26. Noah
26
NOAH
I pace my apartment, the sound of my footsteps bouncing off the walls. My mind is a whirlwind of thoughts about Olivia. Liam and Ethan float around in there too. Every step seems to echo with confusion and frustration. I stop in front of my window, staring out at the city lights, my phone heavy in my hand.
I scroll to Liam's number, hesitating. My thumb hovers over the call button. This could go wrong in so many ways, but what the hell do I have to lose? I finally hit call, feeling a rush of adrenaline.
Liam answers on the second ring. "Yeah?"
I take a deep breath, steadying myself. "We need to talk. Can you come over?"
There's a pause on the other end before he responds. "Be there in an hour."
Liam arrives exactly an hour later. Punctual as always. The tension is palpable as we sit across from each other in my living room, the silence heavy with unspoken words.
“Alright let's state the obvious,” I finally blurt out, unable to hold it in any longer. “I have feelings for Olivia. Strong feelings. But I know you do too, and I don’t want to lose our friendship over this.”
I watch Liam’s face carefully, bracing for anger or betrayal. Instead, his shoulders sag with relief.
“I know. I’ve been feeling the same way,” Liam admits, running a hand through his dark hair. “I thought I was going crazy, feeling torn between my best friend and the woman I’m falling for.”
“So what do we do?” I ask, leaning forward. “We can’t both be with her.”
“Hell if I know,” he says, letting out a humorless laugh. “This is a mess.”
“Tell me about it,” I mutter, rubbing the back of my neck. “Every time I see her, it’s like everything else fades away. But then there’s you. And Ethan.”
Liam’s eyes narrow slightly at the mention of Ethan. “Yeah, he’s part of this too, isn’t he?”
“Whether we like it or not,” I say with a sigh. “He’s got feelings for her too.”
Liam leans back on the couch, crossing his arms over his chest. "Who knew Ethan had a soul."
I stifle a laugh. "Liam, you're a dick.
"My dick and I aren't on speaking terms right now. He's what got me into this situation." Liam retorts. “But seriously, what do we do now? Do we just step back and let him have her?”
“Fuck no,” I say firmly. “He's not anymore deserving of her that we are. But we can’t keep tearing each other apart either. Because if things don't work out with Olivia for any of us, the only thing we all three have to fall back on is hockey.”
Liam is silent for a moment, thinking it over. Finally, he nods slowly. “You’re right.
"So, my resolution is, when were on the ice, we worry about the damn ice. Then when were off it, well I don't give a shit what you worry about then."
Liam takes a swig of his beer. "Works for me."
We spend the next hour talking openly, the tension slowly easing with each passing minute. We talk about Olivia, her laugh, her determination, and the way she makes each of us feel alive. And for the first time, it almost seems like something isn't a competition between us. I feel the weight lifting off my shoulders as we laugh about old times, sharing memories of when life was simpler and our biggest worry was making the varsity team.
"Remember when Coach had us running laps for hours because you decided to moon the other team?" Liam chuckles, shaking his head.
I grin. "How could I forget? I thought he was going to bench me for life."
"You always had a knack for getting us into trouble," he says, his smile fading slightly. "And out of it."
The room grows quiet again, and I can see the wheels turning in Liam's head. He's always been the thinker, the planner. Me? I’m more of a doer.
"Liam," I start, hesitating before diving in. "There's something missing."
Liam tenses at the name, his jaw clenching. "What?"
"Ethan. He is just as much a part of this equation as we are." I say.
Liam's eyes narrow slightly. "Well shit, why didn't we think to invite him here for this therapeutic vent session."
I laugh, feeling the effect of the beers in my system.
"I needed to figure this out beforehand. He's a little intimidating."
Liam spews beer from his mouth. "You're ridiculous, he's all talk. Wait, are you scared he's going to beat your ass if you win her?
"Well hell no," I say quickly. "And she isn't a damn Stanley cup. But what if there's a way we can all win?"
Liam throws me a side eye. "Enlighten me genius."
"What if there was a way we could all have her, and all be happy and not try to kill each other."
Liam looks at me like I've grown another head. "You mean some kind of... arrangement?"
"Maybe," I say, feeling a spark of hope. "Look, it’s unconventional as hell, but we all care about her. And she cares about us too. Why not find a way to make it work?"
Liam leans back on the couch, rubbing his temples. "You realize how crazy this sounds, right?"
"Yeah," I admit with a chuckle. "But isn’t that what makes it worth trying? We’re stronger together, and so is she."
He’s silent for a long moment before finally nodding slowly. “We’d need to talk to Ethan.”
I nod in agreement. “And Olivia of course.”
Liam sighs deeply, running a hand through his hair again. “This is going to be one hell of a conversation.”
“Yeah,” I say with a grin, feeling lighter than I have in weeks. “But when have we ever shied away from a challenge?”
Liam’s lips twitch into a small smile. “Never.”
We sit in companionable silence for a moment longer before Liam stands up, clapping me on the shoulder.
“Alright,” he says decisively. “Let’s figure this out.”
I pull out my phone, fingers flying over the keys as I type a quick text to Ethan. “Meet us at the rink. We need to talk. It’s important.”
"What are you doing?" Liam asks.
"We're figuring it the fuck out." I say with a smile.
"Jesus Christ, impatient are we," he says with laugh.
Liam and I wait in the empty arena, the hum of the refrigeration system filling the silence. I glance at him, seeing the same tension in his eyes that I feel in my gut.
“You think he’ll actually show?” Liam asks, breaking the silence.
I shrug. “Only one way to find out.”
A few minutes later, Ethan walks in, his expression wary but curious. He’s got that brooding look, like he’s ready to bolt at any moment.
“What’s this about?” Ethan asks, crossing his arms.
Liam and I exchange a quick look before I step forward. “We need to talk about Olivia.”
Ethan’s eyes narrow slightly. “What about her?”
“We've already established we both don't want to lose her,” Liam starts, his voice steady but serious. “And we know you don't either.”
"Even though I think you don't have a soul." Liam interjects.
"What the hell?" Ethan asks, a look of confusion etched across his face.
"Just ignore his ass. He's had one too many."
Ethan’s jaw tightens, but he doesn’t say anything.
“So we were thinking,” I continue. “This situation is complicated as hell, but maybe there’s a way to make it work for all of us.”
Ethan raises an eyebrow, clearly skeptical. “You’re suggesting… what exactly?”
“An arrangement,” Liam says bluntly. “We all care about Olivia. She cares about us. Maybe she doesn't have to choose between us… and we don't have to choose between her and hockey.”
Ethan stares at us like we’ve lost our minds. For a moment, I think he’s going to laugh or punch us both in the face.
But instead, he surprises me by listening quietly as we explain our idea in more detail. When we finish, there’s a long silence.
Ethan finally speaks, his voice low and measured. “I never thought I’d say this, but… I’m in if you are.”
Relief floods through me. This might just work.
Liam nods slowly, a hint of a smile tugging at his lips. “Hell yes.”
Ethan looks between us, a rare smile breaking through his usually stern expression. “This is gonna be one hell of a ride.”
“No shit,” I say with a laugh, feeling lighter than I have in weeks.
Liam speaks up. "Let's hit the ice for a bit, I do my best thinking with a stick in my hands."
"Fucking neanderthal." Ethan mumbles as he heads towards the rink.
The ice beneath our skates feels almost soothing as we stand in the center, not moving, just talking. Liam crosses his arms over his broad chest, his eyes flicking between Ethan and me. It's a little awkward, but there's also a strange sense of camaraderie forming.
"So," Liam starts, breaking the silence. "How do we make this work without tearing each other apart?"
Ethan snorts, a smirk playing at the corners of his mouth. "That's the million-dollar question, isn’t it? I’m still wrapping my head around the fact that we’re even considering this."
I chuckle, feeling a bit of the tension ease. "Welcome to the club. But let’s be real, guys. Olivia's worth it."
Liam nods slowly. "Yeah, she is." He looks at Ethan, a hint of a challenge in his eyes. "You in for this? Really in?"
Ethan meets his gaze steadily. "I said I was, didn’t I? Besides," he adds with a wry grin, "it’s not like I have anything better to do."
I laugh outright at that, shaking my head. "Typical Reynolds."
Ethan shrugs, not denying it.
"So," I say, shifting gears, "ground rules?"
Liam raises an eyebrow. "Like what?"
"Like... communication," I suggest. "We need to be open about everything. No secrets."
Ethan nods in agreement. "And boundaries," he adds. "We can’t let this mess with our game or the team."
Liam scratches his chin thoughtfully. "Agreed. And no one outside this rink needs to know about this arrangement."
"Especially not Coach Bergman," I say with a grin. “Can you imagine his face?”
Liam laughs at that, the sound surprising me with its lightness. "He’d bench us all just for kicks."
Ethan smirks but then grows serious again. “One more thing,” he says quietly. “No getting possessive.”
We all fall silent at that, understanding the gravity of it.
“Agreed,” Liam says finally.
I nod too, feeling a new sense of resolve settle over us.
For the next hour, we talk about Olivia and how we each see our roles in this unusual arrangement working out. It's awkward at times but also liberating to put everything out in the open.
"I always thought she had this spark," I admit at one point, feeling oddly vulnerable but also relieved to share it with these two.
"Yeah," Liam agrees quietly. "She’s something special."
Ethan doesn’t say anything but nods thoughtfully.
As we finish up our conversation and head off the ice, I feel something new—a bond forming between us that’s stronger than any rivalry or past tension.
Maybe this crazy plan could actually work.
Maybe... just maybe... we've got something here worth fighting for together.
I look over at Liam and Ethan as we step off the rink, our skates crunching on the rubber mats leading back to the locker room.
"We should talk to Olivia together. Show her we're united in this."
Liam nods, his jaw set in determination. "Agreed. She needs to see we're serious about making this work."
Ethan, ever the brooding type, merely grunts his assent, but I catch the flicker of resolve in his dark eyes.
"Tomorrow then," I suggest, feeling a weight lift off my shoulders at the prospect of finally addressing this head-on.
Liam pulls out his phone, checking his schedule. "How about we meet her at that café she likes? The one near here."
Ethan crosses his arms, a hint of a smirk playing on his lips. "You mean the one with the overpriced coffee?"
"Yeah, that one," Liam says dryly. "Noah, you text her."
I pull out my phone and type a quick message to Olivia, feeling a strange mix of anticipation and nerves.
"Hey Liv,
Can we meet tomorrow at Jitters Café? Around 10 AM? There's something important we need to talk about."
I hit send and look up at Liam and Ethan. "Done. Now we just have to hope she says yes."
Liam gives me a reassuring nod while Ethan claps me on the shoulder. "She will," he says with surprising confidence.
"You know," I say with a grin, feeling lighter than I have in weeks, "this might just be the start of something good."
Liam claps me on the shoulder while Ethan smirks in agreement.
We leave the rink together, our steps echoing in unison down the empty corridors. As we reach the parking lot, I feel a sense of camaraderie with these two men who have become more than just teammates—they're part of something bigger now.