Page 60 of Rinkmates

I stiffen up.

“Enough!” Mercer’s voice booms through the air, but my emotions have already spiraled out of control. Blind rage consumes me as I leap at Derek, Jayce and Colton’s frantic screams echoing around me. Their voices blend into a chaotic racket as I charge toward my own teammate.

But just as I’m about to reach him, I see Liora behind him.

I break.

Fuck. How did I miss her? When did she get here?

I skid to a halt mere inches from Derek, and Liora’s eyes meet mine, filled with fear—fear of me.

It pierces through my fury like a knife, slicing it into overwhelming sadness and shame. I freeze, every muscle in my body tensing.

No. She can’t look at me like that.

I want her to feel safe.

Time seems to stand still as I grapple with the horrifying realization.

And then, without warning, a sharp impact explodes across my face—and everything fades to black.

Eighteen

LIORA

Ican’t erase the image of Riley crumpling to the ice, blood smearing across his pale skin. The sound of my own scream still echoes in my ears. In that moment, something primal took over—I shoved that mammoth of a goalie with a strength I didn’t know I possessed, not caring about the consequences. All I could focus on was getting to Riley.

Now, as I stand next to him, my hand gripping his like a lifeline, I silently will him to open his eyes. The medical staff bustles around us, their voices a low murmur as they assess his condition. “The punch triggered a vagal response,” one of them explains. “The sudden impact can cause a reflex through the vagus nerve, leading to a drop in heart rate and blood pressure. That’s why he fainted.”

I nod, only half listening as they clean his wounds.

An eternity seems to pass before Riley finally stirs and his eyelids flutter open. Those whiskey-colored eyes find mine, and my name forms on his lips. “Lia…”

“Hey,” I whisper, so happy he’s awake. He scared the shit out of me. “You forgot your keys. I didn’t know if you needed them,since I’m training with Aiden all night. Our show is in three days, and—”

“Thank you,” he interrupts, a faint grin tugging at the corners of his mouth. He starts to draw circles on my skin and each trace of his feels like a burning fire while he looks at me like I actually mean the world to him.

I swallow hard, suddenly aware of Colton and Jayce’s curious gazes boring into us. Heat creeps up my neck, but I don’t let go of Riley’s hand. “How are you feeling?”

“Like I got sucker punched by a grizzly bear,” he jokes weakly. “But I’ll live.”

“You better,” I threaten, trying to keep my tone light even as my heart constricts. “I didn’t just scream my head off in Hungarian for nothing.”

He laughs. “You did?”

“Yeah,” Jayce and Colton say as if from one mouth.

“I think Devereaux is afraid of her now,” Jayce says.

Riley’s grin widens, and for a moment, the pain and uncertainty in his eyes fade away. “Guess I owe you one, huh?”

“More than one,” I shoot back, a playful smile spreading across my face. “But who’s counting?”

“Let’s just stick with one because you downgraded my apartment with that hideous plant.”

I burst out laughing. “Oscar isn’t hideous, and he’s already looking better.”

“I’m obsessed with—organization,” he snaps, but the way his voice wavers makes me pause. There’s a flicker in his eyes, a tension that makes it seem like he’s holding back something more personal—as if he wanted to say he’s obsessed with me, not just his need for order. But that’s absurd, right? My thoughts are absurd.

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