Page 69 of Good Pucking Luck

I’m lost in a Rylan-induced trance when I hear, “Hi, Hayes!” It makes my pulse jump and the phone slip from my hand as I sit up straighter on the bed. Who the hell was that?

I pick up the phone and see a man standing behind Rylan. Kason Maddox, goalie for the Rebels. What is he doing there? He’s never in the room when Rylan and I talk.

“Oh. Hi,” I say dumbly and then just stare at them.

He tugs the phone from Rylan’s grasp. “What are your intensions with my defenseman?”

“Um…”

“Do you promise to treat him right?”

“Yes…?”

“You don’t sound so sure about that. He’s smitten. Talks about you all the time. It’s really annoying.”

I perk up. Rylan talks about me all the time? I know he said he did with his parents, but I like the thought of being on his mind. Does that mean the whole team knows he’s dating me? Do they all know who I am?

“All right, that’s enough from you,” Rylan says, tackling him to the bed to retrieve his phone. They wrestle around like a couple of teenagers while I’m trying to slow my breathing and not freak out that I’m going to wake up the center of another internet viral story. Nausea swarms like bees in my gut.

“I’ll be back in a little while,” Mads says as Rylan’s face reappears on the screen.

“Hey. I miss you.”

“I miss you too,” I tell him as he sits on the bed. “Does Mads know who I am?”

He gives me a slow, confused nod. “Yeah. He knows you’re my boyfriend. Considering I’ve never had one before, he wanted to officially meet you. If you mean your past, yes to that too. I needed someone to talk to about it when I first found out.”

The bees are wreaking havoc inside me.

“Is that not okay?”

“No. Yes. I mean, it’s fine. It’s just…embarrassing. God, he must think I’m the world’s biggest loser and wonder what you’re doing with me.”

“What? No. He thinks Malcolm is the world’s biggest loser, and he would be correct. Baby, nothing Malcolm did is your fault.”

He’s right, I know that, but man, it’s hard to internalize. Malcolm really did a number on me, and I haven’t been able to get past it…don’t know how not to be embarrassed by it. “Does everyone else on your team know?”

“No. Just Mads. I wouldn’t betray your trust like that. I know you think it’s better to stay secret for now.”

“You don’t?” My heart pounds against my chest. I thought we were on the same page there.

“I do. That came out wrong. It’s smart to be quiet until the end of the season. After that, I’ll follow your lead.”

Follow my lead? First,swoon. Why is Rylan the best? But second, I can’t help feeling like that means if I’m not ready, I’m holding him back from something he wants to do. That’s not cool of me. It makes me a bit of a dick.

“I’m sorry. I’m so bad at this. I don’t know why I can’t just get over it.”

“I do. You’ve been through something traumatic. Someone you cared about hurt you in the worst way. Of course you’re going to struggle with it. I’m not pushing you to do anything…except meet my parents. I’m afraid they’ll murder me if I don’t make that happen.”

He grins, and it automatically makes me do the same. I love that he’s telling me what I need to hear, but also being Rylan about it, not making it a big deal the way my brain always does with things.

“I wish it were easier for me to chill out.” I shift. “But you’re…kinda the best.”

“Hmm? I didn’t hear you. You’re going to have to say it louder.”

“Not happening.”

“Well, I tried,” he teases back. “This isn’t a normal situation. Just dating a hockey player in general and the media scrutiny that can come with it isn’t normal, and that’s for people who don’t have your past. I understand, and I’m not going anywhere, okay?”

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