Total pages in book: 56
Estimated words: 54056 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 270(@200wpm)___ 216(@250wpm)___ 180(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 54056 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 270(@200wpm)___ 216(@250wpm)___ 180(@300wpm)
Alice loops her arm through mine, laying her head against mine. “Don’t even worry about it, girl. He’ll be fine once he gets used to the idea of you and Archer dating.”
“Yeah.” I bite my lip, battling back the urge to blurt out that we got married in Vegas. I haven’t told a single soul, and secrets are not friends. Specifically, they aren’t my friends. I’m terrible at keeping them! But this one has to be kept. At least for now. At least until Micah has time to get used to the idea of us.
“Let’s go wish them good luck and find our seats,” Emilia suggests.
My stomach trembles but I nod anyway.
The three of us make our way down the hall toward the locker room. Emilia hums to herself, but Alice is quiet at my side.
“You’re quiet tonight.” I peek over at her to find her lips turned down, a faraway look on her face.
“What? Oh.” She waves a dismissive hand. “I’m fine. Just a lot on my mind.”
“Team stuff?” Emilia and Nash are sleeping together behind Coach Lariat’s back. Logan is losing it over a woman he just met. Who knows who else is causing her stress? They constantly keep her busy. If one of them isn’t up to something, another is.
“Yeah, something like that.”
The way she says it makes me think it’s not team stuff at all, but I don’t pry. If she wanted me to know, she’d tell me. But I do squeeze her arm, shooting her a sympathetic smile.
“Whatever it is, it’ll work out,” I murmur.
“Yeah.” She sighs before pasting a bright smile on her face. “And so will this thing between Archer and Micah. Just give it time.”
Easy for her to say. She’s not the reason the two men she loves most in the world may end up hating each other. And she won’t be responsible if it rips the whole team apart. That’d be me, party of one.
“Wren!”
I groan internally as Micah’s sharp voice cuts across the hallway. When I glance up, he’s stomping toward me, his face set and his brown eyes narrowed. He looks mad as hell.
“Crap,” I whisper.
“Good luck.” Alice squeezes my arm and then gently untangles her arm from mine. Her and Emilia disappear, leaving me to face my brother alone.
“Hey,” I mutter when he reaches me.
“Hey? I’ve been trying to call you since yesterday,” he growls.
“I know.” I meet his gaze, stealing myself for this battle. “I’ve been ignoring you. You don’t get to make demands like I’m four, and expect me to obey, Micah.”
He looks at my jersey, his lips compressing into a thin line. “You’re wearing his jersey. Are you fucking him?”
“Keep your voice down!” I snap. “And what happens between the two of us is our business, not yours.”
“Jesus Christ. You are fucking.” He pinches the bridge of his nose, grinding his back teeth together.
“What if we are?” I glare up at him, my arms crossed. Defiant. “That’s my business, Micah!”
Archer emerges from the locker room, his eyes immediately coming to me. He takes a step like he’s going to come over here, but I quickly shoot him a look, silently pleading for him to wait. I need to handle this one on my own. And Micah is mad enough already. The last thing I need is them coming to blows right before their game.
He jerks his head in a nod, letting me know he understands. But he doesn’t go back inside the locker room. He just stands there…patiently waiting. Watching over me.
I want to cry. How did we mess everything up so badly that Micah is mad at us both and Archer’s worried about leaving me alone with my own brother? None of this was supposed to happen!
“You’re fucking my captain—my best friend—and you don’t think it’s my business? You used to tell me everything, Wren,” Micah says. “Now, I have to hear it from him instead.”
Guilt rips through me. He’s right. Once upon a time, I did tell him everything. And then I fell for Archer. Now, I can’t talk to him because he’s the reason I’ve hidden it for so damn long. He’s the reason I felt like I had to pretend it wasn’t happening. And that’s not really his fault. He’s never been anything short of the most amazing brother to me. But I almost died, and he’s felt guilty ever since. It screwed everything up.
Or maybe I’m the one screwing everything up. Maybe I’m trying so damn hard to please everyone that I’m not being fair to anyone. I don’t know anymore. It seemed so simple when Archer and I were in that bed in Vegas. No one would find out. No one would get hurt.
But that was before I knew Archer feels the same damn way I do. It’s not simple and uncomplicated now. It’s not just their friendship on the line or my relationship with Micah. It’s my heart and Archer’s too. Don’t our needs and hopes and dreams and feelings deserve consideration in all of this?