Page 288 of Playing the Pucking Game
But it’s too late to think about all of that now.
Rett knows about it, and soon, the entire world will too.
I take a few calming breaths before I push my bedroom door open and step inside.
As ordered, Linc is lying in the middle of the bed with his boxers resting low on his hips and the rest of his body on full display.
“See something you like?” he taunts, lifting his arms and tucking his hands behind his head, knowing that it makes his torso even more defined.
“You know, it wouldn’t hurt you to pretend you’re not God’s gift to women every now and then,” I tease as I crawl onto the bed beside him.
“I don’t care about being a gift to women, Parker. Only you.”
“On second thought, maybe it is a good thing you’re hot with lines like that.”
“You think I’m hot, pretty girl?”
“Meh, probably a seven out of ten on a good day.”
He laughs at my blatant lie before he hisses as I press the ice pack to his eye.
“Rett isn’t in a good place,” he says, his tone much more serious.
“No, I saw that. He’s always the same whenever his team is on a losing streak,” I explain, remembering some of his worst moments as a teenager. “The Bandits will find their feet again, and he’ll turn a corner.”
“I hope so. It’s been a while since he’s been this bad.”
My concern for my brother grows. There is only one person on this Earth who knows him as well as I do, and that’s the man looking back at me. Both of us are too far away to really do anything, especially during the season. We can be there at the other end of a phone whenever he needs us, but when Rett is like this, he shuts himself off. Sometimes, he’s impossible to reach unless we physically turn up and force him to talk.
“And here we are, making it worse,” I mutter sadly.
“We can’t stop living our lives because Rett is in a bad place,” Linc says, taking my hand and lifting it to kiss my knuckles. “We knew he wouldn’t like this. But we are not responsible for his reaction.”
“I know,” I sigh. “I just hate hurting him.”
“Me too. And I must admit, him finding out while I’ve got my head between your thighs probably wasn’t ideal.”
“We should have told him last night.”
“Well, he knows now. He’s just going to have to figure out a way to deal with it because it’s not changing anytime soon.”
“I’m going to talk to HR today. Speak to Coach and Jarad and get everything in place.”
Linc nods, aware that it needs to happen sooner rather than later. We have to be ahead of the gossip, and if Rett doesn’t cool off before the game later, I fear the media might just put two and two together, and all hell will have broken loose by the morning.
Once Linc’sallocated fifteen minutes were up, he climbed off the bed and plodded to his room to get ready.
I did the same, and only thirty minutes later, we’re descending through the building and toward his car.
My knee bounces the entire journey as my nerves about telling everyone what’s been happening between us get the better of me.
Linc keeps telling me that it’ll be fine, and a part of me believes him.
But what if it’s not?
What if I’m effectively signing my resignation by confessing to being in a relationship with him?
This is my dream job. Everything I’ve worked so hard for.
