Page 98 of Goalie's Obsession

And my brother meddling in shit he should know better than to meddle with.

Coach Brody’s voice softens. “I didn’t want to bring it up, Lucy. But you need to know. It’s not just gossip anymore. And it's something we're gonna have to deal with."

I look down at my hands, my thumbnail digging into the soft flesh of my palm.

Connor leans in, his voice low in my ear. “We’ve got you, okay?”

He's still juggling the damn pillow at his crotch like it’s a tactical maneuver, but he’s holding me tighter the second the wordsbig moneyhit the air.

Sophia appears next, slipping in like a heat-seeking missile. Natalie’s right behind her, sunglasses still shading the lights that feel like they're now pointing down right on top of me.

“We’ve got you,” Sophia murmurs, hand warm against my back.

Natalie slides in, lowering her voice. “I mean this in the most loving way possible, babe—your brother is an idiot. But you’re not alone in this.”

Connor’s hand finds my hip, his thumb dragging slowly over my skin. I glance at him, and those amber eyes are still locked on me like I’m the only thing anchoring him to the planet.

Across the room, Ryder plops onto the couch, muffin in one hand, phone already in the other.

“You want me to ask around? I know a guy who knows a guy who probably dated Ethan’s bookie. Or at least tried to.”

“Ryder,” Blake groans. “Not the time.”

“What? I’m offering actionable solutions.”

My throat’s dry. My brain’s spinning. But these people—this weird, chaotic, green-jersey-wearing crew—are looking at me like I’m their center. The heartbeat of this team, despite barely lifting a finger to help their recent success.

Like I matter.

Like I’mtheirs.

And that?

That might be the hardest part. Because this is what family’s supposed to feel like. Safe. Supported. Unshakable.

Instead, the one I was born into feels like a goddamn black hole swallowing everything it touches. And here I am again, suffering from the actions of my bloodline despite every effort to remove myself from that world.

"I think I might just need a moment," I say quietly, taking a deep breath. "I need to process this."

Coach Brody straightens and nods. "Take your time, and we'll talk back at HQ."

The team files out and as Sophia slides in under his arm, the door clicks shut behind Blake.

Silence falls.

Glorious, blessed,bare-assedsilence.

Connor groans and flops back onto the bed beside me, still completely naked and now lying spread-eagle like a man personally cock-blocked by the entire Icehawks roster.

I let out a weak laugh, then grab the nearest hotel robe and toss it over his stomach. “At leastpretendyou’re clothed.”

He smirks, eyes closed. “You didn’t seem to mind ten minutes ago.”

Connor snorts and finally sits up, dragging the robe over his hips and then standing long enough to grab mine from the armchair and toss it at me. He crosses the room, flips the lock on the door, and turns back, his expression shifting the second his eyes land on me.

“Come here,” he says quietly.

I don’t argue.

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