Page 43 of Stick It
Staring up into those thunderous eyes of his, I hold my ground. “It’s still a no.”
“Jesus Christ.” He throws his hands up. “You ran out of here like a bat out of hell! We couldn’t find you anywhere.”
I’d love to know who thisweis.
“Yes,” I droll. “I’m sure the entire team was frantically searching for the unwanted player.” Pinching the bridge of my nose, I exhale heavily.Sarcasm will get me nowhere.
The day hasn’t even begun and I already feel a headache coming on.
Wearily, I ask, “Why do you even care?”
“Because,” Ethan grinds, face hard with thunder. “You’re a Steelhawk.” There’s fire behind his declaration. “And that makes you my responsibility.”
I’m stunned into silence.A Steelhawk. He just said I’m one of them, and not in a condescending way. In ayou’re truly a part of the teamway. In a way I’ve never experienced before, and it’s…so many things. Triumphant. Jarring. Like coming home but still unsure if anyone booby-trapped the house while you were away.
I swallow around the sudden lump that has formed in my throat. “Does this mean there’s no more ignoring me?” I do my best to mask the vulnerability, the hint of hope, but I sense he hears it anyway.
Ethan shakes his head, his gaze steady on mine. “No. Coachwouldn’t have put you in the first line if he didn’t think you deserved it.”
“Doyouthink I deserve it?”
He blows out a breath, head falling forward on his shoulders as though wishing I hadn’t asked that question. He stares at the ground beneath his feet for a long moment, and I sense he’s gathering his thoughts.
Eventually, he lifts his head, and I’m once again sucked into the vortex of his eyes, held captive as I await his response with bated breath. I don’t know why I care what he thinks. Ishouldn’tcare—and yet, for some unknown reason, IwantEthan’s approval.
“I think no one else on the team deserved it more.” Before I can letthatgo to my head, he tacks on, “But, I also think you’re going to have to prove that you can hold your own on the ice against an opponent.”
That gets a smirk out of me. “I don’t know why you all assume being taller and broader means it’ll be easier to corner me. Or why no one has realized yet that being lighter and smaller makes me quicker on my feet, so less likely to get pinned and easier to wriggle out when I do.”
His gaze drops to my lips, the corners lifting as amusement glitters in his eyes. It only lasts a moment, though, before it’s snuffed out.
“I heard about what happened. With Reed.”
I freeze. My stomach clenches, and the blood drains from my face.
Ethan notices. He always notices. His expression shifts—less stern, more cautious. “I…I’m sorry,” he says quietly. So much so that I’m convinced for a second that I heard him wrong.
“What?”
“I’m sorry,” he repeats, rubbing the back of his neck. “Itshould never have happened. I should’ve been there—should’ve stopped it before it started.”
An apology from Ethan Maddox is the last thing I expected to hear this morning, and I’m stunned into silence.
Shaking his head, he continues, “I pulled him aside after the roster was announced. Told him to keep his head on straight. I even had someone from the team keep an eye on him last night, but—” He shakes his head, expression tight with regret. “That should never have happened.”
No, it shouldn’t, but…
“Kyle’s actions are not your fault, nor your responsibility.”
The tension in his posture doesn’t ease. He looks like he’s carrying the weight of the entire team on his back—and I guess, in a way, he is.
He snorts. “This entire team is my responsibility—every single one of you. I don’t care if you think you can handle yourself—Icare that you’re safe. And last night…” He trails off, jaw tightening. “Last night, I failed.”
I don’t know what to say. Part of me wants to tell him he’s overreacting, but another part of me—the part that’s still reeling from what happened—takes solace from his apology.
The moment grows between us, twisting and bending until it feels like a pin could pop it.
My sigh echoes like the thud of a stick against a drum. “Fine,” I relent. “I’ll give you my number—but only you. You don’t put me in a group chat. You don’t give it out to anyone else on the team. If I get so much as a random message from an unknown number, I’m coming after you, and it won’t be pretty.”
