Page 179 of Puck Me Back to Life

My smile disappears before I can stop it. “Oh.”

Angela studies my face for several long seconds. “You look exhausted.”

“I've looked worse.”

“You've looked better too.”

She's right.

I rest my forearms on the top of the boards while she leans against the other side. For a moment neither of us says anything.

Then she sighs. “Ash came to see me.”

Of course he did. The thought doesn't surprise me nearly as much as it should.

“He told me what happened.”

I stare out across the empty ice. “He shouldn't have.”

“No.” She doesn't argue. “Probably not.”

I glance at her. “Then why are you here?”

“Because he looked terrified.”

Something twists painfully in my chest.

Angela's voice softens. “Kai… He loves you.”

The sentence lands so quietly that I almost miss it.

I laugh once. Not because it's funny. Because I genuinely don't know what else to do.

“You don't know that.”

“I do.”

“How?”

“I watched the way he talked about you.” She smiles sadly. “I've never heard somebody describe another person like that unless they were already hopelessly in love.”

I look away before she can see the tears threatening behind my eyes.

“Angela, thanks for the food, but I'm good. I have a game.” I push off from the boards and skate to the other side of the rink to the players' entrance.

“Kai!” Angela gets on the ice with her sneakers doing her best not to eat shit. “You need help!”

“I don't remember asking you or Ash for your opinions, Ange.”

“We're scared!” she calls out.

I turn on the ice, making her run into my chest. “I'm not broken.”

She looks up at me. “I know.”

“Then stop treating me like I am!” My voice pings around the rink.

Angela backs up, a strike of fear crossing her face. “I'm treating you like someone who's hurting.”