Sometimes I hate having a sister so close to the game. Instead of being comforting, she only confirms my worst fears.
“I hate it. I let the team down; I let Bexley down. Everything I’m doing seems to be screwing up the lives of the people I care about.”
“Well, that’s just wrong,” Angie tells me. “No one thinks that.”
“None of this would have happened if I hadn’t started dating Bex.”
“Would you be any happier if you weren’t dating her right now?” Angie throws back at me. “Because even though you never told us, which I will give you so much shit for when you’re feeling better, I don’t think I’ve ever seen you so happy.”
A smile tugs at the corner of my mouth. I don’t want it to, but it’s there. Thinking about Bex has my heart starting and stopping in my chest.
After everything we’ve been through together, there’s no way that I wouldn’t want to be with her.
Bexley is the only person in the world that seems to get me. To know what it was like to grow up in the shadow of a famous parent. She’s warm and caring, and so damn sexy, it hurts to look at her sometimes.
“How do I make this better?” I ask my sister.
“You apologize. Whether it’s to the team, Bex, whoever it needs to be, apologize. But don’t back down for falling in love with her. I learned that the hard way.”
I was too young when my sister got together with Troy to understand what was going on when our dads found out about them. But I know Angie wouldn’t be the person she is today if it weren’t for Troy.
“Do you think I should go to the press?” I ask.
“Do you want to?” Angie asks, pulling back with wide eyes. She knows why I hate being in the limelight. How hard it was growing up for me. We’re so different, that it sometimes surprises me we come from the same person.
“If it’ll help Bex, yes.”
Angie nods. “Okay. Then do it. But take a few days and think over what you want to say, because if you don’t come off as honest and direct, it’ll make things ten times worse.”
“Being in love sucks.”
Angie drops a kiss on the top of my head before standing. “It does sometimes. But if what you have with Bexley is the real thing, then it’s worth it. You’ll get through this, Nick. I know you will.”
With that, she’s gone.
I turn my gaze back to the game and lose myself in it. The third period is better, but we can’t dig ourselves out of the hole we got ourselves in and lose 6-4.
Fucking great.
Chapter Twenty-Seven
BEXLEY
Everything is a disaster right now as I listen to the boos rain down in the arena. I don’t remember the last time a game turned this ugly.
The Black Diamonds are a good team. We never stoop so low to get under the skin of the other team. We’re not gunning for any one player. We play good, clean hockey.
Tonight?
Tonight it’s like another team entirely is out there. I’ve lost track of the number of power plays we’ve given Vegas. Chippy moves here and there.
And now Nick got thrown out of the game?
What the fuck?
All I want to do is scream.
The look on his face when he went after that guy? I’ve never seen Nick like that before. It’s like he was an entirely different person altogether.
