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Hunter was stoic as he got ready. I didn’t want to give him a heads up on what I wanted to do, for fear he might run away. I rushed to shower and got changed, keeping an eye on Hunter so he didn’t leave without me. As I was getting my bag, my phone rang.

My father’s number appeared, and I hesitated to answer it. I hadn’t been in the mood to speak to him since he came out to see me. He was toxic, along with my uncle and I didn’t need that shit. My entire life had been about me proving myself to be worthy of his attention. The run-in I had with Tomás proved just how much he had poisoned us.

I ignored his call when my brother’s name popped on my phone. My mind thought something might have happened, so I answered.

“Everything ok?” I grabbed my bag, cradling the phone between my head and my shoulder

“Dad needs to speak with you,” he said.

“I just finished a game, does he really need to speak with me?” I huffed. “Can this wait till tomorrow?”

“No, it can’t.” I stilled when I heard his voice.

Fucking Tomás.

“I still gotta see the trainer,” I lied. “Can we make it quick?”

“I don’t give a shit what the hell you have to do,” he snarled. “I expect you tomorrow for breakfast. You’ve been absent a lot lately and your mother mentioned you didn’t go to lunch with her the other day.”

“I’ve missed three occasions, two because I’ve been tired after I play back-to-back games and fly back. Mom rescheduled and I had a game the day she wanted to have lunch,” I snapped. “I won’t be coming tomorrow because I am exhausted andfrankly, I don’t feel like sitting through a meal with you berating me for god knows what, just to make yourself feel better.”

“Don’t you dare speak to me like that,” he snapped. “You’ve been hanging around that old hockey player too much thinking you’re hot shit, when you are nothing.”

“What the hell are you talking about?” I clipped, wondering if Tomás recognized Hunter and told our father about him.

“I see you and him photographed together a little too close for my liking,” he growled. “You are representing the Gomez name and that doesn’t include constantly hanging out with a man.”

He had never said this out loud, but I had always suspected his machisimo would permit him from being ok with anyone who didn’t fit his “view of the world”. It made me hate him even more.

“He’s my teammate, what do you expect me to do, he’s on my line,” I snarled. “You know what, this is why I don’t go over.”

I hung up my phone and noticed the locker room was emptier than it had previously been. Shit, Hunter had already left. I put my phone in my pocket and walked out of the locker room to see Webber and some guy who I assumed was his best friend.

Valencia was talking to the best friend, laying her hand on his shoulder. What the fuck was going on? Looking around, I saw Hunter was in the group, his focus on the hand Valencia had on the douche canoe.

“Hey, man,” I said a little too loudly, walking up to hug him.

“Ro!” He hugged me back. “Damn, you guys are looking great out there. I was telling Bennett he was doing a whole lot better.”

He seemed happy, but you could tell he was bummed.

“Yeah, slowly we are, we miss you though,” I said, stepping back.

“Yeah, Ro. Have you met my best friend?” he asked pointing at the guy Valencia was still talking to.

“Nope,” I said, holding out my hand getting ready to slide next to him, but Valencia glared at me like she knew what I was doing. “Nice to meet you, man.”

“You too,” he said, giving me an appreciative glance.

He was cute and that thought made me happy, it felt like I was one step closer to being exactly who I wanted to be.

“Alright,” Webber said, looking exhausted. “I need to get home and rest.”

We said our goodbyes as most of the guys started to head to their cars and I watched Valencia walk away. Looking over my shoulder, Hunter was doing the same thing.

“That was the guy she was flirting with,” he said, watching her for a moment more.

I clenched my jaw in jealousy. “That looked too friendly.”

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