Page 99 of Against The Boards

He grinned. “He deserved it.”

I sighed and put my hands over my face. “I’m sorry you had to find out that way. I wanted to tell you on my own terms.”

His eyebrows shot up. “Yeah, I never want to hear that again.”

“I can’t believe you’re mad about this.”

He sighed. “I feel like I’m supposed to hate all your partners, and all of your previous ones have SUUCKKKED!”

“You’ve never said anything before.”

“Not my place. Benny’s a good guy.”

I poured myself and my boyfriend coffee. “You were right about him; he’s not a bad guy. I wanted to tell you in person. I didn’t set out for this, you know?”

He sighed. “I kind of had a feeling this was gonna happen.”

“How?” I asked and gave him an annoyed look.

He glared at me. “Because every time you two would get into your fights over nothing, it looked like fucking foreplay.” He made a grossed-out face and pretended to hurl.

“Then why are you mad?” I asked.

“Because I thought you hated him so much, it was never gonna happen!”

I glared at him. “Did you and Dad really grill him last night?”

Tristan smirked. “Yup!”

I cringed. “Surprised he hasn’t ghosted me already.”

“I don’t think he could. You were sleeping in his bed.”

I gave him the finger. “You’re a real fucking asshole, you know that, right?”

He laughed. “Damn, you must love him.”

I smiled to myself and took a sip of my coffee. “Yeah…I do. I mean fuck, Tristan, he wants me to play hockey again. He got me back on the ice, and I didn’t think that would ever happen.”

He cocked his head at me. “I’ve been trying to get you on the ice for three years.”

I nodded and sipped on my coffee in contemplation. “I know. He was pushier. You know what did it for me, though?”

“What?”

“When we were in Canada, some drunk guy tried to hit on me at the hotel bar and called me fat when I rejected him, and Benny tried to fight him. I got fucking pissed at him for it, but…”

“You liked that he wanted to protect you,” my brother finished my sentence.

I gave him a dopey smile. “Yeah.”

There was a knock on the door, and I glanced at Tristan, who nodded his head at me to go get it. I glared again and shouldn’t have been surprised when I opened it and saw my dad behind it. He muscled his way in with his gear bag and a stick. I went back into the kitchen to return to my coffee. Tristan tried to swipe the second cup, but I slapped his hand away.

“Get out of here,” I snapped.

“Glad to know I’m not the only one who has to endure that wrath,” I heard from behind me.

I beamed at Benny. He took the cup I offered him and drank a sip. “Ah, thanks, angel. I needed this.”