Page 55 of Game On

“Shore isn’t one to let his personal feelings get in the way of good hockey. I know your former team captain treated you like shit after what happened with your ex, but you don’t have to worry about that happening here.”

Jamie went cold. Then hot. Then cold again.

“I accidentally stood Charlie up twice and Coach never even mentioned it. The personal lives of his players are just that—their lives. Even when they involve his family.”

“You...” Jamie had to clear the hoarseness out of his throat. “You know about what happened in Charlotte?”

Brawsiski grunted an affirmative.

“How?”

“Toussaint told me this morning.”

“How does he know?”

A shrug. “Not sure. The hockey world isn’t a big one. He probably knows someone on the Cobras.”

Jamie wasn’t sure how he felt about them knowing. Not that he’d intended to keep it a secret forever. Just that there was an uncomfortable thread of shame that snaked through his gut. Shame that he’d let it happen, that it’d happened at all, that he hadn’t been able to put a stop to it.

He hated that he felt that way—classic victim blaming. But feelings were feelings, and they didn’t always make sense.

“What’d you do to piss off Dorian, anyway?” Brawsiski asked.

The change of topic was like getting checked into the boards at full speed. “Uh... I didn’t piss him off so much as hurt his feelings. Which wasn’t my intention. Frankly, I’d rather he be mad at me.”

“He’s been mad at me,” Brawsiski said with a laugh.

Jamie side-eyed him. “What’d you do to piss him off?”

“I accidentally stood up Charlie. Twice. Coach Shore might’ve never said anything, but Dorian certainly wasn’t shy about letting me know that he took it as a personal affront. He’s majorly protective of the people he loves.”

“Who’s protective of him?” Jamie asked quietly.

“Honestly?” The amusement fled Brawsiski’s face. “I don’t think anyone is. Dorian comes off as so...”

“Whatever the word is for not needing anyone?”

“Yeah. And I think even Coach and Charlie forget that he needs a D-man too.” Brawsiski stood and fell into a stretch. “Anyway. I’m sorry about what happened on your last team. That’s fucked up.”

“How much do you know?”

“I know that Henty made your life hell after your split with his brother. Why? Is there more?”

“No,” Jamie said on a sigh. “That pretty much covers it.”

“You know, Dorian kind of reminds me of John Henty,” Brawsiski said. “Overprotective as fuck.”

“Except I don’t think Dorian would make anyone’s life hell if someone broke up with his brother. Or, I guess, cousin in this case.”

“No, but he’d judge the fuck out of you for it, and you’d feel it.” Lips pulling upward, Brawsiski shook his head. “And it’ll make you feel about two feet tall and desperate to get back into his good graces. I don’t know what it is about those Shore cousins that makes me want to please them. It’s like they give off this cool-as-anything vibe that makes me desperate for them to like me.”

“Like they’re the cool kids and you’re at the bottom of the high school social ladder?”

“Yeah,” Brawsiski said, laughing. “Didn’t think I’d feel like that as an adult.”

Archie approached, munching from a bag of cheese crackers. Jamie eyed them.

“Want some?” Archie offered the bag. “We bought these for the kids as a school snack, but they don’t like it.”

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