Page 172 of The Puck Stops Here
28
‘Have you read it yet?’
Aiden came striding into the living room, eyes glued to his phone as he interrupted Blake’s date with the TV and New York’s finest cheesecake.
‘Read what?’
Blake forked up a mouthful and went back to his movie.
‘Astrid’s article, she sent it over this morning for us to review.’
‘Oh yeah, that.’ He forced the wedge of cheesecake down. ‘No.’
‘Why not?’
‘Been busy.’
‘Busy eating contraband and watching… what in thehellis this?’
He shrugged. ‘A movie.’
Aiden clicked on the remote and choked out a laugh. ‘I’ve seen it all now.’
‘I haven’t so if you don’t mind…’ He snatched the remote back and turned it up. Kate Hudson was doing a splendid job of lying through her teeth… though in all fairness, the lead guy was giving as good as he got. It was funny too. Much easier to laugh when it wasn’t real, and it wasn’tyours truly getting played.
‘This has to stop.’
‘I don’t know what you’re talking about.’
Aiden strode up to the TV and turned it off at the wall. The sudden silence was deafening. Silence meant thinking. Silence meant remembering. Silence meant reliving and his gut rolled with a pained honey gaze that looked all too genuine. Too crushed. Too…
‘It’s our bye week, Blake.’
He slid the half-eaten cheesecake onto the coffee table and hunched forward. ‘Tell me something I don’t know.’
‘Usually you’re lining up a party, kicking back with the team and the beers. Instead, you’re in here, watching a sappy movie,and eating cheesecake. It’s fucked up, man.’
It was. He was. And all because of a pretty little journo and her pretty little lies. He didn’t want to read her article because he didn’t want to read any more ofthat.
‘Something’s been off with you ever since Massachusetts and?—’
‘I saw Dad.’
‘Youwhat?’His brother stiffened. ‘When?’
‘When Astrid snuck off to see him.’
‘She never…’ He sunk into the sofa beside him. ‘Fuck.’
‘It’s where I was when I missed dinner the night before the game.’
‘In Ashbury Falls?’
He nodded.
‘Why didn’t you say anything?’
‘Because I handled it.’
