Page 29 of Hot Ice, Tennessee

“You want to talk to me?” I said, rounding out and tossing my gear to the side. “Talk.”

Elliot held up his hands. “Just sayin’. You’re usually better. Where were you last night, before poker?”

Wouldn’t you like to know.

It was the first time I’d been confrontational with him since the breakup. Usually I just let it simmer, but something about it felt different today.

Almost like last night with Mason had made me evenmoreangry about the treatment I’d taken from Elliot. A random cowboy stranger had shown me more desire and enthusiasm in one night than Elliot had in our entire shitty relationship.

“Mind your own business,” I told him.

“Somethingmissingin your life lately, Jesse?” he asked, and a bitter feeling landed in my stomach.

Asshole.

He’d dropped me in an instant, weeks and weeks ago, but I knew Elliot. Now, he was getting bored, hoping to keep me interested in him anyway.

He wanted to be in the position of power, over everyone, all the time.

He was never going to get that from me again.

I was a moment away from punching him when Robbie popped off the ice next to me, clapping me on the back. “Jesse’s just slow today because he was up late last night, past his bedtime.”

I rolled my eyes, but I was glad that Robbie was here to defuse the situation and make me think about anything else.

“Getting home around midnight is hardly past my bedtime,” I said.

“You’re right, Robbie,” Elliot said. “In fact, I was just asking him where the fuck he was ‘til midnight.”

“Out,” I said with finality in my voice.

“Said he was at some guy’s house,” Robbie continued, waggling his eyebrows.

Shit.

Robbie had no idea I had any history with Elliot beyond just being players on the same team. People had noticed that we hung out a lot less now, but everyone on the Talons just assumed we were growing apart as friends and had mostly stayed out of it. I’d been out as gay for a long time, but the whole team thought Elliot was completely straight.

They had no clue what he had kept hidden.

How much pain he’d caused me.

Elliot gave me a glance. He was thirsty for gossip and I wasn’t going to give him a single goddamn morsel of information.

“Catch you at the game tomorrow, Robbie,” I said, nodding at him and walking off.

“Heading over to some guy’s house, I assume?” Elliot called after me, proving he had the maturity level of a prepubescent middle schooler.

Ignore him. Just keep fucking ignoring.

I was out of the locker room in record time, itching to get the fuck out of here.

My phone buzzed against my leg as I sat down at the front of my first summer class. I slid it out, my eyes dancing over the screen.

>>Mason: I want your tongue in my mouth again.

“Jesus,” I muttered under my breath, setting my phone down on top of the desk with a little clatter. Everything went molten hot in my chest.

Goddamn. Hadn’t expected that, cowboy.

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