Falling For My Brothers Rival

h's

o kinds of games a

ended with som

media pretending they were disapp

llen somewhere

ans were still chanting, reporters were crowding the tunnels, and every sports channel in the country

the collision. Neither of

ing it onto the wooden bench before running a hand through my

won.

g. They would only remember another chapter in the nev

mebody," my teammate Liam Carter said,

it enough pe

skates. "Reporters are waiting outs

no, I'm not giving t

met two people who enjoy making each ot

n't en

ve fool

in carrying a tablet. "Good game, gentlemen."

gerated groans. "Ooh," Liam tease

I knocked on Coach

me

e and closed th

ms folded. "You know

ng this is

sighed and slid a fo

Winter Hearts

on confirmed yo

eady a

esitated. "I'd like one weekend where I don't have to answer p

e profe

hope so." I s

moment. "Don't let th

t need to explain what he mean

league certainly didn't. The media had buried

bered. Ever

you Mond

familiar weight settled onto my shoulders ag

ades. The moment they spotted me, microphones appeared from eve

The game was competi

he rivalry has

he reporter. "It becam

ver opened the SUV door before anyone else could stop me. The

eady sitting in the passenger s

't tryi

let in hand. "You're trending. The clip of you

humor. "The inte

conflict e

y thing people associated with my name anymore. Nobody asked about the charity work, or the foundation I'd s

usting after enough years passed. Sometimes I couldn't

another memory forced

tanding beside him. The three of us talking about the future like nothing bad could ever happen. For a

made it. The third nev

tonight. I wasn't

than's voice

m f

't believe me,

ue to worsening weather forecasts, all guests were encouraged to arrive a day

lying that I would leave f

over. "Every

xpecting a

still

them m

lding. As I stepped onto the s

oa

the entrance was a woman

r dark hair moving gently in the cold evening br

doing here. Then I noticed another veh

u really enjoy provoking

ening to

arted another

your brother hitti

f you hadn't been r

"You weren't

and I've heard enoug

ersion, I'm

as en

mself with quiet intensity, Sophia wore every emotion openly across her face.

o judge someone you've spoke

bad idea to slam peopl

tional

atically. "You'

en calle

rner of her mouth twitch, as though

rest

another word, Mason appeared o

oward him. "

y turned cold. Neither of us spoke. We didn't need

to me before shaking her head.

us could respond. I watched her

You know who that was, rig

otic

us look. "Forget what

thinking

er." He laughed.

d headed toward my

e world. Sophia Blake was the one

after I closed my apartment door behind me, I co

ling that wouldn't be the