Chapter 44 Briar
Briar
“Blake is on fire tonight,” Anna says.
She and Poppy are sitting next to me as we watch the Hollis U men’s hockey team take on North Dakota.
“He is,” Poppy says. “He already scored one goal, and it’s not even halfway through the first period.”
I try to hide my smile. I keep thinking about what Blake said the other day—that for every goal he scores this game, I get an orgasm.
My pussy is already aching. I cross my legs and clear my throat.
“Yeah, he’s looking great tonight,” I say, thankful my voice sounds normal, despite how turned on I am just thinking this sexy secret game we’re playing.
Anna bumps my shoulder. She wags her eyebrows at me. “So. How are things between you and Blake going? I’m guessing since we haven’t seen you much these past few weeks, you two made up…and he’s making it up to you in the bedroom too?”
I’m blushing hard as I smile. Things have been so busy with school and work and Blake that this is the first time Anna, Poppy, and I have gotten to spend time together, just the three of us.
Poppy shakes her head at Anna. “Sorry my best friend is so nosy,” she says.
“It’s okay.” I smile down at my lap. “Things with Blake and me are really, really good.”
“Aww look at how much you’re blushing,” Anna says. “Don’t worry. I’m nosy, but I won’t pester you for details,” Anna says.
“I’m really happy,” I say.
I watch Blake race across the ice as he chases after the puck.
“Blake’s amazing. He’s been so patient with me. We go at my pace. He prioritizes me in every way.”
Anna lifts an eyebrow. “In every way?” she asks.
I bite back a giddy grin and nod. Anna grabs my hand, softly squealing. Poppy smiles.
“He’s so generous,” I say quietly. “I think he gets off on getting me off.”
“Good man,” Anna says. Poppy nods along.
“So is it official?” Poppy asks. “Are you two together?”
I shake my head. “I told him I wanted to take things slowly. My breakup with my ex was pretty rough, and I don’t want to rush into anything. I just want to have fun for a while.”
They both say they understand completely.
“But, um, honestly? It’s hard to think of Blake as just my friend who I fool around with. It feels so much deeper than that.”
“Probably because you have such a long history with each other,” Poppy says.
I nod. “Sometimes, I want more. I want him to be my boyfriend.” My nerves kick up.
That’s the first time I’ve said that out loud.
“But part of me is scared that if we do become boyfriend and girlfriend, something might go wrong, we’ll break up, things between us will be weird and tense, and I’ll lose him forever. ”
I feel sick just thinking about that.
Poppy grabs my hand. “I understand. That’s scary for sure.”
Anna hesitates like she’s about to say something.
I look at her. “What?”
“Look, I get it. It’s scary to think of what you could lose if you go from best friends to a couple. But sometimes doing scary things is worth it because the payoff is that good. You might be missing out on something because you let your fear call the shots.”
I’m quiet as I think about the way Anna explains it.
“Sorry, I don’t mean to oversimplify or tell you what to do,” she says.
“It’s okay. I’m glad you put it that way. It helps to get out of my head and talk to good friends like you guys.”
Anna’s smile is warm as she looks at me. She turns back to the ice and looks at Travis in the net. “I was really scared when Travis and I started seeing each other.”
“You were?” I ask.
“Oh, yeah. We spent our entire childhoods despising each other. For years, we couldn’t talk to each other without arguing.
But then, one night, the guys were having a huge birthday party for Travis at their house.
A ton of people showed up. I was going after some other guy and grabbed him and kissed him in the dark in their garage.
That guy turned out to be Travis. We hooked up, and it was a random mix-up. ”
I gasp. “No way!”
Anna chuckles and tucks a chunk of her long, chocolate-brown hair behind her ears.
“Yup. I had the hottest makeout of my life with a guy I hated. We were both pretty freaked out. We swore it would never happen again. But it did. Over and over. And pretty soon, in between hooking up, we were hanging out with each other and getting to know each other in a way we never had before. We both caught feelings. But I was scared to get into a relationship with him because I’d been burned by guys before.
And he was my brother’s best friend. If things went belly up between Travis and me, it would have changed the dynamic between all of us forever. ”
I stare at her, stunned at how much was at stake in their relationship.
“But what we had was amazing,” she says, gazing adoringly at Travis.
When he turns around to grab his water bottle, he catches eyes with Anna and winks at her. She smiles, her heart in her eyes as she looks at her boyfriend.
“It was definitely a big risk to be with Travis,” she says. “But it was worth it. Now he’s my best friend, and the guy I want more than anyone in this world. I wasn’t going to let fear stand in the way of my happiness.” She turns to Poppy. “You took a similar risk dating my brother.”
Poppy nods. “Yeah, I guess I did. If things hadn’t worked out with Nick and me, that could have ruined my friendship with you.
At the very least, things would have been awkward.
But I could feel that Nick and I had something special, and I wanted to take it all the way.
It was a crazy risk, no question. So much was at stake.
But it was worth it. My boyfriend is my best friend’s twin brother. We’re all so close. It’s perfect.”
Anna gives her arm an affectionate squeeze.
Both Poppy and Anna’s words linger in my head, even as we focus back on the game. I didn’t know they took such risks with their relationships.
I watch Blake, my heart aching in my chest.
He’s my best friend. He’s the guy I want more than anyone or anything. The thought of losing him wrecks me…but maybe that means what we’d have together would be incredible.
A North Dakota player takes a shot at Travis, but he blocks it with his stick. Everyone in the stands cheers.
The puck goes flying into the boards. Nick snatches it and heads across the ice. Blake is behind him, watching his teammate’s moves.
A North Dakota defenseman is in Nick’s way, so he can’t get a clean shot toward the net.
He knocks it back to Blake, who manages an impressive wrist shot that lands in the top part of the net.
The goal buzzer sounds, and everyone in the stands is on their feet. I’m jumping up and down, cheering for him.
His teammates surround him to celebrate his goal. When they break apart, Blake finds me in the crowd. That handsome grin splits his face. Then he holds up two gloved fingers and winks at me.
I’m smiling like an idiot and blushing like crazy.
I think about playing this sexy secret game at all of his games. I think about wearing his jersey. I think about being his girlfriend.
A warm feeling burrows in my chest. In this moment, I don’t feel fear or panic.
Everything feels right.