Total pages in book: 129
Estimated words: 121764 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 609(@200wpm)___ 487(@250wpm)___ 406(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 121764 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 609(@200wpm)___ 487(@250wpm)___ 406(@300wpm)
He wouldn’t look at me, and neither of us spoke.
I ran over it in my head a thousand times last night — what I would say to Vince when I got the chance to speak. But now, it all felt trivial and like it wasn’t enough. It was one thing to tell him I had feelings for his sister, but to have to try to explain it all after the phone leak was another beast altogether.
He was furious, and that was the easiest emotion to reach for. But I knew more than that, he was hurt. And he needed to be the one to speak first, to let it all out.
So, I waited, bending down to unlace my skates and pull them off. Vince did the same, ignoring me as our breaths evened out.
When the silence was heavy around us, Vince sniffed, wiping his nose with the back of his wrist and grumbling when he saw blood again. He blew out a long breath, then looked at me for the first time.
“I have nothing to say to you,” he growled. “And to be quite honest, if I had it my way, you’d be off this team and out of this fucking league. But we can’t always get what we want, can we? So, let’s just agree to stay clear of each other and focus on winning.”
He pushed off the wall like that was his final word and we were done, but I stood just as quickly, blocking his exit.
“That’s not going to fly.”
Vince tilted his head to the side like he was surprised at my audacity. “I don’t think that’s your call to make.”
“It’s not. It’s Coach’s, and our teammates out there who will feel this rift between us whether you decide to face it or not. Now, stop beating around the bush and say what you want to say.”
“I don’t have—”
“Liar.”
“YOU BETRAYED ME.”
His chest heaved with the burst, and I nodded, holding my tongue until he got it out.
“My whole life, I have been protective of Grace. Because she’s needed it. She’s too fucking good for this world, and my bet is that you know that, too. So, when I see my teammates or my friends drooling when she walks past them, I put an end to it quick. She’s not a fucking puck bunny, and she’s too fucking young for any of you pricks. I have always done what I could do to keep her from having her heart smashed, and I thought sitting her with you that night in Austin was the best bet to do that. Because I thought we were friends. I thought you respected me and would, in turn, respect her.” He shook his head. “Turns out I was feeding her to the wolf.”
“I never intended to cross a line — not that night and not after,” I explained. “I knew you trusted me, and I took that to heart.”
Vince scoffed. “Clearly.”
“I did,” I insisted. “But something happened that night that I couldn’t explain even if I had a fucking book to write it all out. You’re right. Grace is too good for this world. She’s also the kind of woman who has the power to walk into your life and shake you out of a haze — which is exactly what she did to me.”
Vince gritted his teeth, moving for the door again, but I slid in front of him.
“I understand that she’s your sister,” I said. “But she’s so much more than that, Vince. She is a beautiful human being who is autonomous of that label — but you and your family have never seen her that way.”
“Fuck you,” he said, slamming his hands against my chest. “Don’t talk about my family like you know us.”
“How would you feel if the roles were reversed, huh?” I asked, stepping right up to his face. “What if it was Grace who was the successful athlete, who your parents doted on and revolved their entire world around? What if you had no choice? What if you never asked yourself what you wanted to do because you didn’t feel like there was space for you? What if you were always just Grace’s brother? How would you feel?”
He narrowed his gaze, scoffing, but before he could refute it, I jumped in again.
“Don’t act like it isn’t true. Grace has always felt an unbearable pressure on her shoulders to be the happy one — no matter what. She’s never shared what her dreams are with you or your parents because there was never any room for her to have a dream.
“When you were upset or not playing your best, she did anything she could to make you feel better. When your parents were stressed about where you would go to college or what team would draft you, she was there to put a smile on their face. Every game, she was there for you. She still is,” I reminded him, hoping that would conjure up how she always answered every call before a match to do the dance for him that had become part of his pre-game rituals.