Page 161 of Puck Me Secretly

“Max set me up with a counselor and he paid for everything. He’s been here for me every step of the way.”

This story about Max didn’t surprise me. That sounded like the Max I knew. “I’m glad he was there for you.”

“I felt so bad when he got into a fight over this. Thatcaused so much trouble for him. It’s the reason he had to leave his team. I know that helping me has cost him so much.”

I froze. “What do you mean?”

“When he found out who raped me, he beat him up.”

Time didn’t slow down, it fucking stopped. “Are you talking about the fight with him and Joseph Flanynk?”

She flinched. “Yes. Did you hear about it?”

The entire world heard about it. “Yes.”

“I guess Joseph was bragging about it, about how I begged him to give it to me real hard and Max lost it.”

We stared at each other. Here it was. The real reason Max had beat up Joseph Flanynk. “No one else knows who did this to you?”

“Up until now, it’s just been Max, but he said you were a trustworthy person. He told me you’re the only one he trusts in Vancouver.”

“You can trust me.”

She stared at her hands in her lap. “I want to help.”

That she wanted to help Max made me love her. “I’m not sure what you can do.”

“I can’t stand how they are talking about him in the media. I heard how he is getting kicked off the team and being replaced by Joseph, so I decided that I’m ready.”

I held my breath. “For what?”

“I’m ready to tell my side about how Max helped me.”

Holy shit. This was already a media circus, but if Lolita went public with this, the media would melt down.

“Are you sure?” I touched her with concern. “This will get a lot of attention.”

“I want to help Max. I want to tell the world how Max helped me, but I also want Joseph to pay for his crime.”

I worked to keep the shock off my face.

“I’m ready,” she took a deep breath. “The detective says they have enough evidence to make an arrest and that I only need to givethem a name. Do you think if he gets arrested that might prevent him from coming to Vancouver?”

Holy fuck. “The Vancouver Wolves would not hire Joseph if he got arrested.”

“Well then maybe they would hire Max back?”

I kept it to myself that fuckhead Baxter was calling the shots right now.

“You’d do this for Max?”

She tilted her head. “I think I’m doing this for me.”

“Are you sure you’re ready for this?”

“I am,” she squared her shoulders. Will you help me do this?”

I paused. Max reassured me that there was nothing more than friendship between him and Lolita, but I worried that this single, pretty mom had more than friendship feelings for Max.

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