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“My mechanics are good, like you said. I knew that. Figured this was really about letting Liam cool off after yesterday. But I think Orion sent me here for this talk, didn’t he?”
“He’s a smart dude. He knows you’re right on the edge of making it.”
I took in a deep breath and let it out. “All right.”
Niko clapped me on the shoulder. “We’re gonna go back out there and you’re gonna kick my ass, got it?”
“Yep. Thanks, man.”
“You got it.”
“Hey,” I said. He turned to me. “It’ll happen for you and your wife, one way or another. Keep the faith.”
He smiled, his eyes glassy. “Thanks.”
I slid over the wall and back onto the ice, picturing Charlotte holding our bundled infant in her arms. No more worrying about what might not happen in my career. It was time to just make it fucking happen.
Charlotte
A pile of clean, unfolded laundry blocked most of the couch in Bennett and Liam’s apartment. Liam swept it all to the floor.
“Have a seat,” he said.
“Is that Bennett’s laundry?”
“Well, let’s see . . . there’s only one slob living here and it’s him, so yeah.”
I sighed, sat down and reached for a T-shirt from the pile, folding it, and setting it next to me. I folded in silence for a couple minutes.
“You come to clean up after Bennett?” Liam asked.
“You know why I came.”
“To chew my ass out?”
I shook my head. “Much as I wanted to yesterday, no. I came to make peace.”
“There’s always been peace between us, Charlie. It’s Bennett I’ve got issues with.”
“Why?” I picked up a pair of Bennett’s boxer briefs to fold and Liam rolled his eyes.
“You know why. He treated you like a meaningless whore.”
“Liam,” I said in a scolding tone, “how do you know that?”
“He knocked you up upon meeting you.”
I shook my head. “You want to hear a tough truth? He wanted to leave that night. It was me who persuaded him to come home with me and stay.”
“Just stop right there,” Liam said, cringing. “I don’t want the details.”
“We were both irresponsible that night.”
“Did he know?” There was vulnerability in my brother’s eyes when they met mine. “Did he know that night that you’re my sister?”
“No. I wanted a one-night thing, and to be honest, I wasn’t interested in details like what he did for a living.”
“Jesus, Charlie.” Liam ran a hand through his blond hair. “Do you know how fucking stupid that was? He could have had any number of STDs.”
