“Yeah, I guess that would be kind of noticeable, huh?” I chuckle, patting his chest. “All right, big boy. I’ll go first. See you out there.”
I make it two steps before he grabs my wrist, hauling me right back to him and kissing me until I’m weak in the knees and my head is all kinds of fuzzy. I have no doubt my lips are swollen when I finally make it out into the bar. Auden spots me first.
“Vanessa!” she yells, waving me over.
I grin as I approach her and my brother, who has his arm wrapped tightly around her waist.
“Hey,” I say to her, then look to Reed. “That was a nice goal tonight.”
He looks surprised by my words. “You watched?”
I wave my hand around. “Uh, I work at asports barthat caters to the hockey crowd.”
“Right. Duh.”
He rolls his eyes with a grin, and it’s so strange to see. Not just because Reed tends to be grumpy as hell—though that happens a lot less often now that he’s with Auden—but because he’s smiling atme. We’re joking around. We’regetting along. It’s weird, but I like it.
Guilt swirls in my stomach, and it’s so much different than the butterflies. It feels icky, and I wish I could reach inside and pull it free. I suppose technically I could. It would just mean coming clean about what’s going on with Gavin, and there’s no way I’m ready to do that. So I swallow it down and pretend I never felt anything at all.
“Hey, have you seen Locke around? I thought for sure he’d be here first.”
I don’t know why I do it, but I look right at Auden…and she’s staring back.
I quickly divert my gaze back to my brother, then point toward the bathrooms. “Think I saw him go back there.”
Reed nods, then shifts from right to left. “So, uh, how’s work going?”
Holy shit. He’s inquiring about my life!
“It’s, uh, it’s good,” I say. “I make great tips when you guys are playing well.”
He snorts cockily. “We always play well.”
“Not always,” Lawson says, slinging his arm around Reed’s shoulder. My brother shrugs him off, glaring at him. The guy doesn’t look the least bit deterred, putting his arm right back where it was. “Sometimes we suck. We sucked the other night in Texas.”
I grin, thinking of Gavin’s goal that shocked the crowd.
“We still won, though,” Reed points out, shaking Lawson away yet again.
His arm goes right back where it was until Rory reaches over and yanks her boyfriend away, and I have a feeling she does it often. I also have a feeling Lawson doesn’t mind her being mean to him one bit, based on the lovesick grin on his face.
Warmth spreads over my back, and I know instantly it’s Gavin. His fingertips graze so softly across my lower back that I wonder if I’m imagining it.
“Hey, guys. Auden, you look as beautiful as ever,” he says, and a flicker of jealousy sparks through me, though I know it’s pointless. I have no reason to worry about Gavin having feelings for someone else. I mean, not that he has feelings forme, but still.
“Locke! There you are!” Lawson yells, shoving his way into our space. “Settle this debate: Who is the best kisser? Me or Keller?”
“Are you… Are you asking me to kiss you both?”
Lawson shrugs. “Sure.”
When he steps up to Gavin—lips puckered, eyes closed—he’s met with a palm to his face.
“Get the fuck out of here, Lawsy.”
“Aww, but you’re missing out. I give great smooches!”
“Lawson!” Rory hisses at him, wrenching him away once more. She glares at Hayes. “I told you to stop giving him smelling salts. It makes him an idiot.”
