Green eyes stare down at her. Piper backs up a step into me. A silent plea for strength.
“Grow up, Piper. He’s a hockey player. We’re all the same.” Duncan wears a smarmy grin on his face.
I wonder if I could pay someone on our next rival team to punch his perfect teeth out.
“No, Duncan, you’re not all the same. You use your status to sleep with anyone on two legs. Cash is a good man.”
Duncan shoves off the wall, getting ready to leave.
“You’re kidding yourself, Piper. Cash is just like every other hockey player. You’re delusional if you think you can change him. Whatever you think you have, it’s not real. I hope you’re prepared to get your heart broken.”
With a wink at Piper, he’s gone.
“Duncan!” I shout after him as he heads back down the hallway with a whistle.
“Deep breaths, Cash.”
Piper’s hands hold me back.
“You can’t let him talk to you like that,” I grit out.
“It doesn’t matter.”
“It doesn’t?” I turn to face her. “Why not?”
Piper clasps my cheeks between her hands and pulls my focus to her. Her blue eyes are fierce.
Deep breaths, Cash. Deep breaths.
“Because I know the truth.”
“And what’s the truth?” Another deep breath.
“Duncan is a dick.”
“I know.” I smirk.
“The truth is,” Piper starts, thumbs brushing against my jaw, “I know what kind of man you really are. And it’s not going to be undone by some lies that Duncan carelessly throws around.”
“No?”
She shakes her head. “You are a good man, Cash Williams. You don’t have countless women spread across the country. You’d rather go home to your dog every night.”
“Well, and you.”
Piper smiles, settling the rage that is stewing inside of me. “And me. Ignore him. You’re better than that.”
The faith Piper has in me is unwavering. Something I’ve never had before in my life. Everything was always conditional growing up.
Win a game.You didn’t do enough.
Lose a game.It was your fault for getting into a fight.
Get into a fight.You let them beat you.
With Piper, I don’t have to do anything but be myself.
Without thinking, I sweep her back into my arms and give her a kiss, one that tries to convey everything I’m feeling.
