Page 91 of My Brother's Teammates

Harrison can yell at me, he can hit me, he can ignore everything I say, but I have to go after him. I can’t let him leave it like this. I have to try to fix… something.

I peel Charlotte’s fingers from my shoulders and nod to the guys. She claws at me, trying to hold me in place, but I manage to stand and take a few steps away.

She curls into herself, sobs wracking her body, and it strengthens my resolve. I may not be able to make a difference, but if I don’t try, I won’t be able to live with myself.

Before giving myself a chance to change my mind, I run into my room to grab a crumpled T-shirt.

“Let him go, Jace.” Roman tries to block me, but I’m quick, skirting around him and heading straight for the front door. “Stay. Let’s talk about this.”

I don’t turn around, I can’t. I just keep moving toward the door. “Sorry. You know I can’t do that.”

He responds, but I don’t hear a thing, not as I whip open the door and slam it shut behind me. I’m down the hallway in a flash, tearing into the stairwell like a madman… only to stop short.

Harrison is standing on the landing below, rubbing his face with both hands as he paces back and forth across the small space. His shoulders are slumped. His hair’s sticking straight up. And when he turns, he stops short, his eyes simmering with rage as he takes me in.

“Glad you could put on clothes,” he spits out. “I don’t know why the fuck you’re here.”

I blow out a breath, lacing my fingers together behind my neck and looking toward the heavens. Mom, Dad, I’ve been a shitty son, and an even shittier friend. Please, if there was ever a time to give me some help, it’s now. Please just let him listen. “Because I think we need to talk.”

“Oh, we’ve talked. We’ve talked plenty.” He barks out a sardonic laugh, his arms flying out before he points a finger at me and growls. “You told me you sent my sister a few texts, remember? You told me there was nothing going on between you two, right?” He laughs again, raising the hair on the back of my neck. “I guess my wording was off. I should have asked if there was anything going on between her and fucking all of you. That was my bad.”

“None of us meant for this to happen.”

“And that makes it better?”

“No. There’s no excuse for not telling you. Charlotte asked?—”

“It’s good to know you’re taking direction from my sister. Does she call the shots in the bedroom too?” His brows raise, and the look he’s sending my way tells me he’d love nothing more than to continue pounding me with his fists.

But I refuse to fight him again.

My face already aches, and I’m not sure if he broke my nose, but I am sure I’m going to wake up with two black eyes tomorrow. Harrison looks worse. There’s a cut under his eye and a small trail of blood trickling down his face, his lip is split, and there’s already a spot on one side of his jaw swelling and quickly turning an ugly shade of blue.

My chest squeezes, and I can’t breathe. My insides twist into tiny knots, and the shame I feel knowing I caused that is like hundreds of razor blades slicing across my body. I punched my best friend.

“Leave Charlotte out of this.” I grip the rail at the top of the stairs, the metal digging into my fingers. The pain is dull, but it keeps me focused.

“Like you did when the three of you decided to start fucking her?”

“I love her, Harrison.”

There, I said it out loud. The last truth falls from my lips, but I don’t feel any of the freedom I thought I would. My insides cramp, and this railing is the only thing keeping me from doubling over.

Harrison’s jaw clenches, his eyes flashing with an anger I’ve never seen. “Fuck you, Jace. You don’t know what love is.”

“You don’t think I know?” My voice raises, and I think this is the first time I’ve ever yelled at Harrison. He takes a small step back, but his glare and clenched jaw remain the same. “I’ve been in love with Charlotte since high school. I saw her one day, truly saw her, and I fucking knew. I knew she was it for me. That’s why I don’t really date. That’s why I dedicate all my time to hockey—because it’s the only thing allowed to love me back. I didn’t want to hurt you. I didn’t want to put you and our friendship second, so I’ve spent the last thirteen years fucking miserable because the only girl I wanted was untouchable.”

“It sure looks like you made up for lost time.”

“That’s not fair.”

“You know what’s not fair?” His hands are running through his hair, pulling on the strands as he resumes his pacing. “Finding your only sister—one who’s been down on her luck—living with and fucking your three best friends for weeks behind your back. Every single one of you had the opportunity to say something. And none of you trusted me. Not a single one. I expected better from you, Jace.”

Each word out of his mouth is like a blow to the gut. He’s right. We could have told him a hundred times over, and none of us uttered a thing. That’s on me. I should’ve talked to Harrison myself. I should’ve sat him down at the very beginning and explained everything.

But should have and did are two drastically different things.

“You say you love her.” He spits that word out like a curse. “If you love her so much, why would you let your two buddies run a train on her? A man in love doesn’t share his woman with his friends.”

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