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“Anything you want, peach.” Holt’s voice rises, “Yo, Tate!”

I lift my eyes from the menu to see Tate and his newest girl walk into the Pizzeria. His brows are high as he takes in the over-capacity restaurant. With a hand around his girl, he starts toward our table. Holt scoots me closer to Andy in the booth as Tate arrives with Leah.

“It’s packed in here.”

“We’ve got room,” Holt invites. I’ve noticed a visible change in Holt and Tate’s relationship since Tate has been with Leah. Holt is more relaxed. More friendly toward his brother. I love it for them. And Leah is super sweet.

I think she and Tate have a good chance at something long-term. That’s if Tate doesn’t find some reason to dump her like he did with all the rest. But unlike all the rest, Leah is sweet in a way that feels more like Tate. She’s not demanding and loud and over the top, which has always, oddly, been what Tate goes for. She’s even a little shy, so I lean around Holt and Tate to smile at her.

“Hey,” I call. When her eyes come to mine, she offers me a sweet smile. Like expected, it’s shy.

“Thanks for letting us join you.” She takes the menu Holt offers her. “I’m starving.”

“Yeah, the town is crawling with people,” I say.

“Game day,” Holt adds.

Tate smirks, but he claps a hand on Holt’s shoulder. “Already heard the Rubbles won.”

Holt’s grin drips confidence. “Brother, we always win.”

Tate can’t say otherwise. For the last two years, the Rubbles have been undefeated. They have a great team, but mostly, it’s because they have Holt. His talent is far superior to most talent I’ve seen on the ice since I started watching the game. I’ve already heard there’s some higher-ups keeping an eye on Holt.

“One day your confidence is going to bite you in the ass,” Tate warns. Leah makes a noise that sounds surprised, and she elbows Tate gently.

He kisses her temple, and her shy smile stretches.

My heart warms. I love her for him.

I don’t expect it when Tate’s sea-glass green eyes slam into mine. I don’t expect everything that swirls inside them. I can’t help but fix my attention once again on the menu.

“I’m thinking something cream based.”

Holt’s hand drifts absently up and down my arm. I snuggle deeper into him as Kevin says something to Jenna that has Shyanne’s full lips turning down in a frown. When she sees me watching, her spine snaps straight and she shoots me a glare.

I look away. Andy leans close to whisper, “Someone is pissed.”

“What’s new?”

I point at the menu, blinking up at Holt. “This one. It has cream sauce, chicken and bacon.”

Holt kisses the tip of my nose. I didn’t even realize there were still pieces of my heart he had yet to claim for his own, but I feel it break off and float through the ether of my soul straight to him.

“Sounds great, baby.”

“I love you.” The words just spill from me. Heat flushes my face, but Holt doesn’t leave me hanging as he returns, “I love you most.”

Yeah, I have an amazing boyfriend.

One day, I’m going to marry this boy.

20

UNLIKELY ALLIANCES

2008 – 16 YEARS OLD

The sob sounds mid-pee and I flinch as the stall door next to me slams shut. It slams shut so hard, the entire line of stalls quivers. I keep peeing, wipe, and flush all to the sounds of terrible, gut-wrenching sobs.