35. Lachlan

Emma follows me to a quieter corner of the pub, where the noise fades to a low hum. I turn to face her, running a hand through my hair. "Emma, about what happened between us..."

"Lachlan, I?—"

"Let me finish." I take a deep breath. "I'm willing to go the distance with you, Emma, despite what everyone thinks about it. I want to explore this and get to know you. Keir does, too. We are not going to get in each other's way. If anything, we will help each other get what we want."

"And what is that?" she whispers.

"You."

"Don't you get how insane that sounds?"

I lean in closer, locking my eyes on hers. "Maybe it is. But when it comes to you, I'll do whatever it takes. I won't back down."

She glances over my shoulder, and I follow her gaze to Keir, standing by the bar, looking tense as fuck. He may not show it, but he wants this just as much as I do.

"And Keir agrees to this?" she asks, almost disbelieving.

I nod, my expression serious. "He does. We both respect you too much to play games. This isn't some schoolboy crush; we're men who know what we want."

Before she can respond, Keir strides over with determination and nerves written all over his face. "Emma," he starts, wringing his hands together like he's nervous about a presentation. "Lachlan's right. This... arrangement might not be traditional, but neither are we. We're different blokes with different strengths – and one common interest."

"Which is?" she asks again, though I know she already knows.

"You," Keir says simply.

She takes a gulp before mumbling, "This is crazy. I'm with Taran."

"Yeah, about that. He is a douche."

"He isn't. You don't know him like I do."

"Maybe," I say, my irritation bubbling to the surface. "But this isn't about him. This is about us."

Her eyes narrow, and I can see the wheels turning in her head. She's trying to process it all – the past, the present, the potential future.

"I can't do this right now," she finally says, her voice trembling slightly. "It's all too much. I have to concentrate on the Warriors, and this is just distracting me. It has to stop. Please."

Emma looks at us both one last time before turning on her heel and heading back toward Taran. My chest aches as I watch her go, but I force myself to stay put. This is her decision to make.

As she reaches Taran, he wraps an arm around her waist protectively and shoots us both a challenging look. This isn't just a love triangle; it's starting to feel like a full-blown war.

Keir lets out a long breath beside me and mutters, "What have we gotten ourselves into?"

I chuckle darkly, but there is no humour in it. "Mate, I've no bloody idea, but one thing I know is that arsehole doesn't get her." I jab a finger in Fraser's direction.

Keir follows it with his gaze and sighs. "Looks like he already got her."

"Not for long. I told you, we are upping our game. We've both told her how we feel about her, and now it's time to make her really think about it."

"Meaning?"

"Meaning at practice tomorrow, we show her how much the Warriors mean to us, as well as how much she means to us." I clap Keir on the back. "We can't just tell her; we've got to show her. Actions speak louder, right?"

Keir nods slowly, a determined glint in his green eyes. "You're right. No more holding back."

With that unspoken agreement in place, we make our way back to the bar, where Anna's busy serving up another round of drinks. The atmosphere is still buzzing, but I can't shake the weight of Emma's words. This isn't just about winning a game; it's about proving our worth to her.

Emma remains glued to Taran's side, looking as happy as Larry. As much as it stings to see them together, I know we've planted a seed tonight. Now, it's up to us to nurture it.

"Don't worry, mate," I say to Keir as we watch Emma laugh at something Taran said. "We're far from out of the game."

Keir nods, his jaw set with determination. "Yeah, we'll see her at practice tomorrow. Let's show her we're serious, that this isn't just some fleeting obsession."

As we bump our fists together, a sense of camaraderie washes over us.

The night wears on, and eventually, the pub starts to empty. People drift away into the night, leaving a haze of good memories behind them. Emma's friend, Anna, gives me a sympathetic smile as she comes over. "You boys alright?" she asks.

"Yeah," I reply with an attempt at nonchalance. "I just have some things to work out."

Anna chuckles knowingly. "Don't we all? Just remember – it's not always about who's first across the line."

"Thanks, Anna," Keir says, giving her an appreciative nod.

"Hey, I just want Emma to be happy. If that means it's with one of you or him…" She juts her thumb over her shoulder, "… that's all that matters."

"Not one of us," I murmur, sharing a knowing look with Keir.

Anna's eyebrows go up, and she sucks in her cheeks. A bit like that GIF… you know the one. "Ohhhhh," she breathes. "Is that so?"

"Damn right, it is," Keir says, his face serious.

Anna looks between the two of us, then shakes her head with a soft smile. "Well, Emma is one lucky lady."

With that, she leaves us to our thoughts, her words hanging in the air. The pub is nearly empty now, with just a few stragglers left nursing their drinks. My eyes drift back to Emma and Fraser. He has his arm around her waist, and she's leaning into him like he's the only thing keeping her upright.

I can't do this right now. Her words replay in my mind over and over again.

"We have to be smart about this," I tell Keir. "She's got a lot on her plate with the team and her dad's legacy."

Keir nods. "Yeah. But we can't just fade into the background either."

"Exactly," I say. "We need to make ourselves indispensable – both on and off the ice."

"Fraser won't make it easy."

"No, he won't," I agree, my gaze hardening as I watch him whisper something in Emma's ear that makes her laugh. I want to smash his face in, but Emma would never speak to me again, so that is definitely out of the question. "But we're not backing down. Come on, let's get out of here."