Page 88 of Wild Card 13

"He was fifteen," Arlo chimed in on the chirping.

"He had confident energy."

Naomi leaned toward me just enough that only I could hear her. "They really are toddlers."

I smiled.

Ty's head turned immediately. "What are we whispering about?"

"Nothing," I replied.

"I don't believe that."

"You shouldn't."

He gasped, pressing one hand to his chest as though I'd genuinely wounded him. "Betrayed."

"You'll recover."

"I don't know, Shortcake. This feels serious." He squeezed my shoulder with an exaggerated sigh before bending to scoop his hockey bag off the snowy pavement in one easy motion. "Come on."

"Where are we going?" Arlo asked.

Ty looked genuinely offended, his eyebrows shooting toward his hairline as if my brother had asked the most ridiculous question imaginable. "We won."

"So?"

"So..." He blinked. "Matt's."

"As if there were another option," Mase agreed.

The five of us started across the parking lot toward Betsy, Ty's ancient pickup waiting beneath a fresh dusting of snow.

He reached for my hand without looking. Like he'd done it so many times he didn't have to think about it anymore.

My fingers slipped naturally between his. I looked down at our joined hands for only a second before looking back up at him.

At the boy who made freezing parking lots feel warm. At the boy who could spend three periods throwing himself around a sheet of ice, then smile at me like I was still the best part of his night.

I'd come because he asked me to. I'd sat through two and a half hours at the rink because it mattered to him.

And somewhere between warmups, impossible passes, one ridiculous glass tap, and the way he'd looked for me after every whistle—I realized I hadn't been counting down until it was over.

I'd been wishing there was another period.

Naomi fell into step beside me while the boys argued over who got shotgun in Betsy.

Arlo grumbled. "I hate all of you."

"I know," Ty called over his shoulder without missing a beat. "Love you too."

Arlo flipped him off.

Ty only laughed harder.

Naomi watched the entire exchange with the kind of amusement reserved for people observing animals at the zoo before she bumped my shoulder.

"So."