Page 76 of Huge Pucking Play

"Everyone out," Adam says firmly. "Head to the ice. Session's over for today."

"But my hamstring—" Kasting starts to protest.

"Ice. Now.”

They file out, a few casting sympathetic glances my way, others clearly bursting with the gossip they can't wait to share.

Wilson stops at the door. "For what it's worth, Cyn, Coach Hughes is a good guy. And Marjorie's a witch. Nobody's gonna take her side."

The door closes behind them, and I finally exhale, collapsing onto the nearest stool.

"Holy shit," Adam says, coming to sit beside me. "Holy. Shit."

"Yeah." It's all I can manage.

He puts a hand on my shoulder. "Are you okay? That was unreal."

"She's going to get me fired," I whisper, my voice cracking. "She's going to go to management."

"Let her try." Adam squeezes my shoulder. "What she just did? That was workplace harassment. She publicly humiliated you and used sexist language. If anything, she's the one who should be worried."

"But what if she's right?" I look up at him, panic rising. "What if they think I'm unprofessional? What if I lose my job over this?"

Adam's face softens. "You really like him, huh?"

"Yeah." My voice drops to a whisper. "I really, really do."

Adam nods slowly. "Then the two of you will figure it out. But first, you need to get ahead of whatever Marjorie's planning."

"The whole team's going to know by lunchtime." My stomach churns at the thought.

"Probably." Adam shrugs. "But most of those guys love Hughes. And none of them like Marjorie."

I try to believe him, but all I can think about is Marjorie storming into the management offices, demanding my termination.

The fluorescent lights suddenly seem too bright, too exposing. I feel stripped bare, not just my secret relationship with Garrett but all my carefully constructed professional walls crumbling around me in real time.

"She can't actually get you fired," Adam says, rolling a stool over to sit in front of me. "That's not how this works."

"She's been here twenty years." I stare at the floor, counting the tiny flecks in the industrial tile. "Management trusts her."

"Management also knows she's a nightmare. Everyone does." He ducks his head, trying to catch my eye.

He gets up, walks to the door, and flips the lock. Then he goes to the small refrigerator in the corner and pulls out two bottles of water. He hands me one.

"Drink. You look like you're about to pass out."

I take a sip, then another. I feel all the emotion bubbling up in my chest when a hot tear escapes before I can stop it. Then another. "Adam..." My voice catches. "I'm…pregnant."

His eyes widen, mouth dropping open for the second time today. "Oh my God."

"Yeah."

"Does Hughes know?"

I nod my head. "Yea, I just told him a few days ago.”

"Oh, Cyn." He pulls his stool closer, takes my hand in his. "That's...a lot."

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