Page 197 of While You Were Trending

“And your shampoo. You buy the expensive stuff.”

I’m shaking my head as I finally join Ginny on the bed, coffee in hand for her.

She kisses me before she takes it, much to Zander’s horror.

“Did you miss your window?” Ginny asks me as her eyes twinkle in my brother’s direction.

“For the rink?”

“Yes.”

“No, but I can do it some other?—”

I cut myself off as she lifts a brow, and I have to duck my head to avoid the silentstop being a martyr, that’s my jobradiating off of her.

“Goddess, Ginny, don’t look soloud,” Zander says as he digs under the bed, coming up with one shoe.

Ginny smiles as she shakes her head at him. “Apologies, your dramaticness.”

“I’ll forgive you this time.”

“Are you sure you love him?” she asks me.

“He gives good birthday presents,” I reply.

And when he doesn’t have a new audience, he’s the easiest person in the world to talk to about anything.

The first person to pop off with insults against anyone who looks at me wrong.

And my biggest hockey fan.

Even bigger than our parents.

He gave me the sixth degree in the half hour between us arriving at the hotel and Ginny and Lou following last night, demanding to know how my heart was, how my head is, and what he can do to convince Ginny that I loveher, not the idea of her, not the things she does for everyone around her, buther.

“It’s true,” Zander says while Lou hands him his other shoe. “I’m afabulousgift-giver. It’s my only redeeming quality.”

“You have the second-best voice in your family too,” Ginny says to him.

He blinks at her, then back at me, while I fall even harder for this woman.

She shrinks. “Did I?—”

“Oh no, hon, you didn’t say anything wrong,” he says softly. “You said something exactly right.”

She looks at me, then back at Zander, then back to me.

“He’s always been second best at everything,” Zander says. “But you see what he’s first at.”

“Second best?” she asks me. “Atwhat?”

“Hockey, personality, grades, sponsorships,” Lou checks off.

“What the actualfuckare all of you talking about?” Ginny demands. “He playedprofessionalhockey, he has thebestpersonality, he’sincrediblysmart, and who needs sponsorships when you have the biggest social media following of any sports figure in the world?”

“Maleathlete,” Lou says. “That lady rugby player is huge on socials.”

“And Cooper Rock’s following is bigger,” Zander says. “You know, the baseball player who married Waverly Sweet? World’s biggest pop star?”