Finn shrugged. “I’m sure if I get an agent, they’ll watch out for me.”
I sighed. “Finn, you’re way too trusting.”
“And you don’t trust enough,” he insisted as we headed for our cubbies.
I grabbed a towel and threw it over my shoulder, then reached for my shower kit. My cubby was the bare minimum, neat and tidy, everything in its place. I hated clutter. It made me twitch. Finn’s cubby, on the other hand, was like my friend: overflowing with color and personality. He had neon stickers with funny slogans and jokes, a photo of him and his huge family taken at the farm in Nebraska, and a big stuffed cougar that sat on top, looking more like a teddy bear than a fierce cat. The sight made me smile, but also shake my head.
We were so different and yet we got along.
“You headed home after this?” Finn asked, running a hand through his messy auburn hair.
I nodded.
“You want to join us for dinner?” I asked.
Finn missed his family something fierce. He’d told me all about them, and about his girlfriend, their breakup, and the fact that he was demi. There were times I wanted to tell Finn that I was gay, to unburden myself to someone. But I didn’t. I wasn’t ready. Not yet. Not that I wasn’t tempted to confess to him. Maybe releasing the secret would ease the pressure inside me.Pressure that was only going to get more intense from here on out.
“If Josiah’s cooking, yes,” Finn replied, breaking my musings. “If you’re cooking, no thanks.”
I threw my towel at his head, and he chuckled, ducking to avoid it.
There were too many smart-asses on our team.
CHAPTER 4
SILAS
GAME DAY
Game day nerves were normal but today, my heart was literally in my throat.
After knocking Langston College from the rankings, then crushing Grainger, we were ready to face off against the west coast finalists, Kallinger University, for the national win. Kallinger was a Seattle-based college with two of the top ranked players in the overall standings. Their forward, Matt Gross, was close to Jace’s stats, and their goalie, Evyn Gerard, was phenomenal. Not to mention, two of their defensemen, Kai Strong and Niall Koskinen, were some of the biggest guys I’d ever played against.
Our opponents had size, speed, and scoring, plus, a rock-solid goalie. If we wanted to clinch this thing, there was no room for error.
We’d travelled to Chicago for the finals, far from our hometown crowd. Kallinger was in the same boat, so it leveled the playing field.
I’d had to arrange for someone to stay with Josiah, who was seventeen going on thirty, with an attitude to match. Mysunny brother was back but there was an added sass to him that challenged me. Despite his surgery success, there were still issues with his health, and add in the teenage hormones… I wasn’t fully prepared for raising a teenager, but I guess, no one is.
And I’d never been so far from home before. As I prepared to leave the house, I hesitated.
Until my brother rolled his eyes and nudged my side with his surprisingly sharp elbow.
“Stop acting suss and go already,” Jo quipped. “I can manage on my own, you know. I’m not a baby, even though you got me a sitter for the next two days.”
“It’s not a sitter, it’s your BFF,” I insisted. “And I know you can manage, but you’re still seventeen. These are the rules. Remember, if you don’t feel good, you call me?—”
“I know, I know.”
Josiah was chafing at my protectiveness. Like any guy his age, he wanted independence. He also wanted to go back to playing hockey, which he’d given up. For now, that was a hard no. Much like me, Jo pushed back and stood his ground. I knew that he wanted to be with his friends, but I held firm. He was still dealing with a lot, coping with health challenges, medications, and appointments that most of his friends didn’t even begin to understand.
“Now stop pacing and get moving, you don’t want to be late for your bus to the airport,” Josiah added with a smile. “And I’ll be fine. I swear. River will make sure of it. Bring back lots of pictures and that freaking trophy so we can show Dad.”
His confidence—in himself, in me—had me hugging my brother tighter than I ever had before.
Reluctantly, I let him go and headed for the door.
The rest of the day was a chaotic blur, getting to the bus, the airport, the plane ride, the hotel. It was like I was living in a dream-state at warp speed.
