“No one told him before now?” Skylar asks me, sitting down beside with Beckett with a smoothie in hand.

“I wanted to do it face-to-face.” I lean back against the bench of the train.

Mia’s a few train cars up with Brandon, trying like hell to explain what’s going on.

“Now’s your chance,” Beckett says, but his face clearly conveys that I’m up a creek without a paddle.

Dax plops down in the seat across the aisle. “Brandon looks good.”

I nod.

“Yeah, maybe he’s over the whole enemies thing with you two.” Skylar glances at Beckett and they share the same hopeful look, but I’m sure that’s not the case.

“You know what, I’m going to talk to him.” Dax stands. “I’ll clear the air and tell him how his sister is way too hot for you and she should probably go for me.”

I roll my eyes. “Sit down.”

“Don’t you think someone should be going up there? I mean Mia shouldn’t be defending your relationship all by herself, should she?” He raises his eyebrows at me and then sits back down.

“I’m impressed,” Skylar smiles over at Dax.

“Did you think I was a complete asshole?” he asks impassively as if he just asked her the weather.

“Yes. Yes, I did,” she says with an equally straight face.

“Chicks.” He shakes his head, propping his feet up on the bench across from him and pulls out his phone. “Now, I don’t want any drama ruining my concentration.” He smiles up at me, places his earbuds in his ears and throws his sweatshirt hood up over his head.

“You know he’s impersonating you, right?” Beckett asks.

“Yeah. Jackass.”

“Heard you,” Dax says.

“Jackass,” I say again.

“Love you, too,” he says so loud heads turn. “You sitting here the entire trip?” he asks and then leans back like he said nothing.

“I think the jackass has a point, Grady. If you really like Mia...” Skylar trails off.

I stand and place my hand on her shoulder. “I’ll be back.”

She smiles and glances at Beckett like I just announced I’m going to propose.

Not sure which train car they’re in, I walk forward, my steps feeling like I’m walking through wet cement the farther I go. Passing by and fist pumping or waving to a few other athletes I know, I find them in the third car up. Mia is facing me and all I can see of Brandon is the back of his head. She’s wiping tears off her cheeks and leaning forward. From the looks of it, they’re arguing.

Fuck.

Her eyes catch mine and remain focused on me the entire walk up the center aisle. Brandon turns, rolls his eyes, and then mumbles something to Mia.

“Hey,” I say, my heart thumping like a bass drum in my chest and nausea casting a thin sheen of sweat over my skin. I’m not even this nervous when I’m competing.

Mia slides over, but I don’t want her here when this conversation goes down. This is between Brandon and me.

“Mia, give us a minute?”

Her gaze swivels back and forth between the two of us.

“How about a please, asshole?” Brandon sneers.

I hold my hand out and she accepts my gesture, rising to her feet. Not wanting to throw more gasoline on the already burning inferno, I keep it platonic with her and don’t kiss her the way that is starting to feel normal to me.

“Thanks,” I murmur. She nods and I’m shocked she’s allowed me to take control here without putting up a fight. “Everyone else is three cars back. Except Demi. I’m not sure where she is. Dax said something to piss her off and she went to sit on her own.”

“Okay, I’ll go join them.”

I take Mia’s spot across from Brandon. His challenging brown eyes aren’t something foreign to me. We’ve been competitors our entire life. The only difference is that usually after a second or two a smile or a laugh would emerge, because we used to be friends, too.

“How are you?” I ask.

“Cut the bullshit.” Brandon’s death glare is like nothing I’ve seen before.

“Fine, I’m dating your sister and I don’t plan on stopping just because you have a problem with it. Straightforward enough for you?”

He huffs. “Should’ve realized you’d take what you want and not give two shits about what anyone else thought.”

“You said you didn’t want any bullshit.” I lean back into my seat, my hands gripping my knees.

“I want you to stay the fuck away from my sister.”

“Sorry, not gonna happen.”

Even I hate myself right now. What the fuck am I doing? I should be groveling to my former friend. Telling him how much I care for his sister, not playing this whole alpha pounding my chest gorilla shit.

He sits back, bringing his ankle to rest on his opposite knee. “Since I’ve been off the circuit, and a lot of my time is spent on my ass, I’ve had a lot of time to think. I don’t hate you, Grady.”

“Of course you do.”

He shakes his head. “I don’t. I get what you did, not coming by. I might’ve done the same thing. It was scary as shit and I know you, so I’d bet the farm that every time you’re about the drop into the pipe, my accident flashes in your head.”

My lungs constrict in my chest and I say nothing.

“You’re scared that one false move and you’re me, or worse. We’ve had friends who suffered a lot more than me. I can never snowboard competitively again unless I want to end up completely brain dead, but there are guys out there that didn’t quit the first time. I’m proud of you, that you didn’t quit.”

His fingers strum along his leg, which I don’t remember him ever doing before.

“But my sister, man, I can’t in good faith be okay with this. You ran away from me because you were scared, so what’s to say you’d stand by my sister’s side if something happened? She’s too good for you.”

“I agree.” I lean back in my bench seat, mimicking his sitting position. To anyone outside of our conversation they’d think we were talking about music or movies, not the fact that I’m screwing his sister. “She’s way too good for me, but that doesn’t change the fact she likes me and I like her.”

“And what about after the Winter Classics?”

“We’ll figure it out, me and her.”

A hollow laugh rises out of his throat. “She’s making a mistake.”

“It’s hers to make. “

His one foot falls to the floor with a thump and he leans forward. “Have you considered the fact that you could just be a crush? That once she knows who you really are, she’ll realize that you’re nothing more than a wannabe hotshot.”

His shot hurts as intended, but I’m not ready to pull out my gun. At least not my big one.

“We both know I was going to win, whether you competed or not.”

I don’t really believe it, but like I’d say anything different in this scenario.

“You know I was better.”

“Listen, I’m not gonna get into a pissing contest with you. I wanted to sit down and let you know I’m dating Mia and I’d appreciate you not giving her shit about it. She’s got enough on her plate right now.”

“I’ll tell you what? I’m not going to lie and tell her I’m cool with it, but I won’t make a huge deal out of it. She’s an adult and she can do what she wants, but I can’t say what will happen after Winter Classics.”

I hold out my hand. “Deal.”

He glances at my hand and for a second and I don’t think he’s going to shake it. Eventually, his hand slides into mine.

I pull out my phone, texting Mia to come back.

“I am glad you finally opened your eyes and saw how amazing Mia is,” he says.

The accident must have brought them closer because the old Brandon never would have said that to me. Now I just need to make sure I don’t fuck this up, but with my track record, that’s easier said than done.