Page 32 of Cheap Shot

“Whyyyy?”

“You do know Crawford does this on purpose, right?” Connor said, giving Tanner a pointed look. “Just to wind you up. If youcould chill out for twenty fucking minutes, he might tell you something.”

Jesse snorted. “That’s hilarious that you think Tanner iscapableof chilling for twenty minutes.”

Tanner let out a huff. “Fuck you.”

“Sorry, already taken,” Jesse said, sidling closer to Connor and pressing a kiss to his cheek.

Anker shot them a look. “I can’t believe I’m saying this, but I think I’m with Tanner on this one. You couples are getting really obnoxious.”

He looked pointedly toward another table where Kady made out with his girlfriend, Mandy, and Rafe and Mickey were deep in conversation, lost in their own little bubble. Through the crowd, Luke could see Thad and Graham waiting at the bar for drinks, Thad’s arms around Graham’s waist, his chin hooked on his shoulder.

Tanner held up his hand for a high five. Anker rolled his eyes but obliged.

Tanner leaned forward, frowning at Anker. “So, you’re ace, right?”

He nodded. “Yes.”

“And you’re not into sexorromance, right?”

“Right. Asexual and aromantic.”

Tanner shook his head like he’d just started speaking a different language. “I respect it, dude, but man I donotget it.”

“No one said youhadto,” Anker pointed out.

“Yeah, but I just wanna understand.”

Anker shrugged. “I think about hockey and friends. I have hobbies. I just don’t need someone else in my life in a romantic way to make it feel complete. It’s not for me.”

“Huh,” Tanner said, still shaking his head. “Wild.”

“I dunno, I get the aromantic thing, I guess,” Luke admitted. He liked his life just the way it was. Hockey, his quiet house, his vintage car, his Harley … he didn’t fucking need anyone messing with that shit. “The no-relationships thing makes perfect sense to me.”

Anker shot him a grateful look.

“You’re on your own with the asexual shit though,” Luke said with a laugh. “ThatI don’t get.”

Anker huffed.

Tanner squinted at Luke. “You’ve really never been in love?”

“I dunno. I guess once I thought I was but … didn’t work out. Didn’t break my heart.”

To be honest, after Autumn left, he’d been more crushed by not seeing her kid, Layla, than losing her. Layla had been agreatkid. He hadn’t minded the thought of being a stepdad so much.

The thought of being someone’s husband gave him the heebie-jeebies.

“I like my life the way it is.”

“But do you really neverwanta person to fall in love with?Ever?” Tanner asked, sounding aghast. “I mean, I don’t wanna settle downnow, but, you know,somedayit’ll be cool.”

Luke shrugged. “I dunno. I never really think about it.”

“But …” Tanner sputtered. “How?”

Luke drained his beer and stood. “Aaand that’s enough of that.”