Page 69 of College Hockey Bully

“Telling me to take it slow when we’ve already had sex is like closing the gate after the horse got out.”

“Well, at least guard your heart.” She stands and takes Georgie from me. I check the time and see it’s half past nine. Mom and Dad will be home soon, plus I have an exam at eight am tomorrow.

“I’m going to head back,” I announce when she emerges from the bedroom.

Theresa pulls me into a huge hug. “Baby steps, no expectations, got it? And don’t do anything that will distract you from that goal.”

“Come hell or high water, I’m giving that valedictorian speech. Bet on it,” I reply.

She smiles back fondly. “I knew you were something special when they brought you home.”

That earns her an even bigger hug and I wipe my teary eyes while going out. Mom, Dad, Theresa and her family, they mean everything to me. I’m doing this for them, too.

As I approach my house, I stop. I frown at the darkness. The streetlight that usually illuminates our front steps was working when I left. Why is it out now? I glance up and down the street. Why is it the only one?

Maybe I’m being paranoid, but the last four weeks have fucked with my head, enough to make me hesitate. I take my phone out, wondering if I should call Dad to check if they’re on the way—

“Scarlett? You okay?” Mrs. Hemmings, the neighbor with the annoying cats, stands in her doorway.

“Sure, Mrs. H.” I jerk my head toward the non-functioning streetlight. “Do you know what happened there?”

She shakes her head. “Probably a broken fuse. Are you okay with getting inside?”

It’s not like I can’t see. The other lights cast a dim glow over there, anyway. “Yeah, I’m good.”

I’m in my head, that’s all. Like Mrs. H said, it’s probably a broken fuse or something. I give her an assuring wave and keep walking, careful to feel the steps beneath my foot before putting my weight down. A sigh of relief escapes when I get to the front door. I’m really getting paranoid.

Chuckling to myself, I slip the key into the lock and it eases open even before I turn the key. I back off with a gasp, almost losing my footing on the top step. I know I locked this fucking door.

Ready to break into a sprint, I hear a sound that almost rips my heart apart. Without thinking, I dash into the house, falling to my knees beside the prone, whimpering form on my carpet.

Chapter 26

Aiden

“For fuck’s sake, Hunter. Get your head in the game,” Coach growls, slapping the side of my helmet. With a frustrated huff, I push off with my other teammates, heading back into the rink.

Noah skates past me with a chuckle. “The king looks a little wobbly on his throne. I wonder why.”

“Shut the fuck up,” I throw back, which only makes him laugh harder.

“You should be lucky we’re just practicing. Otherwise, you’d be kissing New York goodbye.”

My fingers curl around my stick as the voice of reason urges me to calm down.

It’s hard to summon any calmness after that phone call from Scarlett last night. Hearing her anguished cry almost fucking broke me. Someone broke into her house and attacked her dog. Who the fuck would do such a heartless thing?

“Hunter!” Coach barks.

I whip around, just as an opposing team member sinks the puck into the back of our net. Fuck. Coach blows the whistle as I move off. He beckons to me. With a sigh, I glide to him.

“What the hell is going on with you, huh?” he asks fiercely as I zoom up. “You’ve been playing like shit for the entire game. What, did that meeting with Nathan get to your head?”

“Got a lot on my mind, Coach.” Like finding the fucker who dared to ruin not only Scarlett’s life, but her family’s, too. Milo has been a part of the Pierces for ten years. A long fucking time, enough for me to understand how much their hearts are breaking right now. I’m relieved that Milo got urgent attention last night that saved his life. Even then, he’ll remain admitted at the animal hospital for a week or two. That’s an expense they can’t afford.

An expense that I’ll anonymously cover, knowing how prideful Scarlett can be.

“Whatever those issues are, you’d better dump them right here.” Coach points to the floor. “Winning that match on Thursday is quite crucial, you know that. We lose, you can kiss that meeting goodbye.”

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