Chapter 23
GAbrIEL
AS SOON AS WE STEP outside holding hands, people stop mid-conversation and stare.
Some have their phones out immediately. Someone whispers something to their friend, and they both turn to look at us.
Even though I posted about my relationship a while ago, I had to wait for Scarlett’s ankle to heal so we could go out together, and now’s the time.
She squeezes my hand, and I squeeze back.
“Are you okay?” I ask quietly.
“Yeah. Are you?”
“Yeah.”
We head to the dining hall where the team usually meets for lunch. When we walk in, the conversations quiet down. Everyone looks at us. Zyair, Taj, Cory, and the rest of the guys.
I lead Scarlett over to the table and pull out a chair for her. She sits down, and I take the seat next to her.
“Hey,” I say to the table. “In case you didn’t notice, Scarlett’s my girlfriend now.”
Taj raises an eyebrow. “For real?”
“Yeah,” I say.
“Since when do you do girlfriends?” Cory asks.
“Since I met Scarlett.”
She smiles at the guys, but I can see the tension in her shoulders. She’s mostly good at hiding it, though.
“Look,” I say, addressing the whole table. “I know things have been rough lately. And I’m sorry. Again. I thought I was being helpful when I should’ve just asked first. It all spiraled, and I’m trying to be a different person.”
Zyair’s watching me closely, his expression unreadable.
“I mean it,” I continue. “I want to do better. For the team and all of you.”
Taj glances at Zyair, then back at me.
I look directly at Zyair. “Can you give me another chance? I promise I’ll work for the benefit of the team, and I’ll never do anything without consulting you guys first. I saw you were tired, and I thought you needed some time off.
But I took it the wrong way and misunderstood a rumor, which wasn’t about you like I thought.
I should’ve talked to you first, and I know that now. ”
Zyair’s quiet for a long moment, and then he nods. “All right. You get another chance.”
Relief washes over me. “Thank you.”
“But if you pull that shit again—”
“I won’t. I swear.”
The tension at the table eases slightly.
People start talking again. Taj asks Scarlett about her photography, and she launches into a long explanation about something.
Cory jumps in with questions about cameras, and soon, she’s laughing.
I guess she’ll have no trouble fitting in, but then again, they already know her and like her.
And luckily, her becoming my girlfriend didn’t change that.
Finally, everything is going as it should. The team forgave me, Scarlett is my girlfriend, and everything seems normal again. Or maybe it isn’t. Scarlett has been giving me suspicious looks here and there.
If she figures out I’m using her, it could all be over.
After lunch, Scarlett and I head back to our dorms together. She’s talking about some photo series she wants to do for her portfolio, and I’m nodding along and trying to focus.
My phone buzzes in my pocket, so I pull it out and glance at the screen.
Now.
Fuck.
“Hey,” I say to Scarlett, cutting her off mid-sentence. “I have to take care of something hockey-related real quick. Can I meet you at your dorm in an hour?”
She frowns. “Is everything okay?”
“Yeah, just team stuff. Won’t take long.”
“Okay.”
I give her a quick kiss and head in the opposite direction. My heart’s pounding by the time I reach the parking lot near the edge of the campus. The black car is already there, but this time, he’s standing outside of it.
He’s wearing a hat and sunglasses that hide his face. My gaze falls on the walking cane with golden ornaments on the hilt, and I flinch.
“Sir,” I say, stopping a few feet away.
“Lose the next game.”
I gape at him. “What?”
“You heard me. Lose the game.”
My mind races. I know I shouldn’t argue. Every instinct I have is screaming at me to just say yes and walk away. But if I throw a game now, the team will turn on me again. Scarlett will ask questions. Getting the captaincy back will be out of reach, and everything I just fixed will be ruined.
I have to try.
“Sir, please listen. I’m just getting back to the position you want me in. I got Scarlett to be my girlfriend. I’m gaining back my teammates’ trust. Messing with that now could cause problems in the future if you want me to get back the captaincy.”
His head tilts slightly. “Are you seriously doing this?”
“Please.” My throat tightens. “I’m asking you to reconsider, just this once.”
He doesn’t respond right away, and for a second, I think maybe he’ll listen and realize that I’m right.
“I said, lose the game,” he says slowly. “Yours is to do what I say and not asks any questions. Haven’t you learned that already? I guess you need a reminder.”
He lifts the cane, and before I can move, two guards step out from behind the car and grab me. Their hands grip my arms, and I try to pull away, but they’re too strong.
“Wait,” I say, panic rising in my chest. “Wait, please—”
The first blow comes before I can finish.