Page 10 of Redeeming the Villain

“You do realize who you’re talking to, right?” Asher Kensington scoffs, laughing as he starts taking his sweaty clothes off from our workout.

Asher’s brother, Dean Kensington, chimes in, “Malik, stupid?Never.”

While the brothers have a lot of similarities, their differences lie on the ice, Asher being a forward and Dean being a defenseman.

“Why is everyone trying to get their ass kicked today?” I exhale through my words. “All I said was that I need to get some energy out.”

Griffin scoffs jokingly. “Yeah, and I’ve seen firsthand how destructiveyourenergy can be.”

Twisting my face, I groan. “That’s not fair. I just happen to have a lot of it that regularly needs to be expelled. Sue me.”

Fisting my T-shirt behind my neck, I pull the sweat-soaked black Legends shirt off and toss it onto the bench beside me.

“Did you getmoretattoos?” Asher chuckles, looking at my exposed inked chest and arms.

“No, smart-ass, no more than I had the last time you saw me.” Although I can’t quite blame him for asking because even I have lost count.

“What’s got you all riled up?” Griffin asks, changing into his sweats and hoodie. “You’ve been on edge the last couple of days, more so than usual.”

Those annoyingly pretty blue eyes and blonde hair flash in my mind, but I force the unwelcome imagery away.

“Nothing.”

“Are your teeth okay?” Asher asks, concern etched into his pinched brows. “I’ve never seen someone clench their jaw that tight before.”

“Ha-ha,” I deadpan.

“Seriously though, you know we’re here if you need to vent about shit,” Dean chimes in. “Better out.”

“Than what? In?“ Asher slaps the back of his head, scoffing. “Did you just fail to quote …Shrek?”

Dean shrugs with his arms in the air. “What? It’s a great movie.”

“Shut up.” Asher winces, shaking his head in brotherly disappointment.

A beat of silence passes between all of us, and my heart starts to race because I know they are anticipating a response. But I’m not going to talk about her … not to them.

“Yeah, seriously, guys, I’m good. Thanks though.” Throwing my black Legends hoodie and joggers on quickly, I haul my backpack onto my shoulder and stride toward the exit. “I’ll see you at the house, Griff.”

When I lift my fist to his, he bumps it, and I repeat it again with Asher and Dean as I pass them.

Griffin looks at me like he knows there’s more I’m hiding. “Sounds good, man. I should be right behind you.”

Heading out of the locker room, I’m more annoyed than I was when I walked in, which is impressive, given I spent the last hour and a half weight lifting and pushing myself past the point of exhaustion.

But the built-up rage isn’t what’s suffocating me. It’sher. Her presence here.

She’s going to destroy the peace I’ve built for myself.

She’s the resurrection of my past, blending with my present, and it’s mind-fucking me. I hate it—allof it.

This school and team are my future. I buried the version of myself she knew, along with the pain, so deep inside of me that I’m scared of what will happen if it breaks free.

I spent the last year forcing Avandale and everyone in it out of my mind. Everyone but the three people I’ll never be able to forget.

My high school hockey coach, Darius, and his wife, Alicia—who took me in when I needed help most. They’re the only sense of family I have left in this world, aside from my team.

And my brother, Micah, who’s still trapped in that town, in the same urn that my blackened heart and soul lie in. The only person in this world I’ve ever let in beyond my thorny walls.

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