Page 107 of Pucking Good Girl

“I am?”

Becks nods. “Ever since we were little kids. Why do you think I wanted to skate and play hockey? Not because of Dad. It was because you did.”

Fuck. It’s been a long season and a long day. That must be why my emotions are all over the place. “Thank you, brother. You still took a huge risk for my sake. I don’t know if I would have done the same thing if the roles had been reversed.”

Again, Becks surprises me. “You’re wrong because you did. You risked something that was extremely important to you for my sake. Remember when we played that daring game? If you had read Sam’s name instead of Talia’s when it was your turn to pick from the hat, Talia and I would have never kissed. I would have never had the guts to pursue her since she was yours. And you could have told me to get lost when I knocked on your door that night. But you didn’t.”

“Ha!” I bark out a laugh. “I’m such an idiot. If I hadn’t done that, now I wouldn’t risk losing the woman I love.”

“There is something I need to ask you,” unlike me, Becks doesn’t feel the need to defuse a tense moment with laughter.

Right now he’s as serious as he is right before dropping his gloves and starting a fight on the ice. “Shoot.” I encourage him.

“Why did you do it? Why did you call Talia’s name during that game, and why did you let me into your room that night? Was it because you knew that Talia liked me too?”

I owe him total honesty. “It is. But it’s also because I saw the way you looked at her. I saw how crushed you were every time you saw her with me. What a mess, huh? Now one of us will have a front-row seat to watch the other get the future we both want. It’s going to suck.”

Becks sets that intense gaze on me for a long moment. “What if it didn’t have to suck?”

My heart picks up its pace. Does he mean what I think he means? “How?”

“Talia doesn’t know how to choose between us. I’m sure you’ve seen how sad she gets when we bring up that she’s going to have to make a choice. Did you see her tonight? She had our name on her back and both our numbers painted on her face. The message couldn’t be any clearer. Since she moved in with us, we’ve been able to make this work. With all three of us. We’ve loved her and protected her together a million times better than we could have ever done without each other. I think we should ask her to come to Seattle with both of us. Get a place together and be happy that we both found the one. That we’re both happy.”

“Yes,” I clasp his shoulder. “I know we’re going to kill it together in Seattle. But even if we didn’t, we’ll make sure our agent knows that we’re a package deal if our team ever decided to trade us.”

Becks hugs me tight. “Good thing that our agent wants what’s best for us before all else.”

When he releases me, I open the driver’s door. “Let’s go home and get our girl then, brother.”

CHAPTER 26

BECAUSE WE LOVE YOU

Talia

The noise of Macklin’s car parking outside alerts me that they’re back just as I apply some lip-gloss.

I’m ready to party at the Zeta House to celebrate the end of an amazing regular season. But the knot in the pit of my stomach tells a different story.

One of them was offered the contract they both wanted. That means that one of them just saw his dreams slashed by his own brother’s success.

I still have no idea how I’ll make a choice, but I know that tonight my place is next to the Shayba brother who wasn’t signed by Seattle.

Whether he wants to go to the party and drown his sorrows in the loud music and the free flowing booze, or sit at home in a dark room, I’ll be there with him.

That doesn’t mean that I’m not happy for the one who was offered the contract.

A sigh escapes me as I set down the lip-gloss. My heart is split in half, and whatever I do tonight, I’m letting down the man I love.

My only hope is that the one who won tonight will understand that his brother needs me more right now.

If you don’t choose soon, you might lose them both. You know that, right?

The voice in my head is right, but I don’t know what to do. I wish the universe could give me a small sign, anything to tell me what to do.

Time is running out, and I hope I have at least until tomorrow to make the choice that will rip my heart apart. Making life-altering decisions at a time when emotions are running high is the last thing I want to do.

I leave my room just as the front door opens.