When we shut the front door behind us, he steps up behind and wraps his arms around me, pulling me close. I melt against him.
“You’ve been a brat tonight,” Cameron rasps against my ear.
I bite my lip. “Are you going to punish me?”
His hands travel up my chest until he’s cupping my breasts over my shirt. “I should. You haven’t been a good girl.”
“What are you going to d—”
My question is cut off by our phones vibrating from our pockets. We exchange worried glances before slowly reaching for them.
When I see a text from an unknown number, my heart sinks.
It’s another picture, but this one is new.
It’s from our walk in the park.
More specifically, from when we were hiding behind the tree.
When Cameronkissedme behind the tree.
You’re fucked now,the message says.I’ve sent this to Sean Eckhart. Good luck explaining yourselves out of this one.
forty-eight
Cameron
I’veneverseenZhurilook so anxious before.
“We’re fucked, Cameron,” she says, pacing through my living room.
Yeah, we are.
I know we are.
But for once in my life,Ihave to be the one who’s put-together.
“Maybe not.”
She stops pacing and stares at me. “We got caughtkissing.The only thing more ‘fraternizing’ than that would be if we got caught literally having sex.”
“Sean’s a reasonable guy,” I try, desperate to do something to help calm her down.
“It’s against our contracts. It doesn’t matter how reasonable he is. Our careers are as good as gone now.”
I walk over to stand in front of her. “You’re not losing your career over this. I’ll make sure of it.”
“How are you going to do that?” Zhuri takes a deep breath. “You’re in the same position I am.”
“I’ll retire,” I say matter-of-factly. “If I’m not on the team, then you didn’t break your contract.”
“You’re not retiring,” she fires back. “You breathe hockey.”
“I don’t care. For the longest time, I didn’t think I was anything without hockey, but I don’t feel like that now. Between you, my therapist, and the medication I’ve started, I’m learning to enjoy what I have. If I don’t have hockey anymore, I’ll still have you. That’s enough.”
“Cameron,” she sighs. “You’re not going to give up your career for a girl.”
“I think I get to make that choice,” I retort. “I finally have something in my life I’m willing to fight for. That’syou.”
