Page 104 of Puck Yes
Goodbye, trash talk. Hello, real talk. “Well, here’s the thing. I’m seeing Hayes,” I begin, and he gives me a look likeI’m not surprised, then I hold up a hand and add, “And Stefan.”
Ryker blinks, confusion crossing his blue eyes, which is all kinds of ironic. “Wait. Both—”
Before he can sayat the same time, I say, “Yes.”
Five minutes later, he’s cracking up, his forehead in his hand. When he lifts his face, he says, “Was it something in the water when we were kids?”
“Clearly,” I say.
“Like brother, like sister,” Grandma says.
Ryker stops laughing and fixes me with a serious stare. “But if either of them hurts you, I will kill them. Also, athletes can be trouble.”
My grandmother snorts. “Ryker, are you a self-loathing athlete? Do you think athletes make terrible boyfriends?”
“No. But imagine how bad it’ll be when something goes wrong,” he says evenly.
“Bad for team morale?” I ask.
“That. But mostly bad for Hayes’s face,” Ryker says, his tone so dry I can’t truly tell if he’s serious. “And Stefan’s.”
I laugh. But only a little. “You don’t mean that.”
He drags a hand across his beard, his gaze softening. “Look, I don’t trust most people. I especially don’t trust guys.”
I nod, understanding him implicitly.
“Mom stuck around too long because she was afraid to leave. I don’t want that happening to you,” he adds, full of concern.
I get where he’s coming from. But I have to make my own choices. “I trust them,” I say.
That’s a little terrifying to say and a little wonderful at the same time.
My grandmother smiles genuinely. “Good. That’s what matters most.”
So is the fact that I simply don’t have to make any decisions about the future of my relationship today. But soon, I will.
41
HER MEN
Hayes
“I need a photo of this. You two look like twins.” The declaration comes from Ivy as she enters the kitchen from the bedroom that weekend, smirking at me, then at Stefan.
“We do not,” I say, plucking at my newish burgundy golf shirt.
Stefan stares down at his navy one, scoffing. “If we do, it’s because you dressed us, sweetheart. You picked out these clothes.”
“And I had fun,” she says, squaring her shoulders as she closes the distance between us. She bought me this shirt yesterday, since I didn’t have one that fit. I’ve bulked up over the summer and haven’t grabbed a new one yet. “And you both look good.”
She smooths a hand over the collar of my shirt even though it doesn’t need smoothing. I stare at her hand on me. Looks too fucking right. Feels too good. Too bad she stops to tap her finger against her lips. “Maybe I should even do a new post titledHow to find a sexy golf outfit secondhand. Pretty clothes for—”
She stops short. I can hearmy menforming on her lips, but then she swallows it.
I glance over at Stefan, and something warm sparks in my chest. Not for him, of course. But for…I’m not sure. Maybe moments like this? With the three of us together? Is that what I’m longing for?
Maybe.