Page 223 of Call the Shots
“Sloane found out—I don’t know who told her—” He trembled. “I—I love her so much and she said she’s—she’s done with me. She never wants to see me again—I’m banned fromGianna’sfor life. I—I fucked up.”
This was the same guy who landed King in the hospital, who made Junecry,why was the anger hard to hold on to? The pain inside me didn’t make sense. It constricted me, squeezing me tight, while I struggled to remember why I came in at all.
It didn’t matter—this wasn’t about me. This was about what Elijah did. What he did to people I cared about. I forced the fury to return, until the sharp taste of adrenaline outmatched the pain.
I released the door, stepping inside. “Yeah, you think you fucked up?”
“Bear…” Denali said quietly.
“No,” I snapped, staring at him to avoid looking at Elijah and his tear-streaked face. “You’re comforting him?Him?”
I couldn’t avoid him, I had to meet Elijah head-on if I was going to beat his ass. My eyes slid to Elijah—fuck.His body was folded inward like something broke that couldn’t be fixed.
“This is what you do,” I finally spat out. “You fuck with people until shit likethishappens. You’re upset they blocked you? You fucking deserve it! King didn’t hit you nearly hard enough, he should’ve knockedyourhead in!”
I could see him struggle to breathe, his shoulders shaking.
“You hurtJunewho’s been a hell of a lot nicer to you than you ever fucking deserved!” I snarled. “The summer was leading up to this, I hope you’re happy!”
It wasn’t just Elijah shaking. I couldn’t stand still. The plan was clear in my mind. I had to grab Elijah by the shoulder and toss him to the floor—I’d land a couple of good punches before Denali stopped me. Then I’d have get past my captain. Only mycaptain. I had a strong suspicion he was the only one I’d have to worry about.
If I hit Elijah, I wasn’t even sure he’d fight back.
I knew what I had to do and my fists twitched at my sides, ready for this to start. Elijah Contractor had been a pain in my ass since I met him, a pain toeverybody. He was impulsive, rash, and hurt people because of it. I’d seen it firsthand. King didn’t deserve to be the focus of it and that fuck-up was inexcusable. It wasn’t only a mistake, it was unforgivable.
But he wasn’t the only one who fucked up like that.
The longer I stared at Elijah, the more the guilt crept in, always heavy on my shoulders. Elijah hurt somebody and realized they didn’t deserve it. Just like I did.
If I could take back everything I did to June, I’d do it in a heartbeat, but I couldn’t. I carried the guilt with me during the summer, but I’d carry it a lot longer than that. Things I could never justify and apologize enough for.
I watched the tears slip down Elijah’s face, my hands shaking.
The truth was, he wasn’t just Ruthless from the news articles or Elijah Contractor in his behavioral meetings. He wasn’t just a relentless defense player who was hated by most of college hockey.
Elijah was my teammate, the guy I ran drills with. Once my punishment ended and I was allowed in the games, we were marked as the top defense pair for the Gladiators. He was also my neighbor, the guy down the hall who came barging into my dorm when we ordered food and kicked ass with me onNopedwhen we partnered-up. The guy who wrote ‘property of June Basil’ on my face, and pushed my girlfriend and me together.
Elijah was my friend.
Elijah was one of my best friends.
With a shaky breath, I walked over and sank into the place next to him. Some dam crumpled and Elijah’s shoulders slumped, sobbing again. I looped an arm over his shoulders. Denali and I were silent while Elijah cried.
An hour later,my steps were heavy when I left for the locker room. The guys were finished with practice, putting their gear away before class, and everyone was surprised to see me. Fridge asked if I was okay, but I crooked a finger in Montoya’s direction.
“Montoya,” I called.
The guys shared looks together before turning, long lines of hockey players staring my way. No one said a word.
He was in the middle of shrugging on a hoodie and he fumbled with it, smoothing down the fabric. His hands tremored but he followed me into the hallway. The door closed behind us.
“Bear—Bear.” His lower lip trembled. “Is—is King okay?”
“Yeah.”
His eyes dropped to the floor. He said nothing.
I shook my head. “You swore you wouldn’t tell anybody, Montoya.”
