grandparents for all their sacrifices.

The Commons is full, but thankfully the trivia part is over, or Donovan might have convinced me to play. Not that I mind, since it reminds me of the trivial pursuit championships we had on family game nights, but I’m not looking for food coupons tonight.

“Brooks!” Donovan greets me with a wide grin, ushering me over to a table of our teammates. Shawn looks like he wants to escape Colt’s arm around him. “Who was the lucky lady?”

“An annoying redhead,” I tease, taking the beer Donovan hands me.

“How is Tab?” he asks.

“All settled. Warned me not to hover. Wants to bond with her roommate.”