27. Dylan
DYLAN
I’m back at practice the next morning, despite my body’s protests.
But it’s miserable. I’m stuck on the bench, watching.
Watching my teammates fly across the rink, watching the first-line practice plays I should be a part of, watching Kyle fucking Reed skate like he’s not the reason I’m sitting on this stupid fucking bench in the first place.
My fingers dig into my thighs as I glare at him. He shouldn’t even be on the team. Shouldn’t get to walk away from what he did like it was nothing. I suck in a sharp breath and force my gaze away before anyone notices.
It clashes instead with Griffin across the ice.
He stands tall, a force of padded gear in the crease, but his focus is pinned on me more than the puck.
Thankfully, he’s the only one who seems to have noticed the way I scowl at Kyle while I envision ripping his head from his shoulders every time he rushes past.
Jax skates by, slowing just enough to glance my way. His gaze rakes over my skin assessingly, as though checking there is no new damage. “You good?”
I nod before he skates off, rejoining the scrimmage. He’s fucking lucky the guys on the opposing team didn’t take his distraction for the opening it was and slam him into the boards. Idiot.
As soon as the scrimmage ends, he’s back with a bottle of water, handing it over to me without a word. I sigh, twisting the cap open. At least he’s subtle about it.
The freshman sitting beside me isn’t so smooth. “Uh, do you need anything?” he flusters. “Ethan said…well, he told me to make sure you’re okay. And, uh, get you anything.”
I glance at the kid. He looks nervous, like he’s afraid of screwing up his first real assignment on the team. Poor guy. I almost feel bad for him.
“I’m good, thanks. You don’t have to babysit me.”
“Uh, yeah, I do. Ethan was really specific.”
I huff out a frustrated laugh. Of course he was. “Fine. You can sit here, but you don’t have to act like my personal servant.”
The kid nods quickly, and I focus back on the drills the forwards are currently running. Practice has been running for over an hour now, and my ass has grown numb. I shift, wincing as the slight movement jostles my ribs, sending pain flaring through them.
“You!” Ethan barks from across the ice, pointing a gloved finger at the freshman beside me. “Get her painkillers and a heat pad. Now!”
The kid practically jumps to his feet, stuttering out apologies.
“It’s fine,” I try to say. “I’ve got— And he’s gone,” I say to myself as I watch the kid race along the bench.
“Be right back!” he calls before disappearing to do Ethan’s bidding.
I whip my head back to glare at the asshole but he’s already focused back on his drills. I don’t even know how he fucking saw that, given it appears as though his full attention is on the ice.
“Jesus, Ethan,” I mutter, shaking my head as I glance around at the other players. Some of them are watching me, and I offer them tight smiles. “Overkill much?”
I’m still cursing him out under my breath as I reach into my backpack to retrieve some pain meds.
Not because Ethan all but demanded it, but because I am a little sore.
As my fingers wrap around the pain med bottle, they also catch on a loose piece of paper in my bag.
I pull it all out, setting the bottle in my lap as I look at the paper in confusion.
It’s all neatly folded up, and I carefully unfold it.
Still fearless. Still fucking beautiful.
The air stalls in my lungs. It’s just like the last note I received. The one I’ve tucked in an old journal of mine and occasionally pull out late at night, wondering who wrote such words about me. Who is looking so closely? Who sees me in this light?
“Finn!” Ethan barks. “Focus.”
My head snaps up as Finn turns away, going back to his drills.
I stare at him for a long moment, but he never once looks my way.
I do catch him staring at his best friend, though, head tilted and eyes clouded with questions.
I hope that means he’s questioning his behavior, that he’s considering my version of events to be the truth.
However, only time will tell. Time and proof—if I can get it.
Not entirely sure what to make of these notes, I tuck it away in my backpack and pop my pills, swallowing them down with cold water. When the freshman returns with a heat pad, I give him a tight smile, and we don’t talk again until the end of practice.
As the rest of the team stomps off the ice and toward the locker room to change, Bear approaches, clipboard in hand. “How you holding up?” he asks, looking me over with scrutiny .
“Fine,” I lie.
I notice the guys slow, glancing my way as they pass. Bear turns to look at them, before returning his attention to me, his expression knowing. “They’re protective.”
I roll my eyes. “They live with me. Ethan’s the captain. You practically ordered him to babysit my ass, so that’s what he’s doing.”
Bear grunts. “Good to hear.” He rubs at the back of his neck, seeming to think something over before lifting his head. “I know I offered before and you said no, but I want you to know the offer still stands. Come live with me. I can sort it all out with the dean—explain the situation…”
I’m already shaking my head, reaching out to squeeze his arm. “You know how much I appreciate you sticking your neck out for me, but it’s not necessary.”
“I worry about you,” he admits, concern bleeding into his words.
“Then it’s a good thing you like to torture us with daily practices, so you can see for yourself how I’m doing.”
Ethan appears then, already changed in record time as he strides over. Stopping a foot away from Coach, the two of them seem to square off in some silent macho man dance I’m not privy to, before Bear grunts, “Keep her safe.”
Ethan simply nods before Bear steps past him and walks away, leaving us alone.
Tilting his head toward the exit, he asks, “Ready to get out of here?” He’s already bending down to grab my bag from the floorboards before I can move.
“I can carry my own shit,” I grouse, cautiously pushing to my feet.
“Sure you can.” He marches off, my bag slung over his shoulder, without a second glance.
“Asshole,” I mutter, scrambling to catch up with him. “Please tell me I’m not going to be stuck with you all day.”
His responding grin is not reassuring as he pushes open the door and we step out onto the BSU campus, and I already foretell that it’s going to be a long day.
“I’m just as uncomfortable standing as I am sitting,” I snap at Ethan, swatting him away.
“Perhaps if you took your pain meds when you’re supposed to,” he grouses in return.
“I’m fine.”
“Yes, clearly.” His tone drips with sarcasm. “That’s why you’re white as a sheet and breathing heavily.”
“Maybe if you’d just back the fuck off and leave me be for two fucking seconds.”
“Wow, the tension is sizzling out here,” Wren interrupts—thank the fucking gods. Ethan and his hovering are driving me in-fucking-sane, and it’s only been one morning. Someone else better be on protection detail soon, or we’re going to be minus one captain this season.
“You weren’t kidding when you said you had bodyguards,” she adds, eyeing Ethan with a teasing smirk.
“Trust me,” I tell her, glaring in Ethan’s direction. “It’s not as fun as it sounds.”
“Mm, but it sure is pretty to look at. Hi, Ethan.”
“Wren,” Ethan greets politely, his exasperation from a moment ago suddenly nowhere to be found.
“Ready to eat?” I ask Wren, already linking my arm through hers and pulling her down the path, leaving Ethan to trail behind us.
I called Wren last night to update her on what had happened, although I have kept my suspicions about who I believe attacked me to myself.
I don’t need to drag her into that mess.
I also sent her a text earlier informing her that if one more person asked how I was doing today, I was liable to incite a massacre on campus.
So she sensibly doesn’t ask how I’m feeling, although I can tell she’s concerned as she runs her gaze over me, cataloging the cacophony of bruises that have drawn more than a few eyes this morning. It’s been awesome.
“I’m sensing some hot and heavy enemies to lovers vibes,” she comments while we walk, and I could fucking kiss her for skipping over all talk of the attack. However, I do side-eye her like she’s crazy—which, clearly she is.
“You’re sensing my supreme restraint to not rip his balls off.”
“Oh, kinky. I didn’t know Ethan was into ball play.”
“What?!” I splutter. “No. I mean…” I shake my head. “Ethan’s kinks are none of my concern.”
Wren grins at my flustering before wagging her brows. “But you want them to be.”
“I… Please shut up.”
She cackles like a true-to-life witch, before glancing over her shoulder and bringing her head closer to mine. Lowering her voice, she whispers, “For real, though, is anything going on between you two? Between any of them?”
I choke on absolutely nothing, nearly tripping over my own feet. I cast a furtive glance back at Ethan, thankful to see he’s several steps behind us, surveying our surroundings with the scrutiny of a general navigating a war zone.
“I mean, come on,” she continues. “You have an entire lineup of walking sin babysitting you. Not to mention that you live with three of them. Don’t tell me you haven’t at least thought about it.”
Oh, I’ve thought about it, all right. That’s the problem !
I look away, but the heat creeping up my neck betrays me.
“Oh my God!” Wren squeals, and I snap my face back to hers, giving her wide eyes as I dig my fingers into her forearm in a warning to shut the fuck up right now.
Mouthing, sorry , she drops her voice to a hushed whisper. “Something has happened, hasn’t it?” Another glance back at Ethan. “With which one?”
I hesitate, unsure whether I should admit to anything, but it’s exhausting keeping this secret to myself, not having someone to talk it through with.
With a sigh, I lower my voice. “I’ve kissed three of them.”