Page 1 of Lose You Twice

1

KAI

I’ve done a lot of stupid things in my life. Plenty of regrets packed into the last twenty-one years.

But not a single one of them beats the one standing in front of me right now.

Wren Calloway.

My sister’s best friend, who just so happens to be my ex-girlfriend.

Recently starting her journey at Pacific Coast University, my luck with successfully avoiding her for the last three years has come to an abrupt end.

She’s currently dancing with my teammate Weston Cooper, laughing like she doesn’t have a care in the world, which means I’ve never wanted to punch him in the face the way I do right now.

Not sure what that says about me, considering I’m the one who let her go to begin with.

The PCU hockey house is too hot, way too fucking loud, and packed wall to wall with bodies that smell like cheap beer and bad decisions. Winter term starts Monday, so I guess this is everyone’s last shot at making beyond questionable choices before pretending they have their shit together again.

My part in all this, apparently, is standing in the corner like a damn statue and minding my business.

Or at least trying to. My eyes seemed to be glued on one blue-eyed blonde in particular.

Weston has his hands on Wren’s hips, and they’re swaying to whatever bass-heavy song is currently making the wall at my back vibrate. She’s laughing at something he said, head tipped back, hair brushing her shoulders. She looks incredible.

I take a long drink and force myself to look away.

I feel Harlow before I see her—her arm looping through mine, her shoulder bumping my side. I glance down and find my sister looking up at me with the exact grin she saves for moments she knows are about to irritate me.

“Are you just going to stand here and pout all night?” Harlow asks.

“I’m not pouting.”

Grayson laughs under his breath from behind her. I cut him a look, and he lifts both hands.

“Hey. I’m just observing.”

“From the kitchen,” Harlow says, “it looked like a one-man pity party. Which is why I came to check on you.”

“I’m not having a pity party.” I shift my gaze back to the room. “I’m making sure nobody does anything stupid. We have conditioning in the morning, and I’m not dealing with anyone puking because they can’t handle a couple drinks.”

Harlow makes a sound that’s way too close to a laugh. She slips away from my side and leans back into Grayson, who settles his hands on her waist and presses a quick kiss to the top of her head like it’s second nature.

They’ve been together for a couple months now. I trust Grayson—more than I trust most people—but trust doesn’t erase four years of being the only thing standing between my sister and everything that tried to break her.

Old habits die slow.

“You know,” Harlow says, “you could just go talk to her.”

“I know.”

“The tension at Christmas was thick enough to cut with a knife, Kai.”

I don’t answer, because she’s not wrong.

The Calloways and the Mercers have spent every holiday together for as long as I can remember. Birthdays, camping trips, summer vacations—once Wren and Harlow became inseparable, our families weren’t far behind.

Which meant Wren was always there.