25
COLLETTE
The girls and I are shopping for dresses for the Christmas party when Harper spots it. Jo is standing in front of the mirror in a red dress that looks incredible on her, and Harper leans in to fix her necklace and stops.
“Jo,” she says quietly. “Is that a hickey?”
My stomach drops for my sister. I look at her neck, and there it is. Purple and unmistakable.
“What? No. I … burned myself with my curling iron,” Jo stammers.
“On the side of your neck?” Harper raises an eyebrow. “That’s a very specific place to burn yourself.”
Issy looks over. “Let me see.” She examines it. “That’s definitely a hickey.”
“Oh shit,” I say, because what else can I say? I know exactly who put that there, and I’m watching my sister drown.
“You’re seeing someone!” Issy’s face lights up. “Why didn’t you tell us?”
Jo looks like she’s about to pass out. I need to get her out of this boutique and somewhere private before this escalates.Harper reads the room before I do and suggests that we go to her family’s hotel for drinks.
What follows is Jo confessing everything. Emmett. London. The one-night stand. Not knowing who the other was until the welcome party. Trying to stay away. Failing. All of it comes pouring out while I sit beside her, squeezing her hand, backing her up when she needs it, because that’s what sisters do. Issy figured it out. Harper had her suspicions. They promise to keep the secret until after the season. And just like that, my sister is no longer carrying this alone.
Harper raises her glass. “To secrets and sisters.”
We all clink our glasses together.
“Now,” Harper says, leaning forward with a mischievous smile. “Tell us everything. And I mean everything. Is he as good as he looks like he’d be?”
“Harper!” Issy laughs.
“What? We’re sisters now, plus that man is gorgeous. All brooding grumpiness.”
“I’m very satisfied, and that is all you need to know,” Jo says.
The girls squeal.
“I bet you are.” Harper winks. “Hockey players have great stamina.”
“Ewwww. You are dating our brother, you know.” I grimace.
“Sorry. Yeah. Well, you should be proud of your brother, he earns a gold star every single time,” Harper states.
Jo and I pretend to hurl simultaneously, which has everyone in stitches. We dissolve into laughter, and it feels so good that for a moment I forget about everything.
Then Harper turns to me. “Speaking of hockey players,” she says, swirling her champagne with the casual precision of a woman who’s about to ask something that isn’t casual at all. “What’s going on with you and Fish?”
The laughter dies in my throat. “What do you mean?”
“I mean, you two used to be inseparable. Now I barely see you in the same room together.” She looks at Issy. “We’ve both noticed.” Issy nods.
“We’re both busy,” I say, reaching for my glass. “Just don’t have time to hang out like we used to.”
“You two went from being glued together to strangers practically overnight,” Harper states.
She can sense my bullshit, but I am not ready like Jo was to say anything.
“Did something happen?” Issy asks gently.