Page 60 of Ethan

“Nothing,” Ethan muttered. He really didn’t want to talk about Tuck. Even if he scored today—even if theybothscored today—it wasn’t going to change much. Not anything that really mattered.

“Ethan’s boyfriend is gonna get back down to Syracuse ’cause Niko’s tearing it up,” Charlie said.

Ethan elbowed him hard in the ribs. “He’s not myboyfriend.” Though the idea of that being true and not just a figment of his imagination resonated through his insides in a very pleasant way.

“Wait,what,” Livvy said, sounding surprised. “You got Tuck, Eth?”

“Ha, no.” Ethan tried chuckling about it, but it didn’t come out all that convincing.

“He could still be your boyfriend, even if he was in Syracuse to start the season,” Avery said gently.

And Ethan knew he meant well. Knew that all three of them meant well, but he kinda wanted them all to shut the fuck up,please.

“Yeah, he could be, but he’s not,” Ethan retorted.

“Niko’s kind of famously hot and cold. He’ll slide back to the other side of the spectrum,” Avery said. Trying to be nice, still. He was better at it than Charlie, at least, but that didn’t mean he wasn’t obvious as hell about it.

“Sure,” Ethan said. “It’s really fine, and I don’t want to talk about it.”

“Okay,” Livvy said gently. And then because she might be the best of them all, she changed the subject. “You guys hear that we’re sharing an arena with a PWHL team this year?”

“Oh yeah?” Avery said warmly. He was maybe the second best of them.

Charlie?The fucking worst.

“Yeah, it’s pretty cool,” Livvy said.

“You ever wish you were still playing?” Charlie asked, because as previously stated, hewasthe worst.

“Fucking Charlie, be nice,” Ethan groused. “Youshouldbe playing, still.”

Livvy just chuckled. Not sounding bothered at all. “I’m gonna take that as a compliment, Eth.”

“You should. You’re a great coach, sure, but you were a fucking killer player,” Avery chimed in. Charlie just flopped back on the couch, sulking.

Livvy just shrugged. “I don’t know. I do miss it sometimes, and there’s a part of me that’s like, I’m notthatold—”

“Not even,” Charlie protested, finally deciding to redeem himself.

“I’m just saying, I could probably try out if I really wanted to, but I don’t think I really want to,” Livvy confessed. “I’m happy on the bench. Even if I have to deal with all your fucking fart jokes and your inability to think of two or more things at once.” Her voice went all teasing at the end.

“We sure prepared you good for coaching guys,” Avery pointed out, laughing. “Especially those two assholes.” He pointed at the screen, right at Ethan and Charlie.

“I’m way too mature for fart jokes,” Charlie sniffed. Like he wasn’t twenty-three and the last time Danny had let one rip in the locker room, he hadn’t been laughing right along with the rest of them.

“Oh sure,” Avery said. “I’ll believe that when it actually happens.”

Charlie glanced down at his phone, clearly distracted by whatever new stupid thing Max had sent him.

“How’s your preseason going?” Livvy asked Avery, trying to keep the call on its positive trajectory before it devolved, like it almost always did, into a bunch of muttered-slash-yelled insults.

“Fine,” Avery said, but he didn’t sound like it actuallywasfine.

Ethan pushed aside his own selfish worries—about Hank and the bet and what would happen to Hank at the beginning of the season—and focused on his eldest brother.

“Doesn’t sound like it’s going fine,” Livvy said gently, speaking up before Ethan could ask.

Ethan nudged Charlie’s leg, and Charlie even leaned forward, setting his phone on the coffee table, face down.