Page 92 of Crossing Lines

Fuck, now the whole place knew I was a coach. “Let’s go have a seat, shall we?” I waved him over to a small table with two chairs in the corner. I dropped into one while he fell in across from me.

“So, I take it the coaching staff is enjoying my letters?” He sipped his drink.

“They aren’t taking too kindly to them, Owen.” I glared at his smug fucking face. “Why are you doing this?”

Leaning forward and stabbing the table with his finger, he said, “Because you’re not supposed to date your players. It says so in the school policy. I looked it up.”

As heat rose in my chest, I fought to calm myself. “I’m not his coach, Owen. I’m?—”

“You’re a hockey coach, and he’s a hockey player. How fucking clear does it have to be?” He clenched his jaw. “Besides, you’re an asshole and a player.”

“What? Me?” I pointed my thumb at my chest. He didn’t even know me. “I am a lot of things, but I’m not a player.”

“Then why did you cut me off after our date?” He lifted his chin, his gaze growing hard.

Date? Hookup, more like. “Because I wasn’t feeling it with you, and you wouldn’t take no for an answer,” I said through my teeth. “Jesus, Owen. You need help.” And a lot of it. With a scoff, I threw myself back in my chair and gazed around the room. A few students glanced our way. Fuck, the whole place was hearing this. I should get to the point. “Listen, Owen. You win,okay?” My chest pinched. I hated doing this, but I had no other choice.

“What do you mean?” He cocked a brow and sipped his drink, eyeing me.

Throwing my hands in the air, I said, “You win. I’m quitting. I’ll be moving back to Toronto.” My heart ached. I might be jobless, but I’d have Jonah. We’d spend all summer together. So, in the most important way, Owen wasnotwinning. But he wouldn’t know that.

“Are you shitting me?” A smile spread over his lip, then dropped. “Prove it.”

“The announcement will go out after the championship games this weekend. The coaching staff doesn’t want anything to upset our players and mess up our chances.” I sucked in a breath. Would he buy it? I wasn’t sure exactly how things would go down, but I was almost certain when I handed in my resignation that Patterson would want to wait to announce it. “But…” I held up my finger with a smirk. “If you file any complaints about me or the other coaches to the university, then I won’t quit, and you’ll lose.” I looked down on him. “As I’ve tried to tell you, Owen, I’m not Jonah’s direct coach, and it’s almost the end of the season. The head coach is willing to overlook the affair because it’s better for the team.”

With his brows furrowing, he dropped his mouth open. “No, you need to go.” He shook his head. “I’ll wait until after this stupid championship, and if I don’t see your resignation announcement, I’ll file my complaint.”

“Fine.” I huffed. “We got a deal?” I held out my hand.

“Deal.” He shook my hand.

After leavingOwen at the Starbucks, I headed back to the rink and had Patterson call an impromptu meeting for all coaching staff after practice. I had to see this through. It was theonly way to leave here with my head held high, and if Jonah didn’t have a load of shit hanging over his head, he’d surely make it with the Leafs.

During practice, Jonah had sent me absent smiles and touched his nose in silent support of my mother’s new cancer diagnosis. Little did he know the other shitshow that was going down.

After the post-practice showers and team meeting, Patterson huddled the coaching staff into the situation room and closed the door. “What’s this update you have for us?” He sank into a chair at the head of the table.

I crossed my fingers over the table surface and looked around the room, Finley seated across from me and Hammett next to him. “I was able to talk to Owen. Heisthe one sending you all the letters.”

With a scoff, Hammett leaned back in his chair and threw his forearm on the table. “What the hell did you do to this guy to make him hate you so much?”

I blinked. “I just didn’t want to date him anymore. That’s all.” Had I brought this whole thing on myself? Fuck no, Owen was mentally ill. It wasn’t me.

“Bunny boiler,” Finley said under his breath.

“What?” Wrinkling his brows, Hammett turned to him.

“You know, the movie with Glenn Close where she boils the kid’s rabbit after the guy she’s having an affair with stops seeing her?” Finley lifted his brows at Hammett. “Owen’s a bunny boiler.”

“The movie wasFatal Attraction.” Shaking his head, Patterson drew a circle on the table with his finger, then faced me. “Anyway, what does he want? Did you figure that out?”

“Yes, he wants me to resign.” As a tight knot grew in my gut, I said, “But I have to anyway. I would have, I mean.” I shifted in my seat, my gaze landing on each one of them, all staring back at me. “My mother’s cancer is back, and I need to go home. She needs me.” Well, I wasn’t sure how bad it wasyet, but this was the best way to save them all from questioning my decision.

Everyone stared at me for a long moment, their mouths hanging open.

“Shit, I’m so sorry, Ryan.” Patterson creased his forehead. “We hate to lose you, but we understand.”

“Shit.” Finley tightened his jaw and fisted his hand on the table.

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