Page 39 of Ethan

Hank sent back a thumbs-up, which Ethan told himself he was not going to overthink, and then Max texted too, a saluting emoji that just felt very Max.

Ethan turned his phone off and slipped it into his pocket and then hedidtake his brother’s advice and went to class.

The Bandits were in Florida, heading down to play both the Panthers and the Lightning, when during practice, Charlie swung by where Hank was by the boards, grabbing a quick drink between drills.

It had been two days since Ethan had texted him, informing him that he’d told Charlie about them talking.

They’d talked just once since then, a quick FaceTime, when they’d just gotten to Florida and right after Ethan had finished practice. They hadn’t talked about it, except that Ethan had mentioned that Charlie had thought it was good. That was all.

Still, Hank, new to the team and still desperately trying tostayup, not for just a playoff push, but permanently, had been bracing for Charlie to approach him ever since.

But he hadn’t, not right away, and now that Charlie was skating closer, a deceptively casual look on his face, Hank thought he understood what Charlie’s game was.

He’d been lulling Hank into a state of complacency before he struck, like a snake.

Kind of like how he could look deceptively laid-back out on the ice and then suddenly strike, one of those quick-fire shots that he’d made his trademark.

“Hey,” Charlie said, finally settling against the boards, face-to-face with Hank. He picked up his water bottle and squirted some into this mouth. “How’s it going?”

“Good,” Hank said stupidly. Even if it hadn’t been going good, he’d have said the same thing.

“You’ve been up what, four weeks now?”

“A month,” Hank said, still stupid.

“Right,” Charlie said, taking his helmet off, then shaking out his damp curls before he shoved them back. It was funny; he was so obviously Ethan’s brother. They had a lot of physical similarities but Hank had never been attracted, not once, to Charlie. And Ethan?Well.

He knew he shouldn’t have broken their FaceTime standoff on Valentine’s Day but he’d just wanted toseehim. Once. On such a big day, too. The problem with doing that was that he’d gotten conditioned to having it, now, and Hank wanted it all the time.

Even if he knew it was dumb and would probably get him into some kind of deep shit, at some point.

Like right now.

“Eth told me you guys have been talking.”

There it was.

“Yeah.” Hank tried not to tense. Told himself that Charlie wasn’t going to kick his ass. Charliecouldn’tkick his ass. He had four inches and at least forty pounds of muscle on Barney, but he also knew what kind of engine drove him. Hank wouldn’t put anything past Charlie, if he was properly motivated.

Charlie raised an eyebrow. “Yeah?”

Hank shrugged, unsure what he was supposed to say. He’d answered the question, hadn’t he?

“Real talkative guy,” Charlie said, chuckling under his breath. “It’s cool, you know?”

Hank still didn’t quite believe that. “If it was so cool, why’d you come over here?”

“Oh, that’s cute,” Charlie said, grinning now. “You think I’m over here to kick your ass for talking to my brother?”

“Why would I think that?” Hank didn’t think he sounded all that convincing.

“Hmm, I don’t know.” Charlie leaned in, and that smile turned sharp. “Why don’t you tell me?”

Max talked about Charlie like he was all affable and charming andeasy. Hank didn’t know how Charlie had their captain so fucking snowed, because Charlie was honed to a fine-edged blade.

Probably better tonotthink about how Charlie had fooled Max, at least not right now, anyway.

“We’re just talking. Just friends,” Hank said. And thatwastrue. They’d not said anything that hockey bros all over hadn’t probably said hundreds of times. But sometimes, Ethan was looking at him and Hank was looking back and it felt like his heart was in his fuckingthroat.