Page 138 of Revenge Puck

Or girls.

He didn’t skip the dance with Blaire because he wanted to humiliate her. I wish she knew that and wouldn’t hold it over his head. My dopey brother has a one-track mind, and she was not in the path of it.

I watch him skate, pride beating in my chest.

This is who he is.

This is what he wants.

Which makes me wonder: What would happen if he ever let his guard down long enough to actually feel something for someone?

* * *

Two hours later, the game ends in a narrow win and instead of spending the remainder of the evening at Aaron’s place the way I’d wanted to, Blaire and I are back at my apartment.

Shoes kicked off, adrenaline and stale beer still buzzing in my veins. We’re curled up on my couch with blankets and the takeaway we ordered on our way home.

I stab into the carton with my chopsticks, stuffing an undignified amount of noodles into my mouth, chewing as if I haven’t eaten in days.

“So,” Blaire says around her food. “Let’s unpack what we saw tonight.”

“I wish I knew.” It was difficult to watch.

“Like…” She continues eating, the smacking of food actually causing me to stare slack-jawed at her. “What do we think the actual problem is between Declan and Aaron—all jokes aside?”

Hmm.

Good question.

“Is this game related?” I pause. “They don’t play the same position, so that can’t be it.”

Blaire considers this. “It must be personal.”

I pinch more noodles onto my chopsticks. “Personal how?”

“That’s the part that doesn’t make sense.” She wipes her mouth with a napkin. Washes down her pad thai with a longchug of iced tea. “It has to be related to you. Maybe…Declan is jealous?”

I nod. “Yeah, that makes sense. He’s been acting weird—and I told you about our conversation this morning.”Come to think of it…“Remember when I dated Ethan for three months? Declan didn’t like him either, but he wasn’t a jerk about it.”

“Have you asked your mom about it?”

I nod again. “She said they spoke yesterday and he got all agitated. But then again, you know how my mom is. All she wants to do is pester him about ‘settling down with a nice girl and having babies.’” Blaire and I both pull faces. “I would be irritated, too.”

Blaire stops eating. “But being irritated at your mom is one thing. Squaring up to Aaron like they’re about to drop gloves is another.”

“True.” I stab my noodles aimlessly. “Maybe…he doesn’t like Aaron?”

She gives me a look. “Based on what? The fact that he’s tall? Intimidating?Smellsexpensive and goes down on you?”

That makes me blush.

“Declan is wired for control—he loves routine. Structure. Suddenly his teammate is dating his sister. That blurs lines. What if he’s worried you’re going to be a distraction for Aaron?”

Pfft.“Who his teammates date is none of his business.”

“He could see it as a liability,” she adds, raising her brows. “Think about it! If he’s this hyper-focused on winning, anything threatening the machine could feel like sabotage.”

Eh. “I mean, maybe?”