“Okay,” I said, nudging my front door open with my hip. I toted in two full plastic bags and kicked the door shut with my boot. “I’ve got our two favorite men, Ben & Jerry, plus Twizzlers, and M&Ms.” I sat the bags down on the counter. “Oh,” I said, a bounce in my step as I pulled out another item. “I snagged some seaweed masks, too. We’ll look like Gamora. It’ll be awesome.”

Ivy hugged a box of tissues on the couch. Her eyes red, puffy, and distant. “Thanks, Pepper,” she said, her voice hoarse from crying.

That was Ivy. She never did anything half-assed—even falling hard and fast.

My shoulders dropped, and I spanned the distance, sinking next to her. She leaned into my embrace.

“I can’t believe him,” she said, her voice choking up again. “We made plans. Promises. We were going to travel. He said he didn’t need the Sharks anyway. That we would be fine and we would be…us.”

“Oh, Ivy,” I said, sighing as I rubbed my hand up and down her spine.

I hated this.

Hated how many times I’d held her after she’d gotten her heart broken. After she’d trusted too quickly. Fallen too fast.

Would she be holding me when Eric wised up and realized I wasn’t worth the hassle? The risk?

A cold knife slipped into my chest at the thought.

Eric is different.

“Then,” she continued after wiping her face. “Then when he asked me to bed, again, and I said I wanted to wait, again, he…he…” a sob shuddered her body. “He dropped me. Right then and there. Like I was nothing. Said he couldn’t waste time on a lost cause. Especially one who cost him his career. Said he was going to go to Coach and beg for his position back.”

My blood boiled but cool relief swept by in an instant. “You didn’t sleep with him?”

She pulled back from the hug and shook her head. “Don’t look so shocked.”

I closed my mouth and flashed her an apologetic look. “Sorry,” I said. “I didn’t mean…I just…wow.”

She rolled her eyes. “I wanted this one to mean something. I’m so tired of jumping from one man to the next, and I thought Crosby was different.” She swallowed hard.

I marveled at her willpower. It had only taken a few fleeting kisses to shed my inhibitions with Eric. But, then again, what we had was something different. Something more. Right?

“Maybe, maybe he was just upset? The stress of losing his job. Maybe if I talked to him, and then we talked to Dad—”

“Ivy, no,” I cut her off. “Crosby won’t change,” I said. “He’s a known bed-hopper and has a chip on his shoulder on the ice—”

Ivy bolted off the couch, her tissues forgotten. “Don’t pretend like you know him, Pepper.” She stomped to the kitchen and tore the lid off of a pint of chocolate-fudge-brownie.

“Ivy,” I pled, standing to meet her on the other side of the kitchen counter. “I know his rep. I’m with the Sharks all the time. Even on the road. I hear them talk. And I saw the way he treated you.”

“You didn’t,” she said, though her eyes said she was putting up a fight for pride’s sake. “Away from his boys, the rink, and the paps…he was kind. Sometimes. And fun. He took me to all the best bars…”

“Bars?” I eyed her. “Ivy—”

“Don’t!” She snapped. “Not every man whisks his girl off to Montana or rents out an entire theater for a date.”

I gasped, my throat closing up.

How? We’d been so careful.

It was Ivy’s turn to flash me an unbelievable look. She reached around the counter and grabbed something from the small wooden drop station we had near it. “I’m not stupid,” she said, waving Eric’s black beanie at me.

He’d let me borrow it two nights ago when I’d gotten cold.

I’d forgotten to give it back.

“We’re friends,” I said, my voice small. “You’re his friend. He fixed my car. Of course, he’d leave stuff over here by accident.”

“Friends?” She flung the beanie at me before shoving a spoon into her ice cream. “Really?”

I held the beanie to my chest, gaping at her, the words tangled in my throat.

“At least I never tried to hide Crosby,” she said around the spoon. “You.” She shook her head. “You sit there and lecture me when you’re doing the exact same thing I was.”

Frozen.

I couldn’t move.

I was doing much worse than her.

Because not only was I employed by the Sharks, I was risking Eric’s livelihood.

I truly was a villain.

“I know,” I said. “I’m sorry. I should’ve told you. Talked to you about it the second it got real, but it happened so fast. I’m still reeling. And I’m lost, Ivy. I’m so fucking lost.”

She set the ice cream down and came around the counter to hug me.

That was the beauty of our sisterhood—even during a fight, we didn’t hesitate when one of us was crumbling.

“Look,” she said, hugging me tightly. “I’m sorry. It was a low blow. I’m just…hurt.”

“I know,” I said, choking back tears. “I’d do anything to take it away.”

“I know,” she said, nodding against my shoulder before pushing me back slightly to look at me. “I’ve never seen you like this,” she said.

I tilted my head.

“Wrapped up in a guy. Let alone a player.”

I shook my head. “I can’t control it. Eric is…” Pain flickered across her gaze. “Not something we need to talk about right now.”

She sighed. “Be careful,” she said. “You don’t want to end up like me.”

I smoothed some hair back from her face. “He’s out there,” I said. “Someone perfect. Someone way better than Crosby. Someone kind and strong and patient enough to put up with your sas.”

She chuckled, a half-sob half-laugh.

“Now,” I said, shoving all thoughts of Eric to the back of my head. My sister needed me, here, now, and free of any drama of my own. “Let’s go get green,” I said, grabbing the masks and tugging her toward the bathroom.

“I love you, Pepper,” Ivy whispered as she followed me. “No matter how big of a bitch I can be.”

“Ditto.”