“He does. So don’t worry, he’s thriving.”
We talk for a while longer about nothing important, the way sisters do. By the time we hang up, the water’s cold, but I feel good.
Really good.
Mostly.
11
COLLETTE
It’s a Friday night, and my apartment is full of women and noise, and I’m living for it. It’s the last weekend before the season starts. Most weekends during the season are games or travel days to other games, we hardly get them at home. Vi arrives first with three bottles of wine and a cheeseboard because she’s classy like that. Eve shows up with tequila. Harper and Meadow came together straight from the office, Harper in a power blazer she hasn’t bothered taking off, Meadow already reaching for the wine. Issy arrives looking disgustingly happy, which I’m choosing to ignore because she’s the reason my brother left me. Camryn Starr and Kimberly Skye, Harper’s besties, who own and run a luxury events company, show up last with dessert and gossip.
We all settle in and gather in the living room. Harper pops a bottle of champagne and starts pouring everyone a glass.
“To Collette,” Harper says, raising her glass. “Finally free of the St. Pierre brother watch.”
“I’ll drink to that.” I clink my glass against hers.
“How does it feel?” Issy asks.
“You know when you’ve been wearing a really tight bra all day, and you finally take it off?” Every woman in the room nods. “It’s like that but for my entire life.”
“I lived with my brother for two weeks and wanted to kill him,” Harper adds. “How you survived this long is a miracle.”
“Two brothers,” I remind her. “And a dog who eats shoes. I miss Frankston already.” I pout.
“You can visit him at Issy’s. He’s her problem now.” Vi chuckles.
Issy raises her glass. “Happy to take one for the team. Your brother has the shoe department on speed dial.”
The night continues from there. More wine, more tequila, music getting louder, everyone sprawled across my living room like we’re nineteen again. Camryn is telling a story about something that happened at one of her events, involving a very famous person doing something very inappropriate in a coat closet. Kimberly is shaking her head like she’s heard this one before, but is still horrified.
“Speaking of inappropriate,” Harper says, turning to me with that look she gets when she’s about to be nosy. “Any cute players on the team catching your eye?”
“No,” I quickly respond.
“No? Not even one?” she pushes.
“Harper, I don’t date hockey players,” I tell her.
“Omg, why not? They are the best. I never dated an athlete before, always went for the guys in suits, which never turned out well for me. Then Felix happened, and that man has the stamina of an ox, goes all night long.”
“La, la, la. Ew, that’s my brother,” I scream, putting my fingers in my ears. This has everyone in hysterics.
“Collette has a type, and it’s someone that doesn’t know her brothers,” Vi teases.
She’s not wrong.
“You know, I’ve noticed something,” Harper says, swirling her wine. “The fans are commenting a lot about you and Fish online.Like, a lot.” What? No. It’s not that much. “Because the content between the two of you is good.”
“That’s the point. It’s my job to make engaging content, and Fish is charismatic on camera,” I explain to her and the others.
Harper’s eyes narrow. “Yes, he’s very charismatic. We’ve all seen the striptease.” The women all nod.
“The entire world has seen that.” I shrug.
“I’m just saying, professionally speaking, when the two of you are on camera together, some kind of magic happens.”