If You Keep Me – Helena Hunting

“I love Lavender. She’s hilarious.” “You have no idea.” Flip’s arm is draped over the back of my chair, and his smile tells an entire story. I narrow my eyes. “What do you know that we don’t?” “There was a problem with Tristan’s pants at the wedding,” Flip replies. “Oh, I heard about this!” Chase’s eyes light up. Cammie frowns. “Why do you know about this and I don’t?” “Because Brody is Tristan’s brother,” Chase explains.

“And he witnessed it.” “I need the inside scoop,” Cammie insists. “It’s cone,” Chase and Flip say at the same time. Then they fist-bump each other. It makes me giddy. My pro hockey player and my friend’s boyfriend are bonding over wedding shenanigans. Cammie and I make a lips-zipped, cross-our-hearts motion. Chase and Flip have a silent conversation, and then Flip nods. “So Tristan’s pants were too small,” he explains. Tristan is a mammoth of a man. He’s almost six and a half feet tall, and his hands are stupid huge.

“His business was businessing,” Chase blurts. “And Lavender was called in to fix it,” Flip adds. “Oh my God.” Cammie splays her hands on the table. I bet she’s planning a scene for one of her fics. “Did Kodiak lose his mind?” I ask. Flip nods. “I thought his head might explode when Lavender had to let out the crotch of Tristan’s pants.” Cammie and I burst out laughing. “The way he loves his wife is goals.” “He’s loved her his entire life,” Flip says.

“Since they were kids. They’re soulmates.” “Their love seems so endless,” I muse. My stomach twists uncomfortably. I can’t imagine those two without each other. But what if something happened? How devastated would Kodiak be? How broken? Flip slides his arm along the back of my seat, thumb brushing back and forth along my shoulder blade, maybe sensing my sudden disquiet. I hate how my parents’ divorce has made me question even the strongest of bonds.

Flip asks Chase about the hockey season at Tilton, which sparks an animated conversation about where Chase is hoping to be after graduation. I love that Flip is connecting with my friends like this, that he’s happy to give advice and gentle guidance. After brunch, we drop Chase and Cammie at her sister’s place and head back to my apartment.

Fee is at the art studio, working on a project. Flip grabs his bag out of the trunk. I’m anxious and excited to have him all to myself as we take the elevator to my apartment. Two guys recognize him, and he signs their hats. It doesn’t seem to faze him at all. “Does that ever get annoying?”

• Terror Coach’s oldest daughter • In final year of university • Tight with the Babe Brigade Nickname: Talls, Tally, Kitten Parents: Eline and Berend Siblings: Ties and Fenna Phillip “Flip” Madden: • Brother to Rix • Terror forward • Best friend to teammate Tristan and former neighbor to Dred Parents: Howard and Muffy Siblings: Beatrix (Rix) Stiles TERROR TEAMMATES Tristan Stiles • Terror Teammate • Husband to Rix • Best friend to Flip Quinn Romero • Terror Teammate • Previously attended the Hockey Academy together Kellan Ryker • Terror Teammate • New Goalie, tight with Quinn Ashish Palaniappa • Terror Teammate • Husband to Shilpa (team lawyer) • Best friend to Dallas Connor Grace • Former archnemesis to Flip • Terror enforcer • Previously attended the Hockey Academy with Dallas, Tristan and Flip Dallas Bright • Terror Forward • Best friend to Ash • Engaged to Hemi Hollis Hendrix • Best friend to Roman Hammerstein – Former Terror Goalie • Coaches at the Hockey Academy: Toronto Campus • Fiancé to Peggy “Aurora” Hammer Hammerstein Roman Hammerstein • Former Terror Goalie • Coach for the Hockey Academy: Toronto Campus • Dad to Aurora/Peggy/Hammer • Hollis’s best friend • Husband to Lexi TALLY’S TILTON UNIVERSITY CREW Cammie Lovelock Enid Posey Fee Forrest-Hammer Chase Lovett Mac Meyers Gage Steel Brody Stiles THE BADASS BABE BRIGADE: TALLY’S GIRL SQUAD Wilhelmina Reddi-Grinst: • PR for Terror • Best friend to Shilpa • Engaged to Dallas Bright Nicknames: Hemi, Willy/Wills Peggy Aurora “Hammer” Hammerstein • Daughter to Roman Hammerstein • Girlfriend of Hollis Hendrix Nicknames:Peggy, Aurora, Hammer, Princess Beatrix Madden • Roommate to Hammer • Sister of Flip Madden • Married to Tristan Stiles Nicknames: Rix, Beat, Bea Essie Lovelock • Rix’s best friend • Lives in Toronto • Dating Tristan’s brother, Nate Stiles Sibling: Cammie (attends Tilton U-friend’s with Tally and Fee) Alexandria Forrester • Terror assistant coach • Married to Roman • Guardian to her two younger sisters Ophelia (Fee) and Calliope (Callie) Nicknames: Lexi, angel Shilpa Palaniappa • Best friend to Hemi • Terror Lawyer • Married to Ashish Palaniappa Nickname: Shilps OceanofPDF.com Copyright © 2026 Helena Hunting All rights reserved Published by Helena Hunting Cover Design by Hang Le Cover Illustration by @rosiesfables Developmental Edit by Becca Mysoor Fairy Plotmother Editing by Jessica Royer Ocken And Erica Russikoff of Erica Edits Proofing by Julia Griffis Sarah at All Encompassing Books Amanda of Drafthouse Editorial Services If You Keep Me is a work of fiction.

Names, characters, places, and incidents are all products of the author’s twisted imagination and are used fictitiously.

This is a short excerpt from the opening of “” by Unknown, quoted for review and introduction purposes. All rights belong to the copyright holders.

Book Information

• Unique ID: 5a83d38819f6350c
• File Extension: .pdf
• File Size: 5,199,844 bytes (4.959 MB)
• Title: –
• Author: Unknown
• Pages: 442
• Language: English (en)

Reading & Word Statistics

• Estimated Reading Time: 666.82 minutes
• Total Words: 133,363
• Total Characters: 711,675
• Average Words per Page: 301.73
• Average Characters per Page: 1610.12

Most Frequent Words

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