Page 184 of Puck Prince

“Miles is Nicky’s father.”

54

CALLIE

Summer is still petrified. She’s frozen in place, not even breathing.

I shake her. “Why did you come here?”

Before she can answer, Miles stands and looks in our direction. Summer turns her face away, ducking into the shadows. And Miles grins. It’s a smile that makes my skin crawl.

Then someone yells his name from inside the gym, and he saunters away.

As soon as the door closes behind him, I grab Summer and yank her into one of the bathrooms down the hall and lock the door behind us.

Summer is still hardly breathing, her eyes somewhere else entirely. “I didn’t think I’d see him,” she whispers.

“Summer, he plays for the Scythes. This is their arena. Surely you knew?—”

“He’s engaged. He’s supposedly quitting to go into sports announcing. I just thought… I hoped…”

“Does Owen know?” I ask.

But of course he doesn’t. If he did…

“He’d kill him, Callie.” Her voice breaks. Tears are streaming down her face. “I can’t do that to him. Owen would murder Miles if he knew the truth.”

I open my mouth to argue. Becauseholy fucking shitthis is insane. But what argument could I possibly make? I didn’t tell Owen about Spencer for the exact same reason. I lied and omitted the truth to keep him from getting in trouble.

“Please don’t tell him,” she begs. “He’s put so much at risk to keep me and Nicky safe. I don’t want him to jeopardize that by smashing Miles’ face in with a hockey stick.”

Nicky whimpers in his sleep, and Summer holds him closer. The look on her face tells me what I already know: we have three minutes before he’s full-on sounding the baby siren.

“Alright,” I agree. “Fine, I won’t tell him. But I have to get you out of here. Let me distract the guys. While I’m talking to them—to him—you make a run for it.”

Summer envelopes me in her arms. “Thank you. Thank you so much.”

I don’t tell her that she shouldn’t thank me yet. As she well knows, things with Miles are never as simple as they should be.

I force myself down the hall to the gym.

“Well, look who’s back!” Heath pulls me into a side hug when I walk through the door. He, Dax, and Miles are suiting up to geton the ice. I don’t know where the rest of the team is, including Owen. But the only person I can afford to worry about is right in front of me.

“It’s good to be back.” I offer a smile; all the while Miles is locked in my peripherals. He’s just as intently staring at me.

He saw Summer. I know he did. And if I had to guess, he knows why I’m here, too.

“You guys hit the ice. I’ll be out in a second.” Miles waves to the other two men. “I need to ask Callie here some questions.”

“You hurt again, Solomon?” Heath asks. “It’s a good thing you’re retiring. You’re getting rusty.”

“I’ll show you who’s rusty after we get out on the ice. I’m giving you a head start.”

Heath and Dax laugh and head out, and I barely resist the urge to drop to the floor and hug their ankles. I don’t want to be alone with Miles.

The moment they’re out of earshot, Miles turns to me.

His smile is gone.

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