Page 251 of Beautiful Collide

He’s everywhere.

Every time someone gets near me, Dane is there, his stick tapping the ice or his body shifting into their path. It’s subtle enough that no one else seems to notice, but I do.

He’s practically playing shadow, blocking anyone who even thinks about breathing in my direction.

At one point, Wolfe goes for a check, and Dane cuts in, bumping him just hard enough to redirect him.

“Chill, man,” Wolfe says with a laugh. “What’s up your ass?”

Dane shrugs. Not even bothering to answer him before skating away without a word.

I have to agree with Wolfe. Something is up with Dane, but since I’m benefiting from it, who am I to ask questions?

Every time he blocks someone from hitting me is another minute I have to heal.

Practice ends, thank fuck. I hit the locker room with the rest of the guys. However, my movements are much slower than theirs.

My wrist… and now my whole arm fucking kills.

When I was on the ice, it hurt, but not this bad.

I blame it on the adrenaline.

“Nice job.” Aiden nods at me. He’s not a man of many words.

“It’s good to be back. I missed you, man. How’s married life?” Mason grins as he heads toward the showers.

“It’s good.”

I need to get out of here, but before I head out, I catch Dane’s eyes.

He’s all the way across the room, but even from this distance, I can tell something is wrong with him. Or still wrong with him, maybe.

I nod, but he just turns away, heading out without another word.

By the time I get home, the house smells like chicken soup and fresh bread. My mom’s recipe. Molly is in the kitchen stirring something on the stove, her hair pulled back in a messy bun.

She’s been here every day since the injury, taking care of me like it’s her full-time job. I didn’t ask her to.

Hell, I tried to tell her she didn’t need to. But Molly, being Molly, ignored me and moved herself in anyway, which is fine by me. If it were up to me, she’d never leave.

“Hey,” she says without turning around. “How was practice?”

“Decent.” That’s the best I can do. Anything else would be a lie.

Molly turns to face me. “What happened?”

She scrunches her nose as she stares at me.

“Well, it was kind of weird, though. Dane was acting like my personal bodyguard.”

Her hand stops moving, and the spoon clinks against the pot.

“What do you mean?”

“I mean, he didn’t let anyone near me.” I lean against the counter. “It’s like—”

“Like what?”

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