Page 82 of Twisted Minds

I step closer to him. “That first night at the vending machine. It was before all this bullshit . . . before he blackmailed me. Before you kicked him off the team, right? I felt something that night and I know you did too!”

“I don’t believe—”

“The morning after, you went to your coach to get him kicked off . . . before he blackmailed me. That’s when. You can deny it allyou want but I know you felt it too. That night we met. The next morning. I couldn’t stop thinking about you. I didn’t even know it was you until I walked back to my dorm and you were standing in front of my door. I had my phone out. You remember? I tripped, staring at my phone. You caught me. I was looking up the captain of the hockey team and then realized it was you.”

“Mark—”

“Everything is real, Hunter! I don’t care if you don’t forgive me, but do not believe this was fake. Don’t you dare tell me what I feel for you is fake. It’s not fake. I fucking love you and if you don’t forgive me, fine, but don’t you dare believe you mean nothing to me. You mean everything to me!”

I hear laughter behind me. “As touching as this is, no one is going to believe either of you.” Derrick steps closer to me. “You’re going to burn like that bitch’s restaurant.” Derrick smiles. “We’ll see if you go up in flames as easily.” He grins.

“I know you did it,” I grit back.

“Yeah well, unfortunately Mark, no one is going to believe you.”

“You did do it,” Hunter growls. “You piece of shit. You hurt Jane and then—”

“Jane should have listened. I told her I was sorry for what I did! She went to the cops anyways! If she hadn’t, her mother’s restaurant would still be in one piece. She wants me to burn, I’ll watch her burn first.”

“You tried to assault her.” How fucking delusional can one person be. Blaming her? What the fuck!

“I didn’t do anything to that bitch that she didn’t want!” Hunter lunges at him, tackling him onto the ground and punching him. Derrick blocks one shot, knocking him off and wiping his mouth. “They fucking deserved it! All of them. She was my girlfriend and she fucking betrayed me! Setting fire totheir restaurant was a fucking mercy. I should have lit their home on fire with her still in it!”

“Good stuff.” Sawyer comes out of the stands with his phone facing us, and Derrick’s panicked eyes dart between us all. “I got it all!” Sawyer gives him the middle finger.

Derrick lunges at my neck, but Hunter moves faster, grabbing him by the back of his shirt and flinging him back onto the ice rink. “Don’t you fucking touch him.”

Derrick’s head hits the ice. He gets up slowly, touching his head as red stains his fingers. “You’re going to regret that.”

“Get out of here,” Hunter snaps at me.

“I’m not leaving you here.” I look up at Sawyer. “Go! Go show that to someone. Go to the police. Someone! Get help,” I yell. Sawyer listens, running as Derrick goes to follow, but Hunter stands in his way.

“Move.”

“No.”

Hunter is built, but Derrick’s height and bulk makes me nervous. Hunter stands his ground. It’s now that I remember Hunter’s on skates. He keeps upright, though, as natural as if he were walking. “You piece of shit. You’re nothing. They’ll never let a gay fucking athlete into the NHL.”

“That’s not true.” Hunter stands his ground. “Recently a handful of players have come out and still have successful careers.”

“Destroying my shot will not get you yours.”

“I don’t give a fuck about getting in,” Hunter snaps. “I give a shit about not letting assholes like you always have your way. You’re a piece of shit, and you’ll pay for what you’ve done to my friends.”

Derrick lunges for Hunter. He wobbles before they both slam down on the ice. Hunter gets on top, throwing punch after punch. I wobble onto the ice, slipping a bit as I slide to them.

“Mark, stay back.” Hunter looks at me, and I feel awful as it distracts him. Derrick knocks Hunter off, having an easier time than I am walking over the ice. Derrick punches him, and Hunter tries to block. I move as fast as I can before I jump, landing on Derrick’s back and wrapping my arm around his throat, squeezing.

Trying to get me off him, Derrick lifts off Hunter and lands on his back, crushing me into the ice. The air’s forced out of my lungs. Hunter rights himself, skating over to me, but Derrick knocks Hunter off his skates and he falls with smack. Derrick kicks him in the side. “Hunter!” Derrick brings his booted foot down on Hunter’s knee. He screams. I claw my way toward them. My body aches, but I only have one thought in mind—Hunter. I struggle to my feet then use all my weight, spearing Derrick down. His head hits the ice. I pin him by the neck with my knee.

“Right there.” I look back and see security guards rushing toward us. I look back at Hunter who’s grabbing his knee, holding it.

“Help him!” I scream. Derrick comes to, struggling against my knee as I press harder. “It’s his knee.” Everything happens so fast.

Campus security takes Derrick.

I rush to Hunter, not knowing what to do. “It’s going to be okay, baby.” Hunter is groaning, pinching his eyes shut. “I got you. Help is coming.” Finally, EMS come and take him away.

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