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twenty-eight
DAMN HE’S FINE
The energy in the arena alone is enough to show me how different this game is compared to the one I went to before. The closer we got to the start time, the louder and more raucous the seats around us have gotten.
Sitting between Isla and Baylor’s mom is a whole new experience in and of itself. I may have chosen a different jersey to wear had I known how much time I would end up spending with his mom. I could see the confusion in her eyes when she saw me, but at least she didn’t ask. I have a feeling I have Baylor’s dad to thank for that. He’s a much more soft-spoken man who easily blends into the background of his chaotic family, allowing his wife and children to take center stage, but he is excellent at redirecting his wife or silencing his boys with a single look. It’s a trick I should really learn to use on Baylor.
His brothers on the other hand, were all amused and told me they couldn’t wait for Baylor’s reaction when he’d see me after the game. Isla, who is used to my antics, just rolled her eyes and told them not to encourage me. Not that I need any. Seeing Baylor’s flustered reaction is enough to spur me on. Not to mention the ways he’ll attempt to get back at me.
“He deserves it for all the names he calls Potato,” I defend.
Xander turns around from where he’s sitting in front of me, a confused expression on his face. “Who’s Potato?” he asks.
I arch a brow at him. He’s been hanging around more and more frequently and I know there’s a story there, but not one anyone wants to openly talk about. Either way, I’ve started to get to know him and he’s not one to participate in most conversations, let alone interjecting into one he wasn’t a part of.
“When did you even get here?” I ask, surprised to see his face.
His gaze roves over me and a huge grin spreads over his face as he sees the number on my arm. “You’re a shit stirrer.”
I shrug. “Takes one to know one.”
His smile drops into a smirk as he nods his agreement. “I can’t wait to see Tate’s reaction.”
I click my tongue, studying him. This is kind of our first real conversation, but I’ve gotten so accustomed to seeing his face, it feels like I know him more than I actually do. “Not Baylor’s?”
He shrugs, turning his body more towards me while both teams finish up their warmups on the ice. “He’ll think it’s funny because he knows you’re fucking with him on purpose.” Okay, yeah. Fair enough. It’s not like I actually expected Baylor to be mad about it. “Tate, on the other hand,” he continues, “won’t expect it and that man has been known to blush.”
My mouth parts open in shock. “Really? That’s kind of hot.”
Baylor’s mom nudges me with her elbow. “Baylor is quite the blusher as well.”
Isla snorts at my side and Dylan and his twin–not Beckett, fuck. What was his name again? Ah, got it. Jackson. Dylan and Jackson whoop with laughter behind me. Beckett leans forward to press his face between me and his mom, nodding his agreement. “Baby Bay is definitely known to blush. Especially if you tell him he looks pretty in a dress.”
A wicked smile comes over my face and I open my mouth to say something about when he’s called a good boy, but a handwraps around my mouth quickly before I have the chance to. “Ah, no!” Isla yells. “Don’t even think about it, Ryn. That’s his mother!”
Oh right. I forgot what is and isn’t appropriate to say in front of parental figures. My grandma is kind of a raunchy old lady. Probably all those bodice ripper romance novels she loves to read. When she heard about Baylor, she only cared about seeing shirtless pictures of him.
Baylor’s mom probably doesn’t want to hear about that. I nod, closing my mouth and Isla slowly releases me. “Baylor owes me so much for this,” she silently curses.
“So who’s Potato?” Xander asks again as a girl pushes him out of her way and drops into the seat beside him with a groan.
“I can not believe you’re forcing me to sit here with you like I need to be babysat.” She huffs out an irritated sigh, adjusting in her seat before giving him a bewildered look. “And why are you talking about potatoes?”
Xander turns slightly toward the little blonde bombshell with one dark brow arched. “I wasn’t,” he answers almost coldly, looking over her. “And take it up with your brothers if you’re that upset about it.”
“Damn, Xander,” I whistle. “No need to be such a dick.”
The girl turns to look at me with the most shocking wide blue-green eyes I’ve ever seen, framed by long lashes that give her an innocent doe-eyed look. “Right?” she laments. “It’s like it’s a part of his DNA.” She shakes her head. “You’d think after not seeing me for two years, you’d be a little nicer, but no.” The way she drags out the last work makes my lip twitch, but the way Xander shifts uncomfortably in his seat makes me want to pull out my phone and take a video to show Baylor later. “God forbid you be nice to your best friend’s baby sister or she may get the wrong idea and start to annoy you.”
“You do have a history of being annoying,” he argues, making her wide eyes narrow at him. She kind of reminds me of Karma and I almost expect her to start hissing at him.
“And you have a history of being rude.”
He groans, muttering something to himself under his breath before looking back at me. “Will you just tell me who Potato is?”
“My cat,” I finally answer, not that it’s really my fault it took so long to give an answer. Xander has a hard time sticking to one topic apparently.
“I thought his name was Ruffles?”
