Page 67 of Puck'n Bully
“Yeah,” he says, examining a long, dark bruise along my left side. “I saw what they did to you.”
“You should see the mess I made of the other guys,” I say, trying to smirk with my bruised lips.
Tearing his gaze away, he looks at me. He doesn’t chuckle or even roll his eyes. Instead, he lets out a sob as tears well up in his sapphire eyes.
I freeze at the sight of the pained expression on his beautiful face.
Liam sniffles, hastily rubbing his sleeve over his eyes but it’s too late. A tear slips down his cheek, landing softly on my hand.
An aching warmth spreads through my chest, choking me.
“Hey, I’m the one who got hurt,” I say in a hoarse, gentle voice as Liam blinks rapidly, struggling to keep himself together.
“I know I’m stupid!” he barks at me.
It hurts to move but I reach out and shuffle his soft, blond curls. “Hey, it’s okay,” I tell him. “I’ve taken worse hits in my career. I’ll be fine in a couple of days.”
Liam furiously brushes away his tears.
I want to soothe him but what can I say when the very sight of him is filling me with a hundred different emotions? No one has ever cared enough for me to cry for me.
People only liked me when I scored goals in the rink.
My coaches ignore my aching, tired muscles that come from training too hard. They choose to be blind to the bruises and injuries I take during games. They pretend not to see the exhaustion in my eyes and stay silent when I flinch and limp, still fighting to stay in the game.
Only Liam sees the agony I’m in. Hell, he’s probably even feeling it! He’s hurting because he can’t bear to see me in pain.
“I have some of Gram’s arthritis medicine in the house,” Liam says, breaking me out of my thoughts. “They can help with the soreness. For the rest, maybe I should take you to an emergency ward?”
A chuckle escapes me. “I haven’t broken anything,” I tell him, wishing he’d stop looking like I’m on my deathbed. “It’s just bruises and a couple of torn ligaments. They’ll heal with muscle relaxants and sprays. Just give me a week and I’ll be as good as new.”
Liam gets to his feet, chewing his bottom lip. “I’ll go check Gram’s medicine cabinet and see if we have any of those.”
Before he can take another step away, I grab his wrist. “I have everything I need in my gym bag. Just get me some water and I’ll be fine.”
“Shit! You haven’t hydrated since the game, have you?” A horrified look comes over him as he snatches his hand out of my grip and rushes out of the room.
I try to go after him but my aching muscles make me sink back into the couch. My breathing turns erratic as pain flares in my body. It looks like I’m going to need at least a week to fully recover from my injuries.
Liam hurries back into the room after a while. He looks worried as he hands me a glass of orange liquid. “I made you some orangeade,” he says, handing me the tumbler. “The sugar will help you feel better.”
“Thanks,” I say, eagerly accepting the glass from me. My throat was parched since the game but the impending meeting with my dad kept me from taking care of my after-game needs.
The cool, sugary drink feels incredibly good. It soothes my dry throat and brings a touch of relief.
“I’ll bring you some more of this stuff,” he says as I finish the drink within seconds. With that, he rushes out of the room again.
I look for my gym bag and find it at the foot of the couch. Loud grunts escape me as I pull it up beside me.
“Hayden, what are you doing?” Liam cries, hurrying over to me with a pitcher of the orange drink. “Just tell me what you need and I’ll get it for you.”
Does he have any idea how cute he’s being right now? Does he have any idea about the hunger he’s igniting deep in my heart? Despite my aching muscles, I can still capture him anddevourhim.
I exhale a long breath in a bid to calm the heat flooding my veins. “I was just getting my meds,” I tell him.
“I’ll do it for you,” he says, putting the pitcher on the coffee table before me. He pours me another serving of the bright orange beverage and hands me the glass.
While I sip it, he rummages inside my bag. “Is this it?” he asks, bringing out the medicine kit.
