Page 126 of Fake Out Hearts

“Wait here.”

He steps into the bathroom. A few seconds later, I hear the water rushing in the bathtub, and I smile because I know what he’s doing. I strip off all my clothes and throw them on the floor by the bed, and when Theo returns, he freezes to stare at me.

He looks like he wants to say something, but he just smiles at me and beckons me to the bathroom, so I pad over and take his hand. He walks me to the lip of the massive tub, and I notice that the jets built into it are going, making the surface of the water roil. He helps me stay steady as I kick one leg over the lip and step into the water.

It’s warmer than a normal bath, but it feels incredible. And when I sink up to my shoulders, I can’t stop the sigh of relief that leaks out of me. The jets pound against my back, and I close myeyes and lean into them, losing myself. When they flutter back open, I see Theo standing naked by the tub, still smiling. He climbs in with me and sits, then pulls my back against his chest.

“I’m so sorry for all of this,” he murmurs into my ear as he massages my shoulders.

“It’s not your fault. You had practice. You couldn’t have any idea Shawn would show up all strung out and crazy like that.”

“I know, but I should’ve been here. He never should’ve been able to get his hands on you. And he never will again.”

I twist around to look him in the eye. “You came at just the right time. And you handled the fallout. That’s all that matters to me. I don’t know what I would’ve done if you hadn’t come home.”

Theo shakes his head. “I don’t want to think about it. I was fuckingfuriouswhen I saw Shawn touching you. Something in me just… snapped.” He cradles my face in his hands and stares intensely into my eyes. His are like flaming emeralds. “I can’t deny it anymore, Becca. I can’t go another second without saying it. I love you.”

My heart races, so many emotions flooding my chest that it’s hard to breathe.

“I love you too,” I whisper.

A smile splits his face, and he presses his mouth to mine like he’s trying to seal those words. To taste them lingering on my lips.

“The first night we met, you swore you’d never fall in love again,” he reminds me, drawing back just enough to meet my gaze.

“So did you,” I breathe, my heart racing.

He trails his fingertips lightly down the side of my face, his eyes crinkling a little at the corners.

“And I meant it,” he says, his voice quiet. “I didn’t fall in love again. With you, I fell in love for the first time. Because I didn’t have a fucking clue what real love was until I met you.”

Happy tears burn my eyes, and he brushes them away with his thumbs, his touch more tender than I’ve ever felt it. Then he tilts my chin up, pressing his lips to mine.

I kiss him, desperate and raw and real, letting it say all the things words are too small to express.

Chapter 40

Theo

I’m still gearing up for the game when Sawyer comes striding up to me, something glinting in his eyes.

“Did you hear the news?” he asks.

I shove my foot into my skate and shake my head. “No? What news?”

“Shawn’s been banned from the NHL.” He flashes a satisfied smile, holding out his phone so I can read the headline of the article he has pulled up. “The Prowlers dropped him too. And there are rumors that he’s gonna lose his reality show because he’s not a top NHL player anymore, he’s just some low-life asshole with a history of abuse.”

I grin savagely because I can’t summon even a little bit of sympathy for Shawn. That fucker brought all of this on himself, and he absolutely deserves every piece of shit that’s getting slung at him. I make a mental note to send Eric a nice bonus and thank you.

While I’m sitting on the bench, my skates still unlaced, my phone vibrates in my open locker. I reach up for it and find a message from Becca, who’s out in the stands. She traveled with me for this away game, and I’m glad she’s here to bask in this with me.

BECCA: Good luck tonight! You’re going to kill it.

I smile down at my phone because I’m sure I’m going to kill it too. How couldn’t I after this amazing news?

ME: Thanks. Having you in the stands is all the luck I need.

I silence my phone and tuck it into my locker, then finish getting geared up and ready to hit the ice with the rest of the guys for warmups before the game starts. It never should have taken Shawn roughing Becca up to get his ass ousted, but I’m over the moon that it’s finally happening—and that I’ll never have to come face-to-face with his smug fucking smirk on the ice ever again.

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