Page 64 of Face Off
“You’ve got to be kidding me,” he spits, jabbing a finger in Chloe’s direction. “Her?Inourlocker room? Are you out of your fucking mind?”
Chloe shrinks back, face pale, but I step in front of her on instinct. My voice comes out low, defensive. “Murph, just listen…”
“Listen?” His laugh is short and bitter. “I did my time with her. I paid the price when she plastered my name across every tabloid in the country. I nearly lost Sophie because of her. You think I forgot that?”
The weight of his glare pins me in place. He’s not just pissed, he’s betrayed.
“This isn’t just about you getting your dick wet,” he snarls. “This is about theteam. About trust. And you’ve draggedherback into the fold? Jesus Christ, Taylor. Do you even realise what you’re risking?”
My stomach twists, shame clawing its way up my throat. Chloe presses her face into my back, silent, but trembling.
“Murphy,” I try again, my chest tight. “It’s not what you think. She’s not like,”
“Not like what?” he cuts me off, fury snapping in his eyes. “Not like the puck bunny who tried to ruin me and my relationship? Not like the reason I had to spend months rebuilding my relationship while every idiot online called me a joke?”
The locker room hum beyond the showers feels suddenly too close, the voices of our teammates muffled but there. If they hear this, if this blows up here, we’re screwed.
Murphy shakes his head in disgust. “Unbelievable. Of all the people in the world, you pickher.”
His voice drops, cold and final. “You’ve just made the biggest mistake of your career, mate.”
And then he turns, storming out, leaving the weight of his words crushing down on us both.
CHAPTER THIRTY
OLLIE
Murphy’s words are still ricocheting in my skull long after he storms out of the showers.Biggest mistake of your career.
I’ve taken hits that left my ears ringing, but nothing like this.
Chloe’s fingers are still clutching at me, trembling. Her face is buried against my chest like she wants to disappear. My heart is hammering so hard I swear she can feel it.
“Ollie…” Her voice cracks, small and broken, and I hate it. Hate that Murphy’s fury just gutted her.
“Hey, hey,” I murmur, dragging a hand through her damp hair, trying to keep my voice steady. “Don’t listen to him. Don’t. He doesn’t get to…”
But I can’t even finish because my gut twists. He does get to. He has every right. She hurt him, and now here I am, tangled up with her, risking everything.
I press a kiss to her forehead anyway. “We’ll figure it out, okay? I’m not letting him scare you off.”
But even as I say it, my stomach sinks.
By the time we towel off and pull our clothes back on, the adrenaline has curdled into dread. I can feel it crawling undermy skin as we walk toward the lockers. Every step feels like a countdown to detonation.
The boys are loud as ever, laughing, shouting, music blaring from someone’s speaker. The air reeks of sweat, liniment, and victory. Normally, I’d be buzzing right along with them. Tonight? I feel like I’m carrying a live grenade in my chest.
Murphy’s at his stall, jaw tight, hands moving sharp and angry as he shoves his gear into his bag. He doesn’t even look at me, but I feel the heat rolling off him.
Jacko glances up from unlacing his skates. His brows pinch as he clocks the tension, the way Murphy’s shoulders are coiled, the way Chloe hovers behind me like she wishes the floor would swallow her whole.
“Ol?” Jacko asks slowly, voice low, careful. “Everything good?”
I force a grin, too wide, too fake. “Yeah, course. Just… tired.”
Murphy snorts, loud and bitter, but still doesn’t look up.
The room goes on around us, oblivious, and I thank God for it. The last thing I need is the whole team turning on Chloe.
