Chapter 2 #2
“Oh my god. You’re totally scared,” I tease, watching him climb up slowly.
“It’s only a six-foot climb,” he grumbles, then two black boots land together on solid ground.
Phone in hand, I pull up the flashlight app and shine the beam onto the trail, side-stepping cacti as we approach a rock wall. It’s not that much of a climb from the hill we’re on, but we’re already pretty high up.
He’s going to hate this.
“Don’t look down,” I warn him before we start the climb.
“Can’t believe I let you rope me into this shit.”
I take a deep breath, then begin scaling the rocks.
What the hell are you thinking, Hannah? This is stupid!
My belly scrapes against the rough surface as I heave myself over the top and push to stand. Glancing down at my battered hands, I dust them off, then lift my chin and stare out at the most magnificent view of Las Vegas.
“Wow,” I say in wonder.
“Yeah,” Sean says from beside me.
As his hand accidentally brushes mine, a prickling sensation skitters along my skin, and my heartbeat thunders in my ears.
Stepping away from him, I move closer to the cliff’s edge and sit down, dangling my feet.
I pull my phone out of my back pocket and click the music app.
Tapping the icon for the playlist I want, I click shuffle, then set the cell on the rock beside me.
“Nutshell” by Alice in Chains plays low in the background of our comfortable silence as I look out over the city.
I zone out, my thoughts running away from me, until his deep voice hits my ears. “Great song.”
“Reminds me of my life. Though the invisible chains I’m bound by are the ones I’ve placed on myself.
” The heels of my shoes hit the rocks as I swing my legs back and forth.
“Truth is, I never wanted to be a disappointment. I respect my father more than anyone. He rearranged his entire life to raise me on his own after my mother died.”
“That’s parenting, Hannah.”
“Yes . . . well, the last thing I ever wanted was to be the reason his world flipped upside down again. That’s always been one of my biggest fears, and why I’ve struggled to be the perfect daughter, but now my biggest fear is not living life to the fullest. Missing opportunities. Having regrets.”
I look back at him standing over me, the lights in the distance casting a dim glow over his sharp features making him look even more beautiful and mysterious than he already is.
“Besides heights, what’s your biggest fear?” I ask.
Sean takes a tentative step and sits down, his thigh brushing against mine when he scoots forward until his legs also hang over the ledge. He turns his head to look at me and raises a brow. “Diving in deep with the heavy questions so soon?”
“Time is everything. I don’t like wasting time on surface-level stuff.”
He runs a hand over his carved jaw, dusted in a five o’clock shadow. “You’re not what I expected.”
“What were you expecting?”
“Collectively? Opposite.”
“What does that even mean?”
He leans in close, his fingertips playing with the ends of my hair. “It means . . . You like testing limits but you’re still a very good girl, aren’t you, Rebel?”
“Hannah!” Aiden calls out, forcing me out of the memory from a year ago and pulling my gaze away from the asshole who broke my heart.
Why does Sean have to be here? It’s the off season. Shouldn’t he be on a beach somewhere with his harem?
I hate him.
I hate that he looks so good.
I hate that he’s not miserable.
“Sorry,” I apologize, skating toward Aiden and driving the puck forward.
“Only called your name three times.”
Ice flies from under my skates as I cut to a stop. “Shut up and take possession, Aiden.”
“Careful, darlin’. Sounds an awful lot like you’re flirtin’ with me.”
Aiden steals the puck and cuts right, pushing it toward the goal before firing off a shot. An echo follows the sound of it clinking off the post, and he loops back around, cussing under his breath, then tries the shot again.
And again.
And again.
“You’re weak on your left side,” I say, standing next to him.
Aiden’s chest heaves as he turns to face me. “I’m not weak on my left side.”
“You’re wrong,” Sean says.
Aiden quickly jumps to my defense. “I wouldn’t go there if I were you.”
I ignore Sean because he doesn’t mean shit to me anymore. At least, that’s what I’ll keep telling myself until I’m convinced.
“No. I’m telling you. That’s the problem. You’re opening up your hips too early and pulling off the puck. Also, your weight isn’t transferring, so you’re shooting with half your power. And you . . .”
I turn to address Sean. He needs to sit the hell down. Over here, acting like I don’t know what I’m talking about. “You hesitate on lateral plays, and your post integration is sloppy.”
He scoffs, and goes to open his mouth, but I cut him off. “It’s a mess.”
There’s fire in his eyes. Oh, he’s getting mad. Good. I’ve been pissed off for a long time.
“Absolutely pathetic,” I spit.
He skates towards me until he’s so close that if he bent down a foot, we’d be nose to nose. I glare up at him and keep going.
“You hand out high-glove chances as freely as you offer your bed to puck bunnies, which is a lot. Do they drop to their knees as fast as you do, Mac?”
“Sounds an awful lot like you’re jealous.”
“Sounds an awful lot like you need to watch your five-hole. Your stick placement is inconsistent.” I look down at his crotch with an arched brow.
“What’s going on here?”
I jump at the sound of Carter’s voice booming across the ice from behind the boards.
Sean begins skating backwards, his eyes still locked on me. “It was a misunderstanding, Doc.”