Page 44 of Game Misconduct

We met at Stanford and instantly clicked. She’s been my ride or die ever since. Vanessa and I were on the lacrosse team together at Michigan, and when I introduced them, they got along like a house on fire.

I moved to Boston for my doctoral program and she went to Chicago for a few years, and when she relocated here, we moved in together again. We were inseparable. The three of us shared an apartment in Cambridge for two years—until Van moved in with Sven, and then Elsy got a job in Austin, and I finally downsized to a one-bedroom.

As glad as I am that she’s my sister-in-law now, I miss when she was my best friend. There’s been a distance between us ever since she moved to Texas, and it’s not purely from the miles keeping us apart. We’re different.

It’s not only that I’m keeping secrets from her. If she knew her precious Mitch was the guy I gushed over three years ago… I don’t know who she’d kill first, him or me, but there would definitely be bloodshed.

If my brother knew… Nick would be lucky to escape with his limbs intact.

“She’s a good friend,” I add when he remains silent. “I appreciate that she’s worried, but she doesn’t need to be.”

He lifts his hands in innocence. “Hey, I’m just the messenger.”

Even though my entire job is preventing concussions and dealing with their aftermath, I kind of want to smash his brains against the wall until they melt out of his ears.

Intrusive thought. Unnecessarily violent.

Clearing my throat, I turn back to him. “I’ll touch base with her.”

“Thanks.” He pauses. “Are you okay?”

My eyes narrow. “Why do you care?”

“I don’t,” he snaps.

“Then why are you asking?”

I’m not sure why I’m harping on about this. Why can’t I just leave it alone?

Nick blows out a breath. “Fuck. I don’t know. Maybe because we work together? Because we share a best friend? Because I freaking care about you as a person, and I don’t want you to⁠—”

He cuts off abruptly.

“You know what? Forget it.” He pushes up out of the chair, at the same time my phone vibrates off the desk. Scooping it off the floor, he glances at the display and scowls as he thrusts the device in my direction. “Your boyfriend is calling.”

Confused at his sudden attitude adjustment, I take the phone, where Luke’s name flashes on the screen. Our weekly FaceTime date isn’t scheduled for another two days, but if he has a spare few moments to chat, he isn’t shy about blowing up my phone. I swipe to answer the call, the sound of his heavy breathing on the other end telling me he’s probably still on the treadmill.

“Hey, Lukey. I can’t talk right now. Can I call you in five minutes?”

“Of course, babe.” His voice echoes in the room. “Talk soon.”

“Don’t let me keep you from your boyfriend,” Nick snarls.

I blink a few times. “What are you talking about?”

Luke and I are friends—only friends. The unsuspecting friendship we struck up at the swim-up bar is as strong as ever. It snuck up on me, but over the last year and a half, he’s become one of my closest confidants. Especially since most of my friends in town have all settled into healthy, secure long-term relationships.

With Luke, I know he won’t try to sleep with me. He still flirts, but there’s no weight behind it. It’s all in good fun.

Nick opens his mouth, then closes it again and shakes his head. “Forget about it.”