Total pages in book: 96
Estimated words: 97767 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 489(@200wpm)___ 391(@250wpm)___ 326(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 97767 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 489(@200wpm)___ 391(@250wpm)___ 326(@300wpm)
“Not for the amount of money they’re paying me,” I mutter, leaning back against the counter.
Nova rolls her eyes, hopping up to sit on the edge of the counter like she owns the place.
“Boo-hoo, Mr. Million-Dollar Contract. Poor you, with your fancy penthouse and fancy sparkling water. The world must be so hard.”
“It’s not about the money,” I snap. “It’s about the team. They’re counting on me to deliver, and I’m—”
“—Human,” she interrupts. “You said it’s not about the money, but you’re acting like the weight of the world is on your shoulders. Gio—it’s a game. You’re not curing cancer.”
“Not the point,” I say through gritted teeth, but she cuts me off again.
“No, you’re missing the point,” she says, leaning forward. “You can’t carry the team on your own. That’s not how hockey works. You’re one guy, and last time I checked, there are five other dudes on the ice with you at all times. Maybe let them share some of the load, huh?”
I hate that she’s right.
She sees the look on my face and grins. “There it is. The face of someone realizing his brilliant sister knows what she’s talking about.”
I shake my head, but a reluctant smile tugs at the corner of my mouth. “Brilliant might be pushing it.”
“Admit it,” she teases, kicking her legs playfully then hops down from the counter. “You’d be a total mess without me.”
“Debatable,” I say, grabbing the bag of gummy bears and tossing it at her. She catches it with ease, ripping it open like it’s her reward for a job well done.
She chews on a gummy bear, grabs several more, then heads toward my living room.
“Not to make you feel shittier,” she singsongs. “But I met one of your fans tonight—she wasn’t exactly thrilled with your performance.”
I freeze, halfway to grabbing the remote. “Shocker. Someone is pissed I shit the bed.”
“This girl was roasting you so hard I thought about ordering marshmallows,” Nova fires back, her grin stretching ear to ear.
That actually makes me laugh, despite myself.
I sink onto one end of the sofa, stretching my legs out as Nova clicks on the television, amused by her own joke.
“She had the whole bar laughing,” she continues, scrolling through streaming options as if her words weren’t making my nostrils flare. “During the third period she did an impression of you flailing in the goal and I almost fell off the barstool.”
“Which bar?” I sit up straighter.
“The one on the corner,” she says nonchalantly, still not looking up from the screen. “I think it’s called Five Alarm.”
Ahh. That bar.
Nova’s answer only makes me more suspicious. “What were you doing at a bar on a game night?”
She pauses, peeking at me with an innocent smile that’s anything but innocent. “Watching the game, obviously.”
“Nova.” My tone is heavy with warning.
“What?” she says, feigning confusion. “I like to support my brother. Is that a crime?”
“It is when you’re doing it from a bar instead of the arena?” I ask tersely. “You have family tickets, Nova. Expensive ones.”
As a matter-of-fact, the seats she usually sits in are against the glass and the most sought after seats in the arena. So the nights she doesn’t show up, they remain empty and could be sold for hundreds of dollars.
More so when the team is on a winning streak, or those years we’re in the finals.
She shrugs, her attention drifting back to the television. “I wasn’t in the mood to be at the arena tonight. Too many people, too much noise. You know how it is.”
“That’s it?”
Another shrug. “Maybe?”
I pause.
Wait.
Something’s off and I know her well enough to sense it.
“Fine!” she bursts out, throwing her hands in the air. “If you must know, I was there to meet a date, but he stood me up.”
I blink back my surprise.
“You’re kidding.”
“Nope,” she says with exaggerated cheerfulness. “The guy bailed, without bothering to text. So I ended up at the bar alone, which was more entertaining than the date probably would’ve been.”
“Nova…” I trail off, not sure what to say.
My sister doesn’t do vulnerability.
She’s the type to brush everything off with a joke, and hearing her admit to something like this feels weirdly…raw.
“Don’t.” She holds up a hand to stop me. “I don’t need your pity, Gio. It’s not a big deal.”
“Not a big deal?” I repeat, my voice rising. “The guy didn’t even show up! Who the hell does that?”
Cocksucking loser.
“Apparently he does.” I see the flicker of hurt in her eyes before she looks away.
My hands clench into fists, the protective older brother in me roaring to the surface.
“What’s his name? I want to beat his ass!” Give me something to do with this pent-up aggression.
She snorts, shaking her head. “Like I’m going to tell you. I don’t need you going full hockey enforcer on some guy who’s not worth my time. I know Gio, you don’t have to lecture me.”