Page 88 of Crossing Lines

Istrolled into the barn in my team gear, my laptop bag slung over a shoulder, ready for our first day back after our division win. Our flight home had been delayed, so we’d gotten in late last night and Jonah had gone home and not come over. It hadn’t stopped him from taunting me with his jacking-off text messages. Was he for real with those, or had he been messing with me? All I knew was my dick was on high alert every time I saw him now. Or thought about him. Like now. Fuck. I looked down as I strode through the hallway into my office, my cock plumped.

I held my hand over the bulge and stepped into the office I shared with Coach Patterson.

All the coaches were standing around the room, Finley to the left, Hammett to the right, and Patterson behind his desk. Every one of them held a folded paper. Every one of them had a grim look on their face.

My pulse kicked up and I mumbled, “Oh fuck.” I set my bag down on my desktop, my hands trembling. That fucker Owen must have struck while we were away. Swallowing through my tightening throat, I faced them. I might as well be honest with them all. “Yes, I’m in a relationship with Jonah Boehm.”

Hammett stepped toward me, shaking the paper, his free hand fisted. “What the?—”

“Stop, Hammett.” Patterson held his hand out to him. “Let’s hear the whole story before we make any judgments.” He rounded his desk, then leaned his ass against the front of it.

Finley shook his head and huffed.

I breathed through the nerves fraying inside me. This was it. I’d probably lose my job and go home with my tail tucked between my legs. I’d be outcasted from the league and never coach again. Laurent had been right. I forced my gaze to meet with Patterson’s. “I met the man who gave you those letters when I first moved here. We, uh…” These guys wouldn’t understand a story about cruising a gay bar for a washroom hookup. “We were together for a short time, and after I ended it, the man wouldn’t leave me alone. I had to block him, but he started stalking me.”

“Who is it?” Patterson’s forehead wrinkled.

With a shake of my head, I said, “I don’t know him all that well. I only know he’s a student here.” What elsedidI know about Owen? Nothing. I hadn’t cared to know anything about him.

“And anyway, one night, he attacked me at the bar, and the squad was there. Boehm threw the guy off me. In the scuffle, I tweaked my knee and Boehm brought me home.” I rubbed a knot in my neck. I wouldn’t tell them we were all at the gay bar down the street. I dipped my gaze to the floor, then flicked it up to Patterson’s, my pulse slowing. “It started that night. We, uh, got together then, and we’ve been together ever since.”

“Jesus Christ.” Hammett huffed and crumpled up his paper, then threw it on Coach Patterson’s desk.

“Cool it, Hammett.” Finley glared at him.

At least Finley was on my side. Though, he was probably more worried about the championship than anything else. “It’s mutual and consensual, and I haven’t done anything to getbetween Boehm and Finley. I’ve kept things strictly professional there.” I glanced at Finley.

“He’s right, Patterson. In fact, you saw how Boehm’s been playing.” Finley stepped toward Patterson. “The guy’s headed off to play with the Leafs this summer. We could keep this thing quiet and let it be. We’re only a few games away from?—”

“I know.” Patterson gave him a stern look. “Fuck, I know.” With a scowl, he shook his head. “This puts us all in a very dangerous position. If this Owen character doesn’t stop here, if he goes on to lodge some sort of complaint with the university and they discover we’ve covered this up, we’re all in for a reprimand.” He pursed his lips.

I slumped my shoulders. Fuck. My phone buzzed in my laptop bag. I flicked my gaze toward it. “Just a second.” Maybe it was Jonah. Maybe he’d found out what was going on somehow. I slid the phone out of a zippered pocket.Momscrolled across the screen. My heart jumped in my chest. She knew I’d be working right now. This had to be important. “I’m sorry, I-I have to take this.” I jogged out of the room and answered the phone, ducking into our situation room and closing the door. “Mom?”

“Oh good, you answered.” She sighed. “Do you have a moment? I’m sorry to call you at work.”

“Yeah, I always have time for you.” I pulled a chair out at the long conference table and sat down. “What’s up?”

“Well, oh shoot.” She huffed. “Maybe I should have waited to tell you this.”

Trembling started up inside my chest. No, fuck no. “Mom, talk to me.” I planted my elbow on the table and held my forehead.

“Well…my cancer’s come back. I have a lump in a lymph node in my neck.”

The room spun around me and the edges of my vision sparkled. “What?” I croaked out. No, this can’t be happening. Not now. Not right fucking now. A knot balled in my gut and my eyes stung. “H-how bad is it?”

“It’s well, since it’s a recurrence, it could be bad. They’ve run some tests, and I’m meeting with the doctor next week to see what I’m up against.” She breathed into the phone. “I’m sorry, honey. I didn’t want to wait to tell you. I knew how upset you’d be at me.”

“Damn right.” I wiped at my wet lashes. Fuck, don’t break down. I had to be strong for her. “I’m going to see if I can get up there and be with you for your visit.” She shouldn’t be alone through this. She’d be in no mindset to hear the docs or make decisions. I knew the drill. But fuck, the championship! “Mom, we’re, uh, we made it to the Frozen Four.”

“Oh, that’s good news.” She huffed. “Don’t you dare come up here now. I’ll be fine. My friend Kathy will go with me to my appointment. She went through this with her sister, and she’ll know the right things to ask.”

An ache wormed through my chest. ButIshould be with her. Scrubbing my face, I said, “How about if you take Kathy with you, but you put me on a FaceTime call with you so I can hear what the doc says firsthand?” That should keep me from being a total wreck the rest of this week.

“Are you sure?” she asked. “I really don’t want you distracted from your coaching.”

“I’m sure. In fact, this will give me some peace of mind.” I rubbed the heel of my hand over my chest. Would I still be with the team? Shit, I had to get back and find out if I was even coaching the team.

“Okay, honey. Don’t you worry about me. We caught it early. I’m sure it’s nothing a little radiation and meds can’t fix.”

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