Page 60 of Second Shot

I yank my arm away and turn to face him. “Is what their saying true?” Blood is thundering through my head. “Did… did you play me, Gabe?”

“No.” He glances at the crowd watching us. He grabs my arm and doesn’t let me shake him off this time. Instead, he digs his fingers into my bicep and drags me away from the reporters. Once we’re on the other side of the bus, he hisses, “It wasn’t like that.”

“But you knew who I was the whole time, right?” I demand, jerking out of his grip.

His face flushes and he nods. “Yes. But I… what they’re accusing me of, that isn’t true.”

“You’re saying you didn’t plan to hurt me?” I scoff. “You never wanted that? You never even once thought about getting revenge on me?”

His jaw clenches and guilt sweeps over his features. “Only in the very beginning. But the minute we started… getting close, I didn’t want that anymore. I swear, Ryan.” He looks scared as he says, “Ryan, I’m in love with you. I’d never hurt you.”

I’d have killed to hear him say that to me only five minutes ago. I’m already in love with him. I’m sure he knows that too. Why is he saying that to me now? To control me? Does he think I’m such a brainless sap that he can manipulate me if I think he loves me? How could I possibly believe him after what I’ve just heard from those reporters?

“Did you hear me, Ry?” he asks in a wobbly voice.

“How am I supposed to believe that?” I growl, gesturing to the reporters swarming around the bus. “According to them, you orchestrated this whole thing. This is what you wanted, right? Public humiliation for your childhood bully?”

Frustration flashes through his eyes, and he starts to reach out to touch me, but quickly pulls his hand back. “Listen, I… I was going to tell you who I was tonight. I swear to God, Ryan, I was going to tell you everything.”

“Tonight? How convenient.” I laugh, but there’s no humor in it.

“It’s the truth.”

I curl my lip. “What would be the point? Your buddy Morrison would have already let the cat out of the bag.”

“Freddy’s not my buddy,” he hisses. “Youknowthat. I fucking loathe the guy. I haven’t talked to him since we were kids. Why would you believe anything he says over me?”

I narrow my eyes, heart aching. “Because I don’t trust you.”

He looks like I slapped him and he takes a step back. “No? But you trust fucking Freddy Morrison?” His voice goes up an octave. “You’d take that asshole’s word over mine?”

“I don’t trust anyone right now,” I shout, face twitching with rage.

His face changes. It softens and he says in a pleading tone, “Ryan,please, let’s go somewhere private and talk.”

“Fuck no.” The words comes out harsher than intended, but I can’t listen to any more lies. Can’t stand here while he tries to convince me this is all some misunderstanding. It’s not a misunderstanding. Not when he knew who I was the whole time and hid it from me. What possiblegoodreason would he have for hiding that fromme? “Just stop. I don’t want to be anywhere near you right now, Gabe or should I say Gabriel?”

His mouth hardens. “Maybe you should say Blubber Boy. Maybe that’s the whole problem for you, that you fuckedBlubber Boy. Is that a hit to your pride, Ryan? Huh? That you fucked me and you loved it and the whole time I was someone you despised?”

Heat floods my face. “Okay, I guess I deserve that. Go ahead, rub all the shit I did and said to you in. Why not? That’s what this was all about, right? Making me pay for what I did to you? Well, congratulations, because I’ll probably lose my job. Happy?”

“God damn it, Ryan, you’re so fucking deaf. I’m telling you I didn’t have anything to do with this. Freddy did this all on his own.”

“And I don’t believe you,” I growl.

He exhales harshly. “Jesus Christ, this is a nightmare for me too. You’re not the only one being dragged right now. You think I want my name associated with this nightmare situation?”

I continue as if he hasn’t spoken. “Now it makes sense how you acted when I got traded to the Seadragons. I knew it wasn’t because you were intimidated by what an amazing player I am.” I jab my finger in his face. “I fuckingknewyou were lying about that.”

Pink touches his cheeks. “You’re acting like I magically knew how to handle the situation of you suddenly being my teammate. You did bully me in middle school, Ryan, and I did hate you back then. Of course I was shocked when you were all of a sudden right in front of me. And, yeah, I was also pissed when you showed up. Doubly pissed when you didn’t recognize me. Talk about adding insult to injury. You made my life fucking hell for years, but then you didn’t evenrememberme.”

I bug my eyes. “Of course I didn’t. You look nothing like you did back then. It’s been fourteen fucking years, Gabe, and you’ve changed a lot.”

“It was still a shock that you didn’t know who I was. So, yeah,” he mutters, “at first, I was angry. Furious, to be honest.”

“I knew it. Is that when you reached out to Freddy?” I growl.

He scowls. “How many times do I have to tell you I had nothing to do with that asshole?”

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