Page 104 of These Pucking Boys: Part Two

The tension in the room slowly disperses. Not for me, and I bet not for Jake and Lachy either. There’s a video of our lovemaking with June circulating online. How long until she sees that?

Coach Haagen looks at Malcolm. “Go get your nose checked. It looks broken.” Then he turns to us. “I want to see you three in my office right now.”

“She’s not answering her phone,” Lachy pipes up. I didn’t notice when he took his phone out to call her.

Jake looks our coach dead in the eye and says, “Sorry, Coach. This conversation will have to wait.”

“Damn everything to hell!” Jake shouts. “Where thefuckis Melissa?”

We’ve been trying to reach her and June since we left the training facility. Doug has no idea where his boss is, but he assured us the entire team was focused on damage control. I don’t doubt the guy, but Melissa is the best, and we need the best. She’d better have a good reason to be blowing us off.

My phone pings, and quickly I check if it’s a message from June.

“Who was that?” Lachy turns in his seat.

“It’s Katrina. She finally replied to my message on Instagram.”

It never occurred to us to get June’s best friend’s phone number, and now we realize what a colossal mistake that was.

“And?” Jake asks.

“She says June went home when she saw the video. That was at lunch time.”

“It’s already the middle of the afternoon. Why didn’t she call us?” Lachy asks in a panicked voice.

“Hold on. Katrina is giving me the details of what happened.”

While I wait for Katrina to update me, we pull into our garage. She finally sends me a long-as-shit message that I read while marching to our elevator.

“And? What did she say?” Lachy asks.

“She said June was upset and insisted on going home alone, and she hasn’t heard from her since.”

“Fuck the elevator. I’m taking the stairs.” Jake sprints toward the stairwell door, and we follow.

Taking the steps two at a time, we reach June’s floor in less time than the elevator would have taken. Jake has the spare key to her apartment in his hand, but he knocks on the door first.

“June, are you there?”

Winston barks, then we hear his paws approach the door. But there’s no reply from June.

“Fuck it. I’m going in.” Jake opens the door, and we all rush into June’s apartment.

Winston jumps, thinking it’s a party, and when he fails to get our attention, he follows us into June’s bedroom. All the shades are shut, and everything is dark.

“June?” Jake calls her, then turns on the light.

She’s not on her bed, but the shower is running in the bathroom. We find her sitting on the stall’s tiled floor, hugging her legs.

“Peaches...” I breathe out.

Her face is down and hidden, and she doesn’t acknowledge our presence. The sight kills me. We did this to her. If we had controlled our urges in public, this wouldn’t have happened.

We can’t all fit in the shower stall, and since Jake walked into the bathroom first, he goes to her and turns off the water before dropping into a crouch. Caressing her arm, he pleads, “June, look at us.”

She finally lifts her face, and my heart shrivels into nothing. Her eyes are red and puffy, but it’s her broken expression that drives a steely knife into my chest. “I’m sorry I didn’t call you. I... I tried, and couldn’t.”

“It’s okay, honey. We’re here now. It’ll be okay,” Jake replies softly.

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