“I don’t get it, you know?”

Vaughn looked up. “You don’t get why Wren, our best friend’s little sister, who has a supershitty track record with dudes and who had decided just to fuck her way through life, wouldn’t want to commit to a guy she considers someone special to her?”

Jensen glared through his mask. “Brie said that?”

He scoffed and then nodded. “Yeah, ’cause, like you, I don’t get it. You’re basically handing her the golden ticket.” His eyes lit up. “You’re Willy!”

Yup, Jensen was losing his mind. “Please don’t start singing the song—”

But Vaughn was already humming, though he stopped once Jensen threw his mask up, glaring. “Done.”

“Thank you.”

“But for real, man, I told her—”

“Who? Wren?”

Vaughn paused. “Yeah, I told you. I talked to her.”

“No, you didn’t.”

“Oh. Did I tell Brie that?”

“I’m not Brie!”

“Well, no shit. I don’t want to do you.”

“Oh my fucking goodness, you two-year-old! Focus! When did you talk to her?”

“The day you left her office.”

“What did she say?”

Vaughn shrugged. “That she didn’t want to hurt you.”

Jensen’s face twisted in confusion. “So she thinks she will?”

“Yeah, ’cause she’s Wren.”

Jensen chewed that over. “She’s not a bad person, though.”

“No, but she’s Wren. I don’t know. The female version of me, or what I used to be, just smarter.”

“Way smarter.”

“Yeah.”

Shaking his head, Jensen lowered his mask. “Whatever, let’s play.”

“You sure you don’t want to hug?”

“I will take you out by your knees. Shoot.”

So he shot. Over and over again. With each shot Jensen blocked, he tried to figure out why it was taking Wren so long. He got it. If she didn’t want to hurt him, then fucking don’t. It was that easy. Just be honest. He knew her, she knew him. She was comfortable with him, and he with her. He wanted to bang her; she liked to bang. He would be a great husband, great father, and yeah, she didn’t know how to do that stuff, but it would be okay. They’d figure it out together. He just needed her to get her head out of her ass and follow through with what she’d asked for. She was the one who wanted this. Not him. Well, he did, and she may have wanted a “fake” husband and father, but he wasn’t rolling that way. It was his way or no way.

Shot after shot, Jensen took, only letting a few through here and there until his hands were aching and his groin was dead. But in a good way. It was a great workout, just what he wanted and needed in a way. Dropping his gloves, he lay on the ice as Vaughn did the same, sliding toward him. Looking over, he found Vaughn watching him.

“What if she says no?”

Jensen shrugged. He hadn’t thought about that. “Then that will suck.”

“You know it’s ’cause she’s scared. She’s such a pansy. This whole ‘I hate love’ shit is wack. She doesn’t hate it, she loves it. It just keeps fucking with her.”

“Because she chooses shit to fall for.”

“Wells tells her the same thing constantly.”

“She doesn’t listen.”

“She’s stubborn.”

“Yeah, but I like that.”

“You like everything about her.”

“I do, except that she’s making me wait for her to decide what the hell she’s doing.”

“Have you reached out to her?”

“No. I’m giving her space.”

Vaughn nodded, tossing his gloves in the net as Jensen slowly undid his goalie pads. “Brie said the dude, the father of the baby, told her she wasn’t trophy wife material.”

Jensen glanced over at him, his brows furrowing as anger shook his body. “What the fuck does that mean?”

“Probably a dig at her weight.”

“She’s not even big. Thick, yeah, but she’s been thick her whole life. She’s a strong girl.”

“Yeah, but dickheads don’t see that.”

“I fucking hate dickheads. Give us good guys a bad rep.” Vaughn agreed as Jensen threw off his pad, starting on the other one. “I was thinking about that time, out at NateWay1 when I fell for her—”

“Dude, please don’t tell me the story again. It’s sickening.”

“I’m not, asshole. Listen,” Jensen said, a grin pulling at his lips. “Also, remember I helped you write out messages in sausage on pizza for Brie.”

“Hey, that was sweet.”

“And so is my story of the hammer on that hot—”

“Please don’t.”

Jensen smiled for the first time in the last two days. He could still see her hair blowing in the summer breeze. It was one of his favorite memories. He loved the sweat dripping down the backs of her thighs and the wide smile on her beautiful, round face. “I should have told her I had a thing for her then.”

“That was right after Ophelia, though.”

“Yeah, but I knew,” he said simply. “I always knew. I was just too scared she wouldn’t have me.”

“Why? You ain’t ugly.”

Jensen smirked. “I’m aware, but I couldn’t shake that I wasn’t man enough for her.”

“Dude. Really? It’s not like you’re the only dude who can’t have kids. Plus, not all women are like that whore. Especially Wren, she wouldn’t do that to you.”

“Still, it fucks with you.”

“I get it, but still.”

“Yeah, but then again, I’ve always been scared Wren didn’t see me as any more than just a brother.”

“Maybe she thinks the same thing?”

“Probably. My fault.”

Vaughn nodded. “You know, way back when, before I admitted to myself that I loved Brie and wanted her, knocked her up, and all that jazz, my best friend told me that his dad always told him, ‘You can’t be a coward and be in love. You’re not allowed. You gotta choose one before you’re a coward and alone.’ And you, my friend, have been the coward and alone, a perfect example of that. Ready to change it?”