I lock myself in my room, and beeline for the computer.
Please be on, please be on, please be on.
When I see Waffle and Grim online I nearly sob with relief. “Hey.” My voice is soft when I join the chat.
“There she is,” Waffle cheers. “How's our girl?”
I don’t say anything, not trusting myself to speak as I wipe at my tears.
“Princess?” Grim’s voice is filled with concern.
“I don’t wanna talk about it.” I force a laugh. “Let’s just play, okay? Get my mind off things.”
“Are you sure? We’re here for you if you need us,” Waffle offers. That nearly has me breaking out into a fit of sobs. Because I do need them, more than I should. If I open up and we make things more personal, then it’s going to be harder to move on when the time comes. Because the timewillcome. I can’t spend the rest of my life living in this little online fantasy.
I’m starting to wish I had said something to Cae. Maybe I could have gone to live with her.
Anything is better than my mother digging her claws into me, trying to own me, control me. I should have known better and that this would have happened.
It’s not going to happen. I’m not going to let her win.
I’ll make the money I need and get the fuck out of here.
Chapter 4
Damien
I try to tune them out, but the cheer of the crowd is deafening. Any other day, the sound would fuel me, have my blood pumping with adrenaline, determination, and the will to please every Royal Alpha fan in the crowd.
Not today. I’m too fucking distracted. And that's the last thing I need when my whole job is to keep my eye on my players and the damn puck. It’s not letting my mind drift off somewhere else so the other team can shoot a shot in the net.
I’ve already fucked up and let two in, I can’t afford to let anymore get past. We’re tied two to two with only three minutes left. I can do this, I can stop thinking about the short, bubblegum pink haired Omega who smells like sugary sweet cupcakes long enough to finish this game.
If only it were that easy.
I’ve been a mess since she came back, unable to focus or think straight. It’s been affecting my game. She’s all I’ve been able to think about, and no matter what I do, I can’t get her off my mind.
I’m both enraged and thrilled she’s back. Six years. Six fucking years she’s been gone. Six years I’ve had to force myself to move forward, to forget the life changing facts.
I thought letting her go was the hardest thing I’d ever done, but I was wrong. It’s having her back that’s the real fucking test.
A test of my will power, and resistance. I don’t know how much longer I’m going to be able to hold back.
Shaking my head, I narrow my eyes, following the puck. The other team snatches it from our forward. The puck gets passed around, closer and closer to me.
Fuck. Come on, guys!
I’m alert, ready to block. Thankfully, the puck doesn’t get too close. Our team snatches it back, and my blood pumps as they make their way back over to the other team’s net.
There’s a bit of a struggle when the other team tries to get it back, but they have no luck.
Tyson, our forward, has the puck, and takes the shot.
The buzzer goes off for the score, and my face splits into a grin. “Fuck yeah!”
My eyes flick up to the timer, the seconds tick down and the game is over. We fucking won!
The crowd goes wild.
