Page 140 of Released from the Sin Bin

It’s just a game.

Gentry neatly packs his bag with clean clothes and quietly gets ready. He leaves us, and I check my phone for any news I can piece together of what happened.

All I know is that Mayor Pierce is still alive. They’re being very quiet about it, and there’s no mention of Carter’s arrest yet.

“You need to go to the game.” Carter’s deep voice startles me.

“You’re awake.” I brush his hair back from his eyes and kiss the space between them.

“I’m a light sleeper.” He squeezes me closer. “The team needs you.”

“You need me.” I kiss his cheek, too happy that he’s talking to stop.

“I’ll drag you down. I can’t come back from this.”

“Yes you can.” I hold his face to look at me. “I got you. We’ll get through this.”

“I killed him.” His voice cracks as he blinks his raw, dry eyes.

“He’s not dead.” I rub my thumb along the thick scruff of his scratchy jaw.

“He…” Carter stops. His face distorts as he flips through the events of last night. “He wasn’t moving when Bray called for the ambulance.”

“He’s alive.” I squeeze him tighter and hold his cheek. “What happened, Carter?”

“I overreacted.” His eyes flash to mine.

“He deserved whatever you did to him.”

“No, I overreacted when I yelled at you. I shouldn’t have gotten that upset.” He pulls away with his scratched up fist on his head. “I don’t want to be someone you have to hide away from your friends or family.”

“You’re not.” I sit up on my elbow with my hand on his chest. “You mean everything to me, but I’m scared. I fell more for you than I ever did Vic and that scared me. But I’m more afraid of losing you.”

His hand comes off his forehead to tuck my hair behind my ear. “You’ll never lose me, but you need to get to that game. They’re counting on you. You can’t lose your job for me.”

Carter swings his legs off the bed and searches the floor.

“It’s just a job.” I grab his hand to stay. “Unless you’re going to the game too, I’m not leaving your side.”

His face falls, trying to figure out if he’s ready for that. He isn’t. In the ten minutes we’ve been talking, he’s gone through ten different emotions.

“There will be other games.” I kiss his shoulder and help him back into bed.

“No, I can’t keep letting my team down. I don’t care if Coach benches me, or if I have to sit in the stands.” He shoots up out of bed. “I can’t let them down, and you taught me that. We’re going.”

Chapter 33

Carter

I’m free.

That’s exactly what it felt like when I thought he was dead. It felt like I was high, soaring over the ledge, and flying free across the valley. And when I found out the bastard was still alive, that feeling didn’t go away.

I fought back, and he’ll never come after me again. Whatever happens, I’m going to make sure he doesn’t lay a hand on my mother, Bray, or anyone I care about again.

“We have time. We have several hours until we have to be anywhere.” Willa tries to get me to slow down.

“We have too much to do to be lying in a bed all day.” I kneel down next to her and cradle her face in my hands, brushing my thumb over her soft pink lips. “I’m ok, and I need to do something I should’ve done a long time ago.” I pull her face into mine and press my lips against hers. “As much as I would love to stay in bed all day to worship you, I need to do this.”

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