Page 55 of Rule Breakers Fall Hardest

“Sorry.” I shake my head, laughing softly. “I’m not used to it yet.”

The smile on his face is nothing short of fond. “When I married Susie, it took a full year for it to sink in. Maybe two. I was so excited to call her my wife, but there were a few times I slipped up and said fiancée or even girlfriend. Believe me, she didn’t let me forget it.”

“You miss her.”

“Every day.” A sigh escapes him. “I wouldn’t change a thing, though.”

“Really?”

“Never.” He looks over at me, tilting his head slightly. “A lot of people never have their great love. It might’ve been short, but I had it, and it was enough to last me a lifetime.”

“That’s…” Sadness floods me, and I have to choke back a wave of tears. “That’s really beautiful.”

“The game is over!” Daire bellows, his voice so loud it echoes through the empty rink. “We won. Get over it.”

Cash isn’t backing down. “By cheating.”

Daire throws out his arms. “Where were we cheating? Tell me. Oh, you can’t, because we did no such thing.”

“Hey, hey, hey.” Asher steps between his brothers and puts a hand on each of their chests in an effort to keep them apart. “Cash, they won fair and square. What are you going on about?”

“Daire is a lying, cheating?—”

“No, I’m not.”

“It’s just a friendly game. Quit it,” Asher scolds. He glowers at Cash, then Daire. I can’t blame him for being annoyed. He’s having to treat his grown brothers like children.

“Stop being such a douche,” Roman adds unhelpfully.

“Me?” Cash seethes, pounding his chest with his glove. “What about him?”

“What the fuck did I do?” Daire volleys back, throwing one arm out. “I scored a point. We won. That’s it. Why are we even arguing about this?”

Beside me, Peter shakes his head and mutters, “Boys.”

Since I’m looking at Peter, I miss who throws the first punch, but suddenly, Daire and Cash are scuffling on the ice. Asher’s trying to break it up. Roman is cheering them on. Hudson shakes his head and skates off toward the locker rooms.

“Guys!” I yell, standing up. “Quit it.”

They’re paying me no mind. I give Peter an apologetic look and hurry down to the ice. I’m not wearing skates, so I slip the second I step onto the slick surface. If not for Veda, who grabs me by the elbow, I’d already be on my ass.

“Thanks.”

“No problem.” She releases me with a warm smile.

“Guys, stop,” I shout, shuffling closer.

It kills me to see them fighting. They’ve always been so close. It’s especially painful knowing I’m probably the source of their frustration.

“Rosie, back off,” Asher orders, putting a placating hand in my direction. “I don’t want you to get hurt.”

I ignore his pleas. “Daire, please stop. This is ridiculous.”

I make the mistake of tilting forward and reaching for him. The instant I do, he’s swinging his arm back to punch Cash, but he catches my face instead.

A bolt of pain works its way across my face as I drop to the ice.

Peter shouts from the stands, but I can’t make out his words.

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