She gives me a genuine smile. “I’m really happy for you, Brey. And Shane, how are things going with him?”
I sigh contently, looking over to the man in question. “Shane is… He’s just perfect. Things are amazing between us. I’ve never been this happy in my life, Ronnie. Sometimes that joy is so strong I feel like I could burst. He makes me so happy.” Then my gaze trails back to my brother who’s skating from one end of the rink to the other with force. “I just wish my brother could see that.”
“He’s an idiot, forget about him,” she says simply, shaking her head with a distasteful grimace.
“I wish it was that easy.” I sigh, this time with a bit of heartache. “And you, how are things in your love life? Still over the moon with your two men?” I giggle.
The relationship between Ronnie, Noah, and Gabriel happened so quickly, it kind of took me by surprise, yet not at the same time. I’ve always known the boys were obsessed with her. I just didn’t realize it was more than just sexual.
What surprised me even more was that Ronnie fell head-over-heels in love with them after she swore that she hated them. I guess that’s just how love works, it takes you by surprise and shows up when you least expect it.
She smiles dreamily. “Things are beyond great in the Ellis-Adler residence.”
“Still no wedding date fixed?”
Gabe proposed to her in November, but there hasn’t been more talk about the wedding since. She’s technically only marrying one, but spiritually, she’s clearly married to both. The ring tattoo that her and Noah share is a clear indication of that.
“Ugh, no, not yet. I don’t understand why it’s so hard, the whole thing is stressing me out like crazy. If it were just me, I’d elope, but I know that’s not what Gabe wants.” She shrugs, looking down at our hands.
I bring my free hand over our joined ones. “Is it possible that you may feel… guilty marrying Gabe, but not Noah? And that’s why you find it hard to set a date? Because doing so would make it real,” I ask softly.
She chews on her lip then gives a tiny nod as the emotions surface in her eyes. “I can’t help it. I want to marry Gabriel so, so badly. But I can’t help but feel like doing so would make it seem like I’m choosing him over Noah.”
She sniffs a little but keeps her eyes on the ice. “And I know Noah said it was fine, that he’s okay with this. But what if he changes his mind once it’s done? I can’t just divorce Gabe to marry him instead. Then that would mean I’d be choosing Noah over Gabe. I’m not choosing one or the other, I choose both, I love them both equally.”
“Maybe you should talk to them about this concern you have. I’m sure they’ll reassure you or come up with a solution.”
She nods again. “You’re right, I should.” She then turns her gaze to mine. “Thank you for asking, I feel like a weight was just lifted off my chest from talking about it.”
“You’re my best friend, Ronnie. You can always come to me when you need to talk.” I lean into her and rest my head on her shoulder. “How’s Noah doing with his rehab?” I ask when I lift my head back up.
“Good. The therapist that’s helping him with his rehab said he should be allowed back on the ice in two to three weeks.”
“That’s really good news.” I beam.
“Yeah, he’s excited. He’s been skating, but he says it’s not the same as playing.”
“I can imagine.”
The buzzer sounds as a second goal is scored by the Griffins. Ronnie and I stand, clapping along with everyone else. To be honest, I have no idea who scored. We haven’t really been paying attention to the game, which most likely makes us terrible girlfriends right now.
“Hey, that reminds me. Are you free this weekend to help me pack up my things in the condo? Shane doesn’t want me overworking myself. He’s having movers come in to do the heavy lifting, but I still need to get everything into boxes.”
“Of course, I’ll help!” she answers without hesitation. “So, what’s going to happen to the condo?”
“I texted Greyson saying it would be free after the weekend and that he could sell it.” I shrug.
“Wow, and what did he say?”
This time, I’m the one chewing my lip. “He never responded.” Just like I had predicted he would. Or wouldn’t.
She nudges my shoulder with hers. “Like I said, idiot.” We smile at each other before refocusing on the guys for the ten minutes left on the clock.
By the end of the game, I’m still uncertain of what Shane said to Greyson, but whatever it was, it worked. He played the last twenty minutes like the Greyson Ford I know and cheered for my entire life. The chemistry between the players was restored and they managed to score four goals, winning them the game with a four-to-three lead.
It’s nearly midnight when Shane finally gets home and crawls into bed. He lies on his back as he reaches for me, pulling me against his side as I rest my head on his chest. This is how we fall asleep every night and I love it.
He kisses the top of my head and inhales me with a satisfied hum. “Did you have a good time at the game?” he asks quietly, his fingers stroking up and down my arm.
