"No."
"Sully, please," I beg him. It was humiliating enough that I bared my soul in front of him, but also having him witness my rejection, it's too much. I pace around the room, pulling out myhair. But he just waits me out. "She said she can't do it," I finally say.
"She also said she can't stop thinking about you," he reminds me.
"She couldn't get out of the elevator quick enough."
"Wouldn't you want to escape the steel box of death after being stuck in there?" Sully raises a brow at me. "She's also scared," he adds. "I see it now. I thought this was just a crush. Flirting. Maybe more from you than her. But I see it now. She feels the same way about you as you do her."
Hope rises in my chest. "Do you think so?"
"I do. And I'm sorry I've been making jokes about it when it's been a hell of a lot more intense than I thought."
"Thanks."
"She's scared, and she is trying to please everyone, but in the end, she doesn’t please anyone. Her brothers play on your team. She works for your team. This is complicated as hell. So, what are you going to do?"
"Nothing."
Sully looks at me like I've lost my mind. "Bullshit."
I glare at him. "Excuse me?"
"That's bullshit, and you know it. You're not going to just give up."
"What am I supposed to do? Force her into something she doesn't want?"
"She wants it. You heard her in that elevator. She's just terrified of what it means."
I sink onto my bed and run my hands through my hair. "I can't lose her before I even have her."
"Then don't." Sully sits across from me. "Look, I get it. This is messy. But you're both adults. You can figure this out."
"Her brothers will kill me."
"Probably. But you've taken worse hits on the ice."
I almost smile. "Not helping."
"I'm serious. Pierre and Felix are protective, yes. But they're not unreasonable. If they see you're serious about her. If they see you're not just screwing around ..."
"They'll still want to kill me."
"Um, of course. We would do the same if our sisters were dating someone from the team," he states. That's facts. "I've known you my whole life. I've never seen you like this over anyone."
"What if it doesn't work out?"
"That's life. But also, what if it does?" Sully smirks. "You would be brothers-in-law with the St. Pierre brothers," he teases. "Oh my god, imagine your kids. With Black and St. Pierre blood running through their veins, they would be the best hockey players in the league."
He has gone rogue with his thoughts. "Don't think we are anywhere close to that."
"Okay. Let's pin that for the moment." He grins.
"I get what you're saying. And thanks for being so supportive. But I also have to think of the team dynamics. The guys would never trust me again."
"They would get over it, eventually."
"I can't screw with the team. We're making the playoffs this year. This could derail all that."
