Page 77 of Penalized Love

I sigh, running a hand through my hair.“I know. Believe me, I’ve been thinking about it nonstop. But Isla,”I cup her facegently,“I don’t want to lose you again. Not because of hockey, not because of your dad, not because of anything.”

Isla leans into my touch.“I don’t want to lose you either, but we have to be smart about this. We can’t let anyone catch on, at least not until we figure out how to handle it. I would rather my father find out from us versus hearing about it through the grapevine.”

“Well, would Tessa gossip about me coming here to see you?”

I watch as the realization hits Isla’s face.“Oh fuck yes. And she would have no issue telling the world what she knows. You can’t come back here until we figure out how to tell my dad. I’ll tell my mom to get her feedback on how to approach Dad with the news.”

“Then if we’re only going to hang at my place, I need to tell the guys,”I toss out there.

“Are you sure that’s a good idea?”

I sigh, my thumb absently brushing along her cheekbone.“I think so. The guys are like my brothers. They’ll have my back and can help cover for us if needed. Plus, if I’m being honest, they probably already suspect that something is happening, anyway.”

Isla considers this for a moment.“I guess you’re right. But can we trust them not to say anything?”

“Absolutely,”I assure her.“They know how to keep a secret, and they’d never do anything to jeopardize the team or my relationship with you. And that includes Knox.”

That forces a laugh out of her just before her hands slide up my chest to loop around my neck.“Okay. If you think it’s best, then I trust you.”

I’m not sure she understands how much hearing her say that is like a weight off my shoulders and a breath of fresh air.“Thank you,”I murmur, kissing her forehead softly.“We’ll figure this out together.”

“Yes, we will. Together,”she repeats.

30

ISLA

“You know, this wasn’t such a bad idea,” says Jade.

“I told you it wasn’t.” I glance over my shoulder at her and chuckle.

Since today is Friday and none of us have early morning classes, I managed to get Selene, Hailey, and Jade to come on a hike with me. It’s something I’ve wanted to do since I got back, but adjusting to life in Crestwood and my health issues made that take a lot longer. Not that it matters though because at least I’m out on the trail now. Not to mention having this break with new and old friends will hopefully help settle my nerves about the upcoming trip I need to take with the hockey team.

I swear, I'm not mentally prepared for that at all, especially after the talk I had with Mom. I didn’t tell her who, just that I was dating one of the players and asked how she thought Dad might react to that. She said I need to make sure we are serious before I do anything, because Dad could be harsh depending on who the player is, and we need to be careful and make sure we are prepared for whatever happens. So with that on my mind, I hoped this hike would calm my nerves. We'll see how it goes. I turn my attention back to capturing some shots with my camera.

"Earth to Isla," Selene's voice cuts through my concentration.

I look over at her, Jade, and Hailey and notice she's practically bouncing up the path ahead of me.

"Less photo taking, more walking!"

I lower my camera. "Some of us actually like to take in the view and keep a record of it."

"Yeah, well, some of us would like to keep moving along," Hailey chimes in from behind me.

I roll my eyes playfully and pick up my pace, catching up to the rest of my group. I take a moment to look at each of the women standing in front of me and wonder at how lucky I am to have them in my life. Selene has always been there practically as long as I can remember at this point, but to have Hailey and Jade welcome us in with open arms has been an amazing experience.

And now they are hiking with us and I’m getting emotional about it.

Maybe it’s the fresh air getting to me.

I watch Selene bend down and start digging through her backpack. When her face lights up, I know we’re in trouble. Knowing her, it could be anything from confetti cannons to a portable karaoke machine. Asher would be thrilled with the latter.

"I know you didn't actually pack party supplies for a morning hike," I say because of the expression on Selene’s face. I wouldn’t put it past her.

"Bold of you to assume I didn't pack something like glow sticks," Selene shoots back, grinning. She's already pulled her phone out, probably queuing up a playlist called, “I conquered this hike, bitch.”

"I swear to god, if you start blasting Sabrina Carpenter up here—" I say, but I’m quickly cut off.

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