“Dad?” he repeated louder this time, his voice echoing off the locker room ceiling.
The other hockey players knew Dax well enough to know when he was about to lose it, and some hastily took a step back. Lucas didn’t. He remained directly behind Anna. And Jack…
“Dax, calm down,” he said slowly, placing his hands on her brother’s shoulders. But Dax shook him off, his burning gaze still fixed on Anna.
“You’re talking to Dad?” he snapped. “And you didn’t tell me?”
Anna pressed her lips together and stared back. “You’re making a scene, Dax,” she replied calmly. “Yes, that was Dad. No, I’m not talking to him. Not yet.”
“But you’ve been in touch?” he exclaimed.
“Dax,” Jack said firmly, “come on.”
“Stay out of it,” Dax snapped. “He’s not your father!”
Jack sighed and Anna snorted.
“But he is mine,” she replied coolly. “And he contacted me. He wanted to meet with me.”
“He... What?” Dax ran both hands through his hair. “Shit, Anna, why didn’t you tell me?”
“Because you don’t think rationally when it comes to him!”
“Oh, my thoughts are more than rational!” he shot back, taking a step toward her. “But your head is obviously in the clouds. You seriously met with him?”
She inhaled deeply. She tried not to get angry over her brother looking at her like she’d been huffing too many fumes. But it was difficult. “I tried, okay? But he didn’t come, so...”
“Of course he didn’t come,” Dax cried incredulously. “Damn it, Anna. He’s an asshole! He doesn’t deserve a single word from us. How could you possibly give him a chance? How stupid are you?”
“Excuse me?” she snapped. He'd gone too far.
“Yeah! I could have told you he'd stand you up in the first place. The bastard disappointed you again! And I could have saved you from that shit! You…”
“Dax, stop yelling at her.”
To Anna’s dismay, those words didn’t come from Jack’s mouth, but from Lucas. Lucas, who had taken a step forward, his face expressionless, but his eyes ice-cold. “Back the hell off, Temple.”
“What? Why… What?” Dax looked at him, irritated, and Anna closed her eyes for a few seconds before shaking her head imperceptibly in Lucas’ direction — and turning to her brother.
She didn’t care that two dozen half-naked hockey players were staring at her. She didn’t care that a vein was throbbing in Dax’s forehead.
She’d had enough.
“Now listen to me carefully, Dax,” she said quietly. “And since you’re standing there so nicely, Jack, you too! Both of you — you don’t have to protect me anymore! I’m no longer helpless. I’m no longer at the mercy of our circumstances. I know you want to help me, but you’re no longer responsible for me! OnlyIam responsible for myself. For my decisions, my mistakes, and for who I want to contact and who I don’t. It’s not your business if Dad breaks my heart again.” She glared at Dax. “It’s mine. My risk. My life. And you have to let me finally live it! Both of you!”
“We are,” Jack said gently, raising his hands defensively. “We don’t want to interfere...”
She laughed bitterly. “No, that’s exactly what you want! Anna, your apartment isn’t big enough. Anna, you’re not eatinghealthy enough. Anna, you shouldn’t study so much. Anna, we don’t want you getting involved with the wrong men. Anna, don’t overexert yourself. Anna, find a quiet life. You don’t ask what I want. You only think about whatyouwant for me.” She swallowed, her eyes burning. “I love you. I love that you’ve looked out for me all these years and that you still want to. But to me, it feels like you don’t trust me. Like you feel like I can’t make my own decisions. Like I’m not a fucking independent person, just your sister. And that’s not fucking true. Just let me do what I want to do. If there are consequences, I’ll deal with them, notyou.”
“That’s not how it works in a fucking family!” Dax snapped.
“No, because in our family, you get to choose what’s right or wrong, right?” she screamed.
“If it keeps you from deliberately bringing disaster upon yourself — hell, yes!” he yelled back. “You should have fucking told me!”
The stinging in her eyes grew unbearable.
“What you’re doing is idiotic, impulsive, you...”
