Page 63 of Not the Puck Bunny

“I did,” he said. “But things have progressed between you two.”

“Jealous?” Blake asked him, sticking his face between us.

“Not jealous, just concerned,” Flynn said. “I was there on the ice, watching while everyone else was watching her. I saw how embarrassed she was. She's going to face that every day if you have a relationship with each other. The scrutiny isn't going to stop. It's easy to say you won't let it bother you, but I've seen it bother you in the past. I saw what it did to you when everyone was talking about you and Clio.”

“Don't bring her into this,” I snapped. “Andi isn't Clio.” I could hardly believe I was hearing this from him. I thought he supported me, no matter what. Wasn't that what friends were for?

“No, she's not,” Flynn agreed. “Clio wanted the spotlight. She wanted everything that went along with that, good or bad. She wanted people to talkabout her and remember her. And all the endorsements and shit that followed. Andi doesn't want any of that. Or does she?”

“No, she doesn't,” I said. “She wants to do her job and make a difference in the world.” I ran a hand over the back of my head.

Was he right?

It was one thing to turn off our phones and pretend no one cared what we did. It was easy to avoid Googling ourselves to see what people were saying. But it was virtually impossible to ignore glances. People taking photos. People talking about you in whispers.

Did I want that for her for the rest of her life? Hell no, no I didn't. Could I keep her from it? I didn't know the answer to that. Chances were, it was no. Not while we were together, anyway. Not while people cared what I did for a living. On and off the ice.

If I retired and went into coaching, people would still talk. And she'd be caught up in that.

“Shit,” I said under my breath. “She isn't the only person to have a partner on the team.” It was a weak argument, and I knew it.

“She's the only one whoownsthe team,” Blake said.

“Do you have to start on me too?” I asked bitterly.

He shrugged. “Just saying. People are going to have a vested interest in both of you. For the record, I think you're cute together.”

“Being cute isn't going to make this easier,” Flynn said. “Look, I'm not trying to ruin this for you. I want both of you to be happy, you know that. But I want you to think about what being together means for both of you. You might retire and try to disappear off the face of the planet, but because of your connection with her, they're always going to remember you. As long as you're together, people will be watching. You need to figure out if you can handle it or not. And if you can't, then do her a favor and walk away right now. Before she ends up getting her heart broken. Before you get your heart broken.” He gave me a nod and followed Nate on his tour of the small gym.

“I hate to say that he's right, but he's right,” Blake said. “We've all seen the way you look at her, even when she thinks you're not looking. I've seen you with a dorky grin on your face when she's not around. You've gone from being a grumpy asshole to someone who's almost tolerable.”

“Thanks,” I said sarcastically. “It feels like you allprefer the grumpy asshole. Because that's what you'll get if I end it with her.”

Was I seriously considering doing that? We'd told each other we were falling for each other not two days ago. I meant every word.

Now, everything Flynn said began to create a whirlpool in my brain. One that threatened to turn everything upside down and spit us both out. Every word rang way too true.

I told her I was doing special things for her, but everything was in private. At my apartment, and at Rafe's. I'd thought about taking her out somewhere, but dismissed the idea. Why? Because I wanted to save her from scrutiny. I didn't want people watching us. Filming us. Getting up in our faces. Sooner or later, we'd have to step out of the shadows. What would happen then?

Shit, I didn't want to think about it.

“You know we love you, even if you're a grumpy asshole,” Blake said. “We don't want to see you hurt, that's all.”

He scratched his bearded chin and continued. “Some days, I can't decide if we have the best job, or the worst. We get to play hockey, but people think we belong to them. Like they're entitled to insist on selfies and autographs. I like signingbreasts as much as the next guy, but when you're out with someone else, it gets a bit, you know, awkward.”

“The last time I went out on a date, she left early because people kept coming up to us. It was too much for her. But better to know that on the first date than on our wedding day. Or after a couple of kids. That would have sucked.”

He shrugged as though it wasn't as big a deal as it was. As if bringing children into this life was nothing to be worried about. Too many people didn't bother to filter their thoughts where children were concerned.

“Yeah, I guess it would,” I said vaguely.

I should have walked away sooner, before we got in as deep as we were. If I ended it with her, it was going to tear me up, but it would be a lot worse if it happened later. She deserved better than that. She deserved to be happy with someone she could walk around in public with. She deserved to have a normal life, without people pointing fingers at her, and insinuating themselves into her day.

She said she could thicken her skin, but when it came down to it, she shouldn't have to. None of us should, but I chose this life, knowing what came with it. She was thrust into it, thrown straight into thedeepest end of the fire, where she could either burn, or tiptoe across the coals.

A flare of anger at her father burst up inside me. He must have had some idea of what he was getting her into. But he'd done it anyway. Her mother too. Both of them had let her walk into this, not really understanding the shit that came with it.

No one doubted she was good for the team. If we stayed together, there was a big chance she'd walk away from the Sea Dragons. To put some sort of distance between us, in the public eye.

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