Page 23 of Love Me

“Fuck you, Hopkins. Don’t be jealous,” Levi spits in our direction. He’s such a sleazeball and has always annoyed the shit out of me with how he conducts himself on and off the ice.

“He hooked up with Hannah Haven last night. Took her virginity in the back of his car.”

My blood boils as my posture goes rigid, balling my hands into fists, unable to control my reaction.

“That true?” I grind out, standing up to my full height. My teeth clenched so hard I’m surprised I’m not breaking them.

“What, Hayes? You pissed I got to her first? Surprised you didn’t get to pop her little cherry? She bled all over my dick so good.”

My body reacts before my brain consciously catches up with what’s happening. My fist connects with Levi’s nose, a deafening crack as it breaks, blood immediately pooling. I don’t stop my swings as he stumbles back. I guess those years of training in boxing paid off. Feels good to actually pummel something not in a ring or wearing a helmet on the ice.

Levi is slow to respond, his right arm swinging out to take a shot at my face but I easily dodge the hit, connecting another one to his ribs. Yelling ensues behind us.

“Don’t fucking talk about her like that! I don’t want to hear her name outta your fuckin’ mouth you piece of shit!”

His reply comes out nasally and diluted but his words are like ice over my body.

“I’ll fuck her until I’m done with her, maybe I’ll even pass her around to my boys.”

I get one last hit to the side of his face before he stumbles back into our teammates, eyes rolling to the back of his head.

“Fuck you, Jenkins!” I spit, as Owen and one of our coaches stop me from going after him again.

“We’ve just got some shitty-ass history, Han.”

Her face falls as she looks at me, and I know she’s not going to let this go until I come clean.

“It has to do with me, doesn’t it?”

“You don’t wanna do this. You’ve got enough on your plate.”

“For fuck’s sake, bear, when did you start treating me like I’m made of glass?”

“He was bragging about taking your virginity in the back of his car before one of our hockey games senior year. I lost it.”

“Holy shit, that’s how his face got so busted up?” she says with a laugh, which surprises the hell out of me.

“It’s not funny. I got a five-game suspension for that, Hannah. My senior year of hockey.”

“Yeah, but I know you and it was worth it, wasn’t it?”

I smile wildly at her because she’s right.

“Disappointed I didn’t get to break more than just his nose.”

“Yeah, but that fucker is still crooked, so he’s got to live with that forever, thanks to you.”

I join her in a laugh this time.

“Thanks for always having my back, bear. Even now, you’re coming in like a knight on his white horse.”

“I think there’s a good chance I’m over the weight limit for a horse, but the idea is cute. I’ve always got you. You and me.”

“You and me.”

CHAPTER 8

hannah

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