Page 81 of Drown in You

The windows are too dark to see inside, but I don’t need to. The driver creaks the door open and emerges.

Marcus.

Chapter 21

Luke

The Devils dart across the ice, shouting to each other. They’re all brimming with energy, but I’m already drained, barely keeping myself upright in front of the net. I pushed too hard in the gym earlier. Should’ve known better than working myself to the bone before practice, but all I could think about as I curled weight after weight was how long Sienna and I will have to hide our relationship.

If I come clean to Ma about what’s going on between me and my stepsister, she’ll only drive us apart. She wouldn’t send Sienna back home like Sienna fears, but she’d separate us. Maybe send Sienna to some private university on the other side of the country. Maybe ship my ass off to Canada. Or maybe she’d play the money card again—either I stay away from my stepsister, or she’ll quit paying my tuition.

When Sienna showed up, I was convinced nothing would come between me and hockey. Between me and my future. Me and Pop’s dream.

But for Sienna, I’d give it all up. I’d pack up and move to Europe if it meant she was safe. If it meant I got to keep her. Pop would send me off with a smile.

She finally trusted me enough to tell me the truth about what happened back in Wakefield, but now my own secret claws at me. It’s too late to confess the truth. If she ever finds out I catfished her, if she ever learns Ten’s true identity, she’ll never forgive me. And I wouldn’t blame her.

In my peripheral vision, a flash of black and red darts toward me, but I don’t react in time.

Damien slams into me, knocking me off my feet and sending me onto the unforgiving ice, pain shooting through my limbs.

Beneath my helmet, my brain spins.

The other Devils are on him in seconds. Finn pummels Damien first, shortly followed by Knox who shouts, “Don’t fuck with my goalie!”

Back flat against the wall as the Devils pin him, Damien shouts, “He would’ve stayed on his feet if he’d been paying attention!”

“Off the ice, Valentine!” It takes a second to register that Coach’s order is directed at me.

I climb back to my feet, knees ready to give out, but my aching spine manages to keep me upright. “I’m good, Coach.”

He closes the distance between us in seconds, planting a hand on my back and guiding me off the ice. “Your sister said you’ve been overdoing it with your workouts. You need to chill out so you have enough strength for practice and games, got me?” He nudges me to the exit. “Break your body when you’re in the NHL, not now.”

“But Coach?—”

“I don’t want to hear it, Valentine.” He’s already got his back to me. “You’re done for the night.”

Coach doesn’t budge when he’s made up his mind. I head for the bench, and even though I’m pissed at Coach for kicking me off the ice, a smile breaks across my face. Sienna told Coach about her concerns for me. She isn’t hiding how much she cares about me anymore.

In the locker room, I check my phone before hitting the showers. She sent Ten an email. My chest squeezes as I read it, hating myself more with every word.

She has no idea how long I’ve fantasized about seeing her in those bleachers cheering for me. How it makes me feel like the luckiest guy on the planet when I spot her in the crowd in my jersey with that gorgeous smile on her face.

She’s happy she confronted her dad, and she credited me with helping her. Finally mentioned my name to her friend of five years. She misses him. Misses our friendship just as much as I do.

I hope you’re doing okay. Whatever you’re going through right now, I’m here for you when you’re ready.

The guilt is eating me alive, and I’m not sure how much fucking longer I can take it.

But I might not need to come clean. She’s already getting suspicious.

I think you two would really get along. You’re actually a lot alike.

I’m doing a shit job of keeping my hidden identity a secret. I keep slipping. Knowing things only Ten would know. She said she wants me, but that would change the instant she found out the truth.

After I hit the showers and change, someone nudges me. Droplets from Finn’s jet-black hair drip down to his chin. He holds out his phone to me, brows drawn together.

“What?” I glance at his phone screen displaying a map. Takes a minute to process what I’m looking at until it dawns on me.

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