Revenge Puck (Shot at Love #1)

Chapter 36

36

Preston

T he roar of fury in my head subsides as soon as I turn around and Elle is no longer standing in the locker room.

She’s gone.

She’s not just gone. She left my jersey behind, tossing it down like its trash. Like I’m trash and she doesn’t want anything else to do with me.

My stomach clenches, feeling empty and nauseous at the same time when I realize what I’ve done.

I blamed my temper, my fuck up, on her and pushed her away when I needed her the most.

Walking over on my skates, I pick up the sweater and hold it up to my nose. It smells like her, like the fancy shampoos she uses in the salon.

Hell, I know this is all my fault, and my fault alone.

My fault for letting Christian get to me.

He knew Elle was my weakness, that I still believe she hasn’t got over him and may never be able to forget him.

But it’s really just my own insecurities. I don’t think I can compete with the blonde jackass, that I’ll never be the man Elle needs. Especially not from the other side of the country.

When my teammates fill the locker room, none of them will even meet my eyes. They’re pissed that I lost it, and my penalty meant putting pressure on our goalie and the four men who had to play against five Bobcats for five minutes to try to prevent them from scoring, a nearly impossible task.

“This is why you’re a free agent, Lawrence,” Coach Ramsey comes up and says to me. “You’re a damn good player, but that temper of yours hurts the whole team.”

My temper.

It’s not Riley or Elle or anyone else’s fault but my own.

And it’s time for me to take responsibility for my actions.

“I’m sorry I lost it,” I tell Coach and the entire room that’s solemn now that we’re losing three to one.

The trophy seems out of reach, at least for tonight, no matter how hard the guys fight to try to make a comeback.

But the loss from pushing Elle away feels a million times worse.

Elle

I text Audrey to grab our things and meet me at the main exit, needing to escape the arena as soon as possible.

As soon as she sees me in the empty lobby, her face falls.

“Oh no, Elle.”

“I don’t want to talk about it,” I tell her as I push open the exit door.

“Sure thing. I’m here whenever you’re ready –”

“I’m never dating another hockey player again,” I tell her between sniffles as soon as the cool night air hits me.

“Damn all those stick-wielding pricks.”

“No more athletes, period. They just want to play stupid head games, and I don’t want any part of it!”

“Absolutely not.”

“They’re all a bunch of selfish assholes!” I rant.

“Damn right they are.”

“It was stupid to think Christian or Preston would ever really want someone like me…”

“Whoa!” Audrey says, jumping in front of me on the dark sidewalk and pressing a hand to my chest. “It wasn’t stupid. You are a beautiful, sweet, kind woman, Elle. And if anyone isn’t worthy, it’s those brawling idiots who are too stupid to realize you’re the best woman they’ll ever know.”

“Thanks, Audrey,” I say with a shaky smile as tears roll down my cheeks. “I thought…I thought I loved Christian, but I knew…I loved Preston.”

“I know, honey. Come here,” she says, pulling me into her arms where I cry on her shoulder.