Page 87 of Boots & Scars

I didn't know how long I could keep this up—my strength was waning fast—but I'd fight until the very end if it meant surviving this nightmare.

The room spun as I swung the broken bottle again, but this time my aim was off. One of the guys caught my wrist in a vice-like grip, twisting it until the bottle fell from my hand. Pain shot through my arm, but I bit down on my lip, refusing to give them the satisfaction of hearing me scream.

"Get her down!" someone barked.

Before I could react, two pairs of hands grabbed me from behind, shoving me to the floor. My knees hit the hard surface with a jarring thud, and a sharp pain shot up my legs. I struggled against their hold, kicking and thrashing, but they were too strong. One guy pinned my arms behind my back while another pressed his knee into the small of my back, forcing me to stay down.

My chest heaved with labored breaths as I fought to get free. Every muscle in my body screamed in protest, but I couldn't give up. Not now.

"Hold her still," one of them growled.

A fist connected with the side of my head, and stars exploded in my vision. The room seemed to tilt on its axis as pain radiated from the impact point. My ears rang, and for a moment, I couldn't hear anything but the pounding of my own heartbeat.

Another blow landed on my ribs, and I gasped for air, the wind knocked out of me. My vision blurred with tears as Itwisted and turned beneath them, trying to find any opening to escape. Their laughter echoed around me, a cruel reminder of their dominance.

One guy grabbed a fistful of my hair, yanking my head back painfully. I cried out as he leaned down close enough for me to smell his rancid breath.

"You should've kept your mouth shut," he said with a sneer.

His words barely registered through the haze of pain and fear clouding my mind. I kicked out blindly, hoping to make contact with anything that would hurt them back. My foot connected with something solid—a shin maybe—and a satisfying grunt followed.

But it wasn't enough. More punches rained down on me—my stomach, my sides—each one driving the air from my lungs and making it harder to think straight. My body felt like it was on fire; every nerve ending screamed in agony.

Yet even through the overwhelming pain, one thought remained clear: I had to keep fighting.

So I did.

26

Cooper

The cold air of the rink bit at my skin as I glided across the ice. Each push of my skate echoed in the cavernous space, a rhythmic thud that matched the turmoil in my head. I should have been concentrating on my form, on my technique, but Everly’s face kept intruding, clouding my focus.

I was furious. Furious at her for being so damn stubborn, for pushing when she should have pulled back. But mostly, I was mad at myself for being so harsh. I’d lashed out, my words cutting deeper than any blade could. She didn’t deserve that.

My skates cut a sharp turn, spraying ice as I leaned into it. I needed this distraction, needed the physicality to drown out the chaos in my mind. But even here, she haunted me.

Everly’s eyes had been wide with hurt when I snapped at her. I saw it every time I closed mine. Her voice trembled when she tried to reason with me, and instead of listening, I shut her down. I ruined everything, lashing out, telling the truth in the worst way. The memory twisted inside me like a knife.

I stopped at the edge of the rink, breath coming in ragged bursts. She wasn’t just anyone; she was Everly. The girl who made me feel something other than numbness and anger. The girl who looked past the scars on my face and saw more than just a violent hockey player.

I missed her laugh, missed how she tilted her head when she was deep in thought. Missed how she made me feel human again.

And damn it all, I wanted her. Wanted to hold her close and make things right. But the thought scared me too—being vulnerable, letting someone in like that.

Especially after Ashley.

Love wasn’t supposed to be this complicated. Yet here I was, tangled up in emotions I couldn’t even name properly.

I pressed my forehead against the plexiglass barrier, the cold seeping through and grounding me for a moment.

What if I'd ruined everything? What if she never came back?

I skated another lap, faster this time as if speed could outrun regret.

The sound of skates scraping the ice and the distant chatter of Titan players echoed through the rink, but I barely registered it. My mind was a mess, tangled with thoughts of Everly and how I'd messed up.

Then I saw her—Holly. She walked in, her eyes darting around, chewing on her bottom lip like she was worried. My heart skipped a beat. Holly was Everly's best friend, and seeing her here couldn’t be good.

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