Page 35 of Pucking Curves

“Yeah, you did,” I whisper quietly, taking a step away from him. “You still think I’m the reckless ten-year-old little girl who walked out onto that ice. I’ll never be anything but her in your eyes.”

“Wren, that isn’t–”

“Yeah, it is.” I bite my lip, fighting not to cry. “Well, at least now I know, right?”

“Goddammit,” he growls, reaching for me.

I dodge him, ducking under his arm. “Just go away, Micah. We have nothing further to discuss.”

He tries to stop me again, calling my name, but I ignore him. I’m numb. Angry. All this time, I thought it was guilt that made him so overprotective. It isn’t. In his eyes, I’m still just a stupid kid, recklessly putting myself in danger.

I walk straight to Archer, who opens his arms for me without a word. I burrow into his embrace, breathing him in. Letting him steady me.

“It’ll be okay, little bird,” he whispers, his lips against my crown. “I promise you; it’ll be okay.”

“I know,” I whisper back. One way or another, it will be. But that doesn’t make it suck any less right now.

Chapter Nine

Archer

Micahdoesn’tsayaword to me when he stomps back into the locker room after Wren, Alice, and Emilia leave to go find their seats. He doesn’t even look in my direction, in fact.

I didn’t catch all of what he and Wren had to say, but I know he fucked up. And judging by the look on his face as he stomps around the locker room, he regrets the hell out of it. But he’ll wait for her to bend first because that’s what the fuck he does. He’s so goddamn stubborn.

His little sister is just like him. They may only be half-siblings, but they’re just fucking alike in that way.

I don’t regret telling him about us. He needed to know. But goddamn. I wish he’d just accept it and move on for her sake. I can deal with him icing me out, but she idolizes him. This is exactly what she didn’t want to happen.

Would it have if I’d kept my mouth shut?

“Fuck,” I mutter, bouncing my head against the wall.

“You good?” Nash asks, dropping onto the bench beside me to adjust his pads.

I cut my eyes in his direction, jerking my chin in a nod.

“Yeah, you’re so full of shit,” he mutters with a chuckle. “You look like you want to hit him.”

“You heard?” He was in the hall with Emilia.

“Not everything, but enough. You want my advice?”

He’s the only motherfucker on the team willing to give it to me, unsolicited or not. Everyone else just pretends like they don’t know that I’m in love with Micah’s sister. Not Nash. I respect the hell out of him for calling it like he sees it.

“Do I have a choice?” I ask anyway.

“Nope.” Nash smirks at me. “You’re all up in our business all the time. I’m enjoying returning the favor.”

“Dick.”

He chuckles before sobering. “Give him a little while to wrap his head around the fact that she doesn’t need him to protect her anymore. That shit isn’t easy, man.” He pauses. “But don’t let him stew over it for too long before you step in and handle it. If you let it ride too long, it’ll only hurt both of them in the end. Trust me.”

“Shit. Your sister married your former teammate.” I’m not sure how I forgot about that. I guess because I’ve been too wrapped up in my own life to worry about ancient history that doesn’t involve me. But if anyone can relate to Micah, I’m guessing it’s him. And if anyone can relate to not wanting to hide…well, that’s him, too. He and Emilia are currently hiding their relationship from Coach, and it’s not because Nash wants to keep it a secret.

“Yep.” He nods his head at Micah. “And I reacted a whole lot like that. It’s hard as hell to admit that the little girl you helped raise no longer needs you, especially when they’ve been through shit that nearly killed them. You never forget that fear.”

“Fuck,” I mumble, my heart clenching. He’s right. Micah isn’t being a stubborn asshole just to be a stubborn asshole. That isn’t his style. He’s worried about his sister the same way he’s always worried about her. In his heart, he knows she’s safe with me. But passing her off to me when she’s always been his to look out for can’t be easy. Especially when he’s already almost lost her once and still lives with that guilt.

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