Page 135 of Defensive Zone

Michelle was currently dating one of the younger rookies, Gabi thought. The woman was a known bunny and Gabi had seen some of the comments of the pictures of Gabi and Max that Michelle had made on Bunny Hop posts. They had not been kind, but Gabi was trying to be nice.

She’d logged into the page through Max’s fake account because she hadn’t been able to stop herself. She should’ve resisted because they were rude and vile and so damn untrue that Gabi wanted to reply.

“Great game, huh. Can I ask you a question? About being a nanny?” Michelle asked, pushing a long strand of blond hair off of her shoulder.

“Um. Sure,” Gabi said, looking toward Ava and the kids for a split second.

“It’s easy, right? You play with the kids and have fun?” Michelle asked.

“It’s more than that.”

“Right. It’s also landing a rich hockey player, too.”

“Excuse me?” She bristled. Why had she stopped to talk to this woman?

“You and Max are together now. I know, family friend and all, but being a nanny helped too, right?” Michelle nudged her arm.

Gabi took a step back.

“I do not like what you’re implying. Ava has been my best friend for years and she asked for my help. Not that it’s any of your business. Helping her is my priority and my job.”

“Yeah, your priority. Eventually, he’ll get tired or move on. Brothers always want to bang their sisters’ hot friends. That man hasn’t been serious a day in his life.”

“And we’re done. Do not ever speak to me that way. My relationship with Max and the rest of his family is none of your business. Why don’t you hop back over there,” she said, spinning away from the woman.

“Here come the claws. And everyone thinks you’re so sweet.” Michelle delivered her parting blow and sauntered off.

Gabi took a deep breath. What the hell had just happened? She grabbed a bottle of water and made her way back to her seat.

“Everything okay?” Ava leaned in and asked.

“Just a dumb bunny. I’m so tired of them,” Gabi said.

“Ignore it. It comes with the territory. They’re jealous and they know they won’t be around for long,” Riley said.

“But how do people know that I’m not a puck bunny, too?”

“Stop. No one thinks that,” Riley said.

She looked over her shoulder to see Michelle and the other bunnies whispering. A few looked over at her. Michelle had a stupid smirk on her face that Gabi wanted to knock right off.

“Go. Go. Go,” Amanda yelled, and Gabi turned her attention back to the ice. Back to Max.

Was she making a mistake not walking away now? The boundaries she’d set in the beginning had been obliterated so long ago that she sometimes felt like she was floundering.

But love was enough, right? Except sometimes it wasn’t. Her parents were a shining example; so were Ava and Greg. Oh god, she ached for the pain and frustration her friend still felt at the hands of her dead husband.

What would happen if it didn’t work out with Max? If she waited so long that when it did end, her relationship with Ava suffered? Ava had been her rock since Gabi was six. Was her relationship with Max worth that risk?

“Seriously, are you okay?” Ava asked.

“I’m fine. Just overthinking as usual,” she said, brushing off her friend. She’d always shared everything with Ava—every thought, fear, dream—but dating Max had made those easy confessions awkward.

“Well, stop. Everything is perfect,” Ava said. “Now, can we get back to hockey?”

“Of course,” Gabi said, smiling. Her head was swirling with thoughts she wished she could ignore. It wasn’t the first time she had questioned if working and dating Max was the right decision.

Her mother popped into her head again.

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