Page 100 of Lucky Laces
Jesus Christ.
“Stop,” I snap, shoving him away.
West winds up and hits me too.“She doesn’t need to give Pat and his assholes any more fodder for their bullshit.”
“Fuck,” I grind out.“Stop.”
“Are you trying to make her job harder?”Cam says coolly, and my quiet, even-tempered teammate seems abnormally close to the edge.No, he’s crossed it, seeing as he’s punching me too.
Fuck.
I rub at my now aching shoulder and narrow my eyes at all of them.
But Rhodes hasn’t taken his turn.
Though, even as I’m thinking that, he steps close and does exactly that—socking me hard enough on my sore shoulder to make me suck in a breath and wince.
Goddamn, why are these men so good at punching?
And yeah, I know the answer to that—it’s the same reason I cantakethe punches, the same reason I have to grit my teeth together and bite back the urge to sock them back.
No knockdown, drag out fights at the rink.
And anyway, Rhodes is already talking, his words clipped out and striking deep.“She already has to deal with Pat and his merry band of assholes.Are you seriously going to give the internet more fodder to fuck with her?”He lifts his arm like he’s going to hit me again.
“Don’t,” I growl, catching his hand and shoving him back.
His eyes spark with fury.
And even though their words slice at me—though thanks to DeeDee maybe not as much as they might have in the past—I know they’re pissed because they like Diana, because they’re concerned for her.
So I can’t be pissed.
Or notthatpissed anyway.
“You guys aren’t wrong,” I mutter, staying King when he tries to punch me again.“I know it isn’t ideal.She’s our coach, and social media will eat this shit up.”
Cam’s fury deepens.Rome’s head looks like it’s going to explode.A muscle in West’s cheek flexes.And Rhodes’ scowl should be in the fucking dictionary under the listing…well, scowl.
Still, I ignore all of that rage and focus.
“She’s not engaged anymore, assholes,” I mutter.“Her ex cheated on her, and she dumped him.And I was going to keep my distance because it’s fucking messy and I didn’t want to make things harder for her?—”
“Apparently that shit didn’t last long,” King says, rolling his eyes.
“No,” I admit.“All of that went by the wayside when the ceiling in her office collapsed and we ended up trapped together for half a fucking day.”
Thankfully, that shuts them up.
But because they’re my friends—and only because of that—I don’t just take that victory and get the fuck out of here, go back to planning my evening with Dee.Instead, I brace myself and…give them the rest of it.
“I know she and I are asking for trouble.I know it probably doesn’t make sense to you guys.But this isn’t a just quick fuck, and it’s not only scratching an itch.”I inhale.Exhale.“I love her.”
Five pairs of brows lift.In disbelief.
“You don’t get it,” I mutter.“I would do anything for her—retiring, asking for a trade, paperwork, fucking interviews, anything that will keep her and her dream safe, anything that means the heat and pressure is on me and not her.”
“We get it,” Rome says quietly.
