"No. She needs to hear this." He turns back to me. "You're throwing everything away for him. And for what? Some secret relationship that you're too ashamed to even tell your own family about?"
"I wasn't ashamed."
"Then why hide it?"
“Gee, I wonder why?” I look at my unconscious boyfriend. "Because I knew you'd react like this!" I'm shouting now. "I knew you'd make it about you! About the team! About everything except what actually matters. I'm in love with him and he loves me and we're happy!"
"Happy?" Pierre laughs bitterly. "You think this is happy? He's knocked out on the floor. The whole world knows your secret. Your job is on the line. The team is falling apart. Is this what happy looks like to you?"
I don't have an answer. Because he's right. This is a disaster.
"I can't play with him anymore," Pierre says quietly. "I can't get on that ice and trust him to have my back when he's been lying to my face for months."
"Pierre …" Felix calls out.
"No. I'm done.”
The room goes silent.
"Pierre, that's not …" Sully tries.
“I need to get out of here.” He storms out, slamming the door behind him.
“I’m just going to …” Issy says, running after him.
Felix looks at me, his expression is sad, and he shakes his head.
“I would think very carefully about what you say next, Felix St. Pierre.” Harper glares at him.
“How am I in trouble?”
“We will have this discussion at home,” Harper says. “I’ll talk to you later,” Harper tells me as she walks out of the apartment, Felix walking right after her.
The teammates are still standing there, looking at Emmett and at me.
“This is a great start to the new year,” Evan says.
“I think we should go,” Sully says. The boys all agree. “Message us when he’s cognitive again.” I nod and continue to caress Emmett’s face. The boys all file out and the apartment is quiet again.
“I’m so sorry,” Collette says, bursting into tears as she wraps herself around me.
“You have nothing to be sorry for,” I reassure her.
“Is he going to be okay?”
I nod. “He’s knocked out.”
“Who’s knocked out?” Emmett says, coming to.
“Oh, thank goodness.” I cry as I wrap myself around him.
“Why am I on the floor? Where’s your brother?” Emmett asks.
“He’s gone. They’ve all gone.”
“They?” he asks, sounding confused.
“The boys showed up to.”
