Page 108 of Stick It
A weight drops onto the bench beside me, snapping me out of my state.
“You’re not going to be able to lift your stick tomorrow, never mind hold off an opponent,” he comments casually.
I rack the bar, sitting up, and he tosses me a towel.
“So what has you pumping iron in the middle of the night like you’re trying out for the World's Strongest Man?”
I wipe at the sweat along my forehead, my pulse pounding in my ears, though I don’t know if it’s from the workout or the conversation I’m about to start. “I need to ask you something.”
Kyle nods as he leans forward, resting his elbows on his knees. “Shoot.”
Shifting so I’m facing him, I study his expression. The sharp jawline, the confident smirk that I very rarely see him drop, even when we’re alone like this. I heave out a long sigh, holding his gaze. “I need to know if you did it,” I state bluntly.
His expression doesn’t change. Doesn’t flicker, doesn’t falter. He blinks at me, head slightly cocked. “Did what?”
I grit my teeth. “You know what. Dylan. Did you?—”
“Jesus, Finn.” He exhales sharply, shifting on the bench as he shakes his head. He’s quiet for a moment, looking off into space while his jaw tics. He rubs at his chin with his hand, huffing a humorless laugh under his breath. “I knew the others believed that little—” He cuts himself off, gaze whipping my way. “But you?” He shakes his head again, eyes still boring into mine. “I never thought you’d take a girl’s word over that of your best friend.” Hurt flashes across his expression, stabbing me right in the heart.
Fuck.
“Do you really think I could do something like that?” he presses.
I don’t answer because the truth is, I don’t know what I think anymore. A part of me genuinely thought he mightconfess to attacking Dylan, but sitting here looking at him, hearing the hurt in his voice, makes me second-guess myself.
Kyle sits up, lips pursing as he seems to deliberate something before saying, “Look, I know you’ve been playing babysitter for her. And I know she’s been feeding you all sorts of bullshit, but come on, man. It’s me. Do you really believe I’d throw away everything? My spot on the team, my future, my fucking life, just to go after some chick who stole my place?”
Well, fuck, when he puts it like that, it does sound extreme.
Perhaps Dylan is wrong. She saw Kyle’s aggression on the ice and incorrectly assumed he’d be capable of that—and more—off of it, when in reality, she was just in the wrong place at the wrong time.
I saw for myself how mad he was when Dylan took his first-line spot. Saw the way he targeted her on the ice. And yeah, he’s always been aggressive, always played on the edge of dirty, but off the ice? He’s never been that guy.
At my continued silence, Kyle sighs. “I get it,” he says, sounding resigned. “You don’t know who to trust. She’s got you all twisted up. But let me ask you something, Finn. Do you even really know this girl?”
My stomach knots, my brow furrowing. “What is that supposed to mean?”
He leans back on his hands, his posture open and relaxed now. “I got talking with Lucas after the exhibition game.”
I scoff, “You expect me to believe anythingLucassays?”
Kyle shrugs. “I know he’s a dick, but he had no reason to lie. He said Dylan was the same back when she was at NSU. She was dating Lucas, but she was also hooking up with other players on the team.”
I frown, recalling my brief lapses in judgment when I’ve kissed her, along with other snippets I’ve noticed—her and Jax curled up on the sofa, the way she looks at Ethan sometimes, theferal possession in Griffin’s eyes when she’s in the room. Except, she’s not dating any of them—of us. Not that I’m aware of anyway.
“Sound familiar?” Kyle questions, a lilt to his voice that makes me feel as though I’ve been a blind idiot.
“Sounds to me like Lucas is a scorned ex-boyfriend,” I retort.
“Maybe,” he responds easily. “But look at what she’s doing here. Cracks have been forming in the team ever since she arrived. Hell, you and I have barely spoken since Roster Day, and throughout it all, she comes out smelling like roses.”
I frown but remain quiet.
Kyle sighs. “I’m not trying to tell you what to do. But she’s got Ethan, Jax, and Griffin wrapped around her finger. Don’t let her do the same to you.”
I exhale, dragging a hand through my hair. I don’t want to believe him, but the doubt is already there, gnawing at the edges of my mind. Dylan is different, I know she is. But I also thought Kyle was different.
And now? I’m even more confused than I was before this little chat.
