Page 36 of Revenge Puck

“Since they’re your teammates and not your enemy or opponents, you can’t take it a little bit easier on them in practice?”

“No. I’m trying to prepare them for the hits during games.”

“Have you ever hurt any of them?”

“Nothing major.”

Shaking her head, she says, “I don’t think you’re supposed to hurt people on your team, Preston. That could be one of the reasons the Warhawks haven’t extended your contract.”

“How do you figure that?” Elle’s a sweet girl, but she doesn’t know anything about the behind-the-scenes politics with agents and owners and shit.

“All those guys in those photos are Christian’s teammates, and they actually like him. It’s why they let him convince them to come here for haircuts to help me and Audrey out, as a favor.”

“Yeah, I’m aware of how they all worship the ground that prick walks on.”

“It’s not just because he’s a good player, the leading scorer in their games. He’s actually friends with them. As arrogant as he can be, he always gives them the credit they deserved for assists or blocking goals or whatever else. They hang out together several times a week. They’re almost as close as a family.”

“Are you telling me I should be more like Christian fucking Riley?”

“Only as a team player. Not in your personal life, obviously.” Elle rolls her pretty hazel eyes that look a little more green and less gold today. “He could definitely learn a few things from you about being a better man when it comes to relationships. Or at least a lack of wanting the distraction.”

“How long did you two…date?” I ask rather than use the more indecent term.

“Five months.”

An actual whistle of surprise escapes me. “That’s a long damn time, Elle.”

“Long enough that I thought we were together, as in not seeing anyone else, since he came over most nights. All the nights he was in town.”

“But when he went out of town…”

“He couldn’t keep it in his pants. Or didn’t want to keep it in his pants. He should’ve at least told me. He assumed I knew he was with other women. It was crazy for me to even give Christian Riley the benefit of the doubt that I was enough for someone like him.”

Fuck. I hate Riley just a little bit more for making Elle feel that way.

“You are enough, Elle,” I assure her.

“Not for him, I wasn’t.”

“Riley’s a stupid fool who ruins everything.”

“What do you mean, he ruins everything?” she asks.

“I just meant that he can’t help but get in his own way because he’s an asshole who only thinks about himself.”

“That we can agree on. I don’t think he ever once considered how I felt about him. To him, I was just a warm body whenever he wanted it, but for me, he was more than that…”

“Did you love him?”

Her lips twist as she seems to consider my question for a long moment. “I don’t know. I don’t think so. I wanted to, but it was like I knew deep down that he was holding back part of himself from me, so I held back a part of myself, too. He still broke my heart, but I’m not going to waste weeks or months mourning a love that wasn’t ever there.”

Thank god she doesn’t love him. He still broke her heart, though. I don’t even know what to say to that.

I don’t want to say anything. I want to do something, to lash out and punch the son of a bitch in his smug face.

Both of my fists clench by my sides as my temper tries to break free again like before. Before I met Elle. But I push it all down. Getting angry at Christian or hitting him yet again won’t change anything for her.

All I can do is try not to make things worse.

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