24. Chapter Twenty-Four
Chapter Twenty-Four
Preston
“I can’t wait to get back home,” Emmett said, grinning as he adjusted his pads.
“The game hasn’t even started and you’re already thinking about home?” I pushed him and he caught my hand in his before dropping it quickly.
“Sorry,” I muttered.
It was hard to act normal at work. I wasn’t even sure what my normal was anymore. This was why I didn’t do relationships. Now, things were complicated with Emmett, and he didn’t have a clue.
For all he knew, we were both hooking up with Molly, but there was nothing between us.
She was such a sly devil, asking us to kiss so she could see what it looked like.
We kissed, and he asked Molly if that was what she needed—and then we didn’t talk about it again.
We even had a movie night, cuddled up as a cozy trio on the couch, where we kissed Molly until her lips were bruised. But no mention of my kiss with him.
“I’m the one that’s sorry.” He grimaced, talking low after Lucas walked past us. “I shouldn’t have done that.”
“We’re at work. I’ll keep my hands to myself.”
His jaw flexed. “I wanted to talk to you about Molly.”
“Oh yeah?” I adjusted my helmet and made sure my neck guard was in place. “What about her?”
“I think I want to ask her out.”
My skates suddenly became very interesting. I couldn’t look up and let him see my reaction or he’d think I wanted Molly. I did want Molly. But I also wanted him. And the way he was talking, it was clear I wasn’t part of the equation for him.
Fuck.
That hurt so bad I wasn’t sure I could fake any sort of smile or conjure any joy for him. When we got into this, I knew it could only end in one of a few ways. This was one way I had eagerly hoped it wouldn’t end.
I had fallen hard for these two. Molly was sunshine and gave me a reason to wake up every morning with a smile on my face. Emmett was my center. He grounded me and kept me in the moment when all I wanted to do was laugh something off.
Together, they actually made me feel things. Emotions and dreams I’d never let myself indulge in. I didn’t have any good reason for being so indifferent to my future, but it seemed easier than committing to one thing and getting hurt.
My feelings for them lulled me into a false sense of security and I had foolishly let my guard down. I had imagined a future with us all together, and now I could see that wasn’t meant to be.
Emmett shoved me. “What do you think?”
I think you just broke my heart.
“I think that’s great, man.” I clapped him on the shoulder. “I’ll make myself scarce when we get home so you guys can have the place to yourselves.”
He frowned and was about to say something, but I didn’t give him the chance. I waved at Lucas, who wasn’t actually looking my way, and acted like he wanted to talk to me.
Ambling across the locker room, I bit the inside of my cheek to keep from tearing up. I didn’t cry. That would be so ludicrous to do it right now in front of my teammates. They’d start calling me sniffles or some shit like that.
Lucas looked up, surprised, when I dropped onto the bench next to him. “What’s wrong with you?”
“Emmett likes Molly,” I grunted, and he scooted over as my shoulders smacked his.
Lucas’s face broke into a wide grin, and he draped his arm over my shoulder. “You’re jealous.”
It wasn’t a question, but I leveled him with a glare. “No shit, man.” I was beyond the point of denying it.
“Does Molly know?”
I groaned and stretched my neck. “She probably has a pretty good idea.” Flashes of us together, specifically the way she adoringly looked at Emmett, unhelpfully weaseled their way into my thoughts, and I groaned again. “I just thought—”
“You like her, too.”
Still not a question, but I gave him another glare. “Obviously.”
The asshole’s grin grew. “Are you two going to fight over her? I’m not choosing sides—”
I glared harder, if that was a thing. “You better choose my damn side.”
“I choose Molly’s side,” he said, folding his arms. “I want her to be happy.”
“So do I,” I said, puffing my cheeks and sneaking a glance at Emmett. He had his back to me while he finished getting ready, which was great. I didn’t need him to see me throwing a fit after he confessed something so big to me.
But then he turned around and my chest tightened when our eyes met.
He looked sick.
“Fuck. I need to go talk to him.”
“Yeah, he doesn’t look good.” Lucas frowned. “Want me to go with you?”
“I’ve got it.”
Lucas had enough problems in his own life. I shouldn’t have even bothered him with this, but I couldn’t keep it in any longer.
Crossing the room, I tried to shove my feelings away so I could just be there for Emmett. I could nurse the wounds of his rejection later.
I put my hand on his shoulder and pressed down the feelings coursing through me. “Talk to me, Krause.”
“I spoke too soon. I’m not asking Molly anything.”
“Why?”
“I just—I can’t.”
“Alright, men, gather around. I want to fill your head with some inspirational shit before we go out there,” Coach called, while I looked helplessly at Emmett.