Page 76 of With the Assist

Do I want to have a chance?

Flirting is one thing. It’s harmless. Anything else is a bad idea, even if I do find myself thinking about her too much to be casual.

Liam wanders in a second later, interrupting my spiraling thoughts. “So.”

I glance at him. “So.”

He smirks. “You going to tell me what’s going on with you?”

“Nothing.”

“You haven’t partied with me in weeks. You’re not forcing shots on the ice. You stopped doing whatever the hell that thing was, where you tried to dangle through three guys every shift.”

“Just development,” I say dryly.

“Uh-huh.” He watches me for a beat. “And?”

“You know how serious I am about getting my contract renewed.”

“Yes. You always have been. What’s changed now?” He pulls water out of the fridge, taking a long swig. “We’ve been friends since we were kids. Do you think I’m an idiot?”

I don’t answer.

Liam laughs quietly. “You know that silence is an answer.”

“I almost kissed her.” I cringe when the words burst out against my will.

His eyebrows lift. “You mean you did. At the bar. We all saw it.”

“No. A different time.”

“For real?”

“Yeah. But then, she left.”

“Did she sprint? Or exit like a normal person?”

I exhale. “She exited the ice immediately and then left. Like nothing happened.”

“But she’s still texting you.”

I look at him, eyebrows scrunching.

He grins. “You check your phone like every five minutes. I’m not blind.”

“Shut up.”

He sobers slightly. “You like her.”

It’s not a question.

“I don’t do serious,” I say automatically.

“Did she propose or something?”

I flip him off, but he just smiles. “I mean it.”

“You can mean it and still like her.” Liam shrugs.