Page 151 of Ethan

“Ouch,” Hank said. But not hurt about it, not really, because Avery was right, and Hank had needed someone to say it.

“Not your fault, really. Nobody’s pushing you.” Avery gave him an expectant look. “You want to be pushed, Tuck?”

Impossible not to think about when he’d first thought he might be attracted to Ethan. There’d been a moment, balanced on the precipice of that realization that he might like guyslike thatwhen he’d considered shying away from it. Turning away. Not embracing what he knew to be true.

But Hank had never been the guy to let his fear own him. He’d only met every challenge with a determination of his own, pulled from the endless well inside him. He’d faced down his insecurities and told them to fuck right off, and he’d won the guy. Ethan was his, a precious kind of gift he didn’t think he’d ever take for granted—and if hedid, he knew there were at least two guys out there, probably more though, who would kick his ass about it.

Time to do this, too.

“Yeah, I’m ready,” Hank told Avery, and Avery smiled at him.

“I thought so.”

Ethan fully expected Si to come into the locker room before the game and read the lineup out, changing it up as he had at practice. This was his fifth game starting on Max’s line now and he knew that by the time Hank and Avery hit that mark, they were going to be an unstoppable force.

But when Silas walked in and read the lineup, nothing was changed.

Avery with Brock. Hank with Keegan.

He expected Avery to complain. To bitch about it. But Avery didn’t even look up from his skates.

Ethan met Hank’s eyes across the locker room and Hank just tilted his head, shrugging briefly, likeit’s alright.

But it wasn’t really alright.

Still, Avery started the game with Jonesy, and midway through the first period, they had a weird line change, getting caught with an extra man on the ice, and they went on the penalty kill.

It was a short one, because one of the Flyers’ guys hit a breakaway, escaping from Jonesy’s containment, and hit the net just above Dom’s shoulder.

Silas didn’t tend to make in-game changes, but on the bench, Ethan could feel him vibrating with annoyance and nobody was possibly surprised when after the period ended with the Bandits down 1–0 still, Silas walked up to Hank in the locker room.

“You’re with V,” he said. Looked over at Jonesy. “You’re with Keegan.”

Ethan felt bad for Jonesy but he was excited for Hank; this was an incredible opportunity. The break was almost over when he headed over to Hank’s side of the room. “Hey,” he said.

“Hey,” Hank said, setting his Gatorade down. “You good?”

“Oh, I’m fucking fantastic,” Ethan said. “I came over to make sure you’re solid.”

“Little nervous, but . . .” Hank glanced around and, when he was convinced nobody was paying attention to them, continued. “Excited, too? Ready to try this? Your brother is so fucking—”

“Don’t go liking my brother more than me,” Ethan interrupted, making an exaggerated face, and Hank just laughed.

Hank tipped their foreheads together briefly. It wasn’t much of a touch, but for Hank in the locker room, it was practically an X-rated public display of affection. “Never gonna happen,” he promised. “But I do like Avery. He’s . . . he’s kinda cool, actually?”

It surprised Ethan how much that soft-spoken comment thrilled him. He hadn’t really worried or even considered how his brothers or Livvy would feel about Hank.He’dliked Hank, and that was obviously the most important thing, but now he realized he wanted them to like Hank, too. Because Hank wasn’t going anywhere.Obviously.

“Yeah, you keep telling yourself that,” Ethan teased.

“He’s about as cool as I am, how about that?”

“Better.” Ethan grinned. “You’re gonna kill it, I know it.”

“I think . . .” Hank let out an unsteady breath. “I think so, too. I think this is gonna be really good. For both of us.”

Ethan agreed with that, too. Naturally.

His brother and his boyfriend teaming up and using their extraordinary skills to win them hockey games? Ethan was never gonna be mad about that.