Page 42 of The Puck Decoy

“I know, it should be illegal to look that good on the ice,” her friend agrees, and I feel Maddie stiffen beside me, having obviously overheard them too, and I feel her worried gaze hit the side of my face.

I keep my eyes on the game and pray that’s the end of it, but then I hear the first girl's voice again, only louder this time. “Hey Peters!” she yells, causing Josh to turn his head toward us. “If you want to score again my goal is wide open.”

Anger burns up inside of me so fast that I want to scream, and I can hear my heartbeat as it pumps rapidly inside my chest. I will myself to be the type of person to turn around and tell them he belongs to me, but it’s just not me. And that would be a lie, wouldn’t it? Yes I’m wearing his ring, but outside of that we know none of this is real.

Josh stands and turns with a smile and a feeling of dread like I have never known curls in the pit of my stomach. Yet instead of replying, all he does is rip off his left glove, bring the hand up to his mouth and bite down on something white around his finger until it pulls away. Only then does he hold up his hand and showcase his fourth finger. His very occupied fourth finger.

Oh my god he’s wearing his wedding ring.

My heart starts to slam against my rib cage and I almost think I won’t be able to hear anything other than my heartbeat when he opens his mouth, but then his words cut right through the white noise.

“I’ve already scored the only goal I’ll ever need.” His words aren’t casual, and as soon as they are out he brings his gaze back to mine and winks again. “You look good with my last name on your back, Mrs. Peters.”

I hear the girls gasp as we gather more notice from the people around us, now all looking at me in a new light, and I pray my voice doesn’t shake as I force myself to reply loudly, “It’s my last name now too, maybe I’m wearing it for me?”

A couple of people laugh, Maddie included, but as the clock on his time in the sin bin runs out, he stands and backs out with a wink. “Oh trust me, it’s most definitely for me.”

Then he’s gone, taking my heart with him as my best friend muses out loud, “You’re in trouble, Tink.”

I’m in so much of a daze from her brother's words that I can’t help but reply, “Since the day I met you, Wendy.”

The rest of the game passes without incident, and by the time the final buzzer sounds out, I am more than ready for a drink.

Maddie excuses herself to go to the bathroom before we meet up with the boys, so I hang back alone, letting the crowd filter out a little before I start making my way down towards the changing rooms where I know Josh will be coming out.

It’s there that my past catches up with me.

“Hallie?” Someone calls in question, and when I turn I find myself face to face with the first boy I ever gave myself to.

“Joey,” I say by way of greeting, locking eyes with my first boyfriend, who is already dropping his gaze down the length of my body in the same way he used to when we were in high school.

I remember that look and how it used to make me feel, only now I cringe a little as our time together comes rushing back to me in waves, and I realize how shitty he was to me. Hindsight is a funny thing isn’t it?

My stare shifts to the two friends beside him, both of which I recognize from high school, and from the smirks on their faces I’m sure they remember a lot more about me than I do about them. It’s only then that Josh’s words from a couple of weeks ago come back to me.

You should of heard the fucking shit he was saying about you, about what you guys got up to.

A sour taste coats my tongue as I force my stare back to Joey’s and look at him in a whole new light. He’s no longer the boy who gave me sweet kisses and was gentle as he took my virginity. No, instead he’s a bigger fake than I am.

I broke his arm.

My gaze drops to his arm, disappointed to find it now back to its full health as he finally adds, “God, it must have been what? Almost three years?”

It takes everything in me to force a reply. “Yeah, it must have been,” I say tightly, wishing I had just gone with Maddie to the bathroom.

The last thing I want to do right now is reminisce about the guy who I have recently discovered was a bigger prick than I ever knew. Hopefully this whole interaction is just a quick hello and I can get to Josh, head to the party at his house, and down an extra large drink and forget about Joey’s entire existence with my dignity still intact.

“And look at you, you’re hotter than ever, I forgot how gorgeous you are,” he practically drools, once again leering at the body he was the first to touch, making his friends laugh knowingly.

The backhanded compliment does nothing but give me the ick, and panic flares in my gut as he steps forward and reaches out to touch my arm. I guess he also forgot how much people's touch can make me uncomfortable.

Yet as I brace myself, another hand curls around my stomach, pulling me away from him and back against a hard body. “I thought I told you to stay away from her.” Josh’s voice is like white hot fury in my ear, my entire body melting into the safety of him.

Joey’s eyes flare in a mixture of surprise and fear, before he squares his shoulders and tosses back, “Relax, Peters, we were just talking.”

Those fingers flex against my stomach. “Not to my wife, you’re not, now fuck off back to where you came from before I break both your arms.” His voice is casual, but I can still hear the threat there, and Joey looks at us in surprise.

“Your wife?” he questions, moving his stare back and forth between us, before the shock turns to anger.

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