Page 142 of My Pucking Crush

“Christ.” Max’s eyelids flutter. “We were in fucking high school.”

“This was three months ago,” I say to Max, shocking him. “Quinn being caught sucking dick put Belova’s plan into place. He was looking for someone he could blackmail. And found a player with a wife and four kids who doesn’t want anyone to know he likes dick, too.”

“Not, too,” Quinn mumbles. “Just...dudes. My marriage is a sham.”

“I’m sure Katie always knew—” Max starts.

“Katie dumped me in college,” Quinn spits out. “I fucked around with guys on the side, she couldn’t take it. The coach there told me to keep quiet about liking guys and then set me up with his daughter. Told me to marry her, and he’d make sure I’d make it to the big leagues.”

Twenty years later, he’s still on a farm team. Christ, he must be miserable.

“That’s a fucking terrible thing to do to a woman. Doessheknow?” Max snaps.

“No,” Quinn scoffs.

“Are those kids yours?”

He tries to stand but Presley pushes him back down. “Yes, they’re mine. And I fucking love them. That’s why I did this. I can’t risk losing them.”

My jaw ticks, and I completely get what he’s saying. That was me. I slept with Lia out of obligation. My son made life with her, life with Belova, bearable.

Until he was taken away from me.

“None of this is Max’s fault,” I argue.

“It’s his fault, all right,” Quinn spews throughclenched teeth.

“You said that to me on the ice,” Max speaks up, shaking his arms loose. “What the hell did I do?”

“You made me this way,” Quinn cries out. “By fucking around with me in high school, forcing me.”

“I didn’t force you and you know it,” Max yells.

“Doesn’t matter,” Quinn’s head falls into his hands.

Max and I exchange glances. Shaking my head, I grip Quinn’s shoulder. “I understand you more than you think,” I whisper. “I’m gay, but I had a wife and a son. They both died because she couldn’t handle who I was. You’re bitter about something that happened in high school. You’re a fucking adult now. Take responsibility. If you’re not happy in your marriage, get a divorce.”

Jake Quinn has options I never had. “I’ll lose my kids.”

“For being gay?” Max scoffs. “Dude, what year do you think it is?”

“I’ve been unfaithful,” Quinn mumbles.

“That doesn’t matter much either, so long as you were a good father,” I say, again wishing I had the chance to set Lia free.

When he looks lost, I step back. I am not here to solve Jake Quinn’s marital problems.

A rumble from the stadium means Max has to get back on the ice. Our eyes lock again, and my heart pounds with every second I have left with him.

“Don’t...leave,” Max says, backing up to the door, blocking me.

“I’ll do you one better.” I fit a cap on my head, and slide shades on. “Presley, deal with Quinn. I have to walk my boyfriend back to his locker room. He has a hockey game to win.”

SEVENTY-SEVEN

Max

We hold Richmond to that one lousy point and win, nearly sweeping the series. The crowd roars, damn near knocking out my eardrums as shit gets thrown onto the ice. Hats, flowers, stuffed animals, and pucks.

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