“I thought he used a condom.”
Liam jumped up out of the chair. “He didn’t use a fucking condom? I assumed it broke. This just gets better and better.”
“Look, it was a miscommunication.”
He shook his head. “Stop covering for him.”
“I’m not! And what is your problem with him, anyway? He’s your best friend.”
“We live and travel together. I’ve seen too much. The guy’s never with a woman more than once.”
“He’s been with me more than once.”
He glared at me. “I don’t want to hear it, okay?”
“What? You’d prefer to think I don’t have sex? Aren’t we closer than this? More real with each other?”
“I just don’t want to picture you being one of his many conquests.”
“You’re not being fair to him. He’s been amazing through this whole thing. He’s the kindest, most supportive man I’ve ever been with.”
Liam arched his brows but said nothing.
“You know he’s a good guy. I know you do. Otherwise, he wouldn’t be your best friend.”
“I just don’t want to see you get hurt, Charlie.” He sank back into the recliner he’d stood up from. “I know Bennett will do right by his kid, but how can I know he’ll do right by you when I haven’t known him to commit to a woman in the two years I’ve known him?”
“We aren’t getting married or anything. Things are still really early with us.”
Liam’s face fell. “He didn’t even ask you to marry him?”
“No! What, just because I’m pregnant? It’s not 1950, Liam.”
“I just want the best for you.”
“I know you do, and I love you for that. I’m happy, Liam. Happier than I’ve been in a really long time. Bennett and I are good and I’m excited about our baby. Please just be happy for me. For both of us.”
He exhaled deeply. “I don’t think I can be happy about this right now.”
“Do you know something I don’t?” My stomach churned nervously as soon as the question was out. “Is Bennett still seeing other women?”
“No. He’d have a lot more than a sprained wrist right now if he was.”
“Just try, okay? Try to see the good in him. There’s so much there.”
“I’ll always be here for you,” Liam said, glossing over my question. “And my niece or nephew, too.”
“I’ll always be here for you, too. But I’ll be deeply disappointed if you don’t stop being so pigheaded. This isn’t about a teammate screwing your sister. It’s about much more now. Try to see that.”
I stood and carried Bennett’s laundry into his bedroom, setting it on his bed. His leather and cologne smell lingered in the room and I felt a pang for him. It would feel so good to sink against his chest right now and feel his arms wrapped around me.
He was sitting out tonight’s Flyers home game, wearing plain clothes in the stands. I was going with him and he was staying at my place after. Hopefully, some time away from Liam would help cool him off.
Bennett was right; I had too few loved ones to be estranged from my brother. This had to blow over, one way or another.
Bennett
The locker room was too quiet tonight. Something was up. And the timing sucked, because after sitting last night out, I was fired up to play hard.
Killian sat down next to me on the bench and started wrapping his stick.
“So. You and Liam’s sister, huh?”
“Yep.”
“I’ve got to admit, you’re the last guy I’d have thought would hook up with a teammate’s sister.”
I sighed heavily. “I didn’t know she was his sister when I slept with her.”
“No shit?”
“No shit.”
He looked up from his stick and grinned. “He failed to mention that part.”
“That’s a real nice dick punch. I’ll have to thank him for that.”
“You know how he is. Ready, fire, aim. He’ll come around.”
I looked around the locker room. No one would make eye contact with me.
“Everyone knows, then?”
“Probably.”
I stood up. “Hey, assholes, I didn’t know she was his sister.”
Everyone looked at me.
“I didn’t fucking know,” I said again. “I wasn’t trying to be a prick or anything. And I really like her. Not one of you can say you’ve seen me so much as look at another woman in the past few months.”
“Relax, man,” Killian said, standing up next to me.
“That fucker’s got everyone pissed at me.”
“No, you did that yourself,” Liam said from behind me.
“Personally, I think it’s great,” Shuck said. “Congratulations, Bennett. You’ll be a great dad.”
I just stared for a second, taken aback by our awkward goalie standing up for me. “Thanks, man.”
Liam tried to stare Shuck down, but he just stared back.
“Yeah,” Killian said to me. “Congrats, brother. I’m happy for you.”
“This is bullshit,” Liam muttered.
“You guys naming the kid Bennett Junior?” Killian asked.
Liam’s nostrils flared. “Enough. I will fuck up the next person who says a word about this.”
Killian didn’t take well to being pushed around since he was our team captain. He stood chest to chest with Liam.