Page 93 of Blue Line

She raises an eyebrow as she sits down next to me. “Something going on?”

I huff out a breath, dropping my head into my hands. “How long do you have?”

“As long as it takes. Come on, let’s hear it.”

So I tell her what’s been going on with my family, or lack thereof. How the family I’d found isn’t what I thought it would be. I feel as if some of the weight I’ve been carrying around is gone when I finish explaining everything to her.

“Family comes in all shapes and sizes.” She turns to me. “It doesn’t necessarily mean blood. It means the people you choose.”

“Yeah …”

“I’m sorry it didn’t work out with your cousin. Sometimes the family we pick is better than the one we share our DNA with.” She sighs, shaking her head, and I wonder if she’s speaking from experience. “Not saying that your cousin is a bad person, but you already have a whole group of brothers.” She gestures around. “The family you were hoping to find in your cousin, you already have it. Maybe this is the family you were meant to have.”

I turn her words over in my head as I watch the guys scrimmage on the ice, the guys I have always considered to be my brothers. Even the ones who’ve retired are like family to me. Their wives and girlfriends I consider my sisters-in-law. Their kids, my nieces and nephews.

She’s right.

Except there’s one person missing who I most certainly want as part of my family. But I don’t know if she wants me anymore. She’s the woman I want to go through life with. Grow old with. Maybe start a family with. I hope I can fix things with her.

“I—” I scrub a hand down my face. “Except I fucked up with Hadley.”

“Oh, you fucked up real good,” Holt says.

I peer over my shoulder at him, arms crossed over his chest, scowling at me.

I put my hands up to cover my face, tensing my whole body. “If you’re going to punch me, get it over with.”

“Relax. I’m not going to punch you.”

“You’re not?” I put my hands down as he comes and sits on the other side of me.

“Do I want to know what’s going on?” Sutton asks.

Before I can fill her in on my and Hadley’s breakup, the other guys skate over. Might as well tell them all at once.

“I have something I need to tell you all.” I study my hands. “It was fake.”

“Fake?” Sutton asks.

“Our engagement.” I hold my breath, waiting for the shit they’re about to give me, but it doesn’t come.

“Oh, we know,” Elias says.

That catches my attention. “You know?” I tilt my head, peering around at them all. Were we that obvious? I thought we did a good job of pretending.

Sebastian shrugs, and the guys exchange a look.

“What? What was that look for?” I point at all of them.

Holt blows out a breath. “They know because we set it up.”

“Come again? How could you set it up? SportsCenter talked about our engagement …” I sputter. Am I dreaming? Is this a nightmare?

Sebastian has the audacity to laugh. “Did you see the SportsCenter clip where they talked about it?”

“Well, no, but—”

“Did you read an article?” Elias interrupts.