Page 143 of Chasing Hope

Grayson skates over, stopping beside me, ice spraying my legs. “You good, Valenti?” he asks, his eyes wary as he assesses me. “You and Caleb were out of sync today. Is everything all right?”

It’s like Kieran’s ears perked up. Just a fraction away from stepping off the ice, he then turns, skating over and doing circles around us before taking off his helmet and grinning at me. “Finally kiss Evie?”

Grayson’s eyes widen, his head snapping back and forth between me and Ashford. “What the fuck have I missed?”

Kieran snorts. “Everything. You’re in your newly engaged bubble.”

At that, Grayson’s cheeks flush.

Kieran wags his brows. “So? Did you finally make a move? Confess your undying love? Kiss the fuck?—”

I hold up a gloved hand. I’m glad he stops because I don’t want this conversation to make its way into the locker room where Caleb could overhear. “I get your point, Ashford.”

Grayson blows out a breath, placing his hands on his hips. “Shit, you and V?”

The fuck? Did I just…blush?

I look anywhere but at Kieran’s smug face. “Ah, yes. We sort of…kissed?”

“Why did that sound like a question?”

Sighing heavily, I mutter, “Fine, yes, we kissed…a lot.”

Kieran whoops. “Fuck yes! I fucking knew it would happen. The sexual tension between you two was intense.”

“Shit, I really am out of the loop, aren’t I?” Grayson rubs the nape of his neck.

Kieran claps his best friend on the shoulder. “It’s okay, stay in your bubble. I can update you when you resurface for air.” Leaning forward, he smiles at me. “Was it everything you hoped for?”

My lip twitches as I offer him just this one sliver of truth. “Everything…and more.”

Kieran’s smile widens further. “I’m so fucking happy for you, Valenti.”

“Shit, that’s why Caleb is pissed, isn’t it? He knows?” Grayson asks, moving his gaze toward the locker room.

“Yeah, he might have caught us in a compromising position in the elevator.”

Grayson’s jaw drops as Kieran throws back his head and laughs.

I point at both of them. “Not a fucking word of this, got it?”

Grayson makes the motion of zipping his mouth. “My lips are sealed. Just treat her right.”

“As if I’d do anything else,” I say, scoffing at his ludicrous statement.

Kieran wipes literal tears from the corners of his eyes. “Shitty that he found out that way, but I’m so happy for you, man.”

“Are you crying?” Grayson asks, searching his friend’s face.

Kieran frowns at him. “Valenti has been hiding his feelings for her for years. Let a man relish in the fact he grew some balls.”

“Hey,” I bark. “I’ve always had balls.”

“Now they’re just bigger,” he mutters.

Grayson pinches his nose. “It was such a nice moment until you started talking about his balls.”

Suddenly, Johnson bellows from the locker room, “I’m going to fucking murder you!”