Page 124 of Shots Fired

“I know I said I wasn’t getting involved, but … do you want me to talk to him? I can try and smooth the land a little.”

I shake my head on the way over to the Olympic bar and get into position, taking the weight before Sawyer lies down on the bench.

“No. It’s fine. When he’s ready to talk, he will.”

From below me, Sawyer twists his lips. “You sure about that?”

He pushes out a few reps, and I take the weight back from him. “No, I’m not, but what other choice do I have? He’s not giving me a fair chance to explain, and I’m tired of shots being fired at me unfairly.”

“Unfairly?” a growl echoes from behind.

Fuck.

Replacing the weight back on the rack, I face Jack. He takes a pull from his water bottle, and I wait for him to elaborate because that’s the first fucking word he’s said to me by choice in the last ninety-six hours.

“This shit’s hilarious! It’s like some kind of standoff or something.” Tommy thumbs over his shoulder toward the lockerrooms. “I’ve got a couple of pistols if you want to duel. Could be fun, I guess.”

“Not now, Tommy,” Sawyer warns, rising from the bench and coming to stand in a place between me and Jack.

Tommy just grins, enjoying every second of the charged atmosphere.

“Why am I being unfair?” Jack speaks. “You expected to snap your fingers, and I’d be cool with everything?”

I drag a palm down my face, frustrated because I know whatever I say won’t make any difference. “If you can’t set your feelings aside for me, then maybe do it for Darcy. She’s upset and panicking that I’m going to get traded by the GM if shit doesn’t calm down.”

He snorts. “Why would you get traded? We all played well against the Flames, and I supported you in the slot, like always.”

“Come on!” I throw my hands up, voice several octaves higher. Thankfully, Jon isn’t around to witness this. “You could feel the hostility from the moon, never mind the fucking family box.”

“My kind of game.”

“Shut up!” Jack and I shout at Tommy in unison.

Like he’s chewing on some gum, he simply shrugs and leans back on the press, getting back to work and doing us all a favor.

Jack pushes a hand through his sweat-soaked hair. Like every other time his sister’s been brought into the conversation, he mellows.

“Darcy knows this has nothing to do with her.”

“Good fucking thing,” I retort, really wishing I had more control over my mouth today.

Jack goes to spin on his heel, pointing to the treadmills on the other side of the room. A pang of sadness shoots through me. Only last season, we were laughing and joking around by them, winding Sawyer up over his date with Collins.

And now all he wants to do is retreat to them.

“Are we done?”

I step forward, determination pushing me on. “No, we’re not done. Not by a long shot.”

He crosses his arms over his chest, a classic defensive stance if ever I saw one.

“Okay, have your little speech in front of everyone. Don’t forget to leave out the part where you lied—multiple times.”

“I lied because this is how I thought you’d react!” I yell. “And all you’re doing is proving me right.”

He presses his lips into a thin line, biting back anger. “The first rule of a friendship is not to go behind each other’s backs. Why couldn’t you just be up front with me? I’m starting to wonder if I hadn’t caught you in the airport, when would you have actually admitted to everything?” He throws his arms out, releasing a defeated breath. “It just fucking blows, and if the shoe were on the other foot, I would’ve never done that to you with Emma.”

The conversation ends when Jack spins on his heel, shaking his head on the way over to the treadmills.

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