Page 79 of Puck to the Heart
Why didn’t she tell him to fuck off so we could all move on? She was… frozen.
When I was seven, my dad was driving us home in late autumn, and a herd of deer crossed the road ahead of us, but one, a yearling probably, given its small size, wasn’t as fast as the others. And when the headlights caught its slender frame, the deer froze in fear.
Olivia reminded me of the deer now. Not fearful, but… trapped.
At least my dad and I avoided crashing into the deer, thanks to well-tuned brakes and a wide, grassy shoulder. Olivia didn’t seem to be able to avoid the crash.
“And your job? I heard you moved across the country.”
Olivia let out a mirthless laugh. “I recently left a contract lab.”
Spinning the truth so he wouldn’t be a dick. Clever girl.
“How disappointing. I thought you’d go further, but you never were as ambitious as you could’ve been.”
How did this condescending asshole think his opinion still mattered? And anyway, Hurst treated Olivia like shit. She deserved better, and she didn’t need to deal with this guy’s crap, either. I should introduce his face to my fist.
“And what doyoudo?” Alex’s voice cut through my rage spiral as the other man turned to face me.
“Hockey,” I rasped. Clearing my throat, I adjusted, “Left defenseman for the Portland Knights.” Instinctively, I pulled Olivia closer, needing to protect her from him.
“Ash…Wilder?”
“Bingo.”
“You really dropped the ball last night.”
“Good thing I don’t play with a ball, then.” It was a rubber band snapping against my skin, the reflex to be a dick. But damn, the guy deserved it.
Even if he wasn’t wrong.
Dr. Prick adjusted the sleeve of his tweed elbow-patched blazer, tugging the fabric down.
Seriously, can this dude be more of a walking cliche?
“We should—” I began.
“Liv,whatare you doing?” Dr. Prick ignored me. Again.
Seething, my free hand fisted hard enough for the tendons to pop. Whatever thrall he had over her still held.
“W—what?”
“Did you throw away your job for this—” he pointed at me.
“—this Neanderthal?”
My jaw clenched, but it was nothing new. Prepared to ignore it, I wanted to escape. Beside me, though, Olivia bristled, a huge shift from her deer in headlights demeanor. If her eyes could throw knives, she would’ve skewered Alex a dozen times over.
“What thefuckis wrong with you?” she hissed, coming out of her trance.
The professor stiffened, taking half a step back as she rounded on him.
“Howdareyou ask anything about my life? You told me what you thought of my choices and—and me. You gave up the right to have any opinions on what I do when you came after two thrusts and kicked me out of the bed, you fucking pretentious elbow-patched twat.”
At this point, I should be past jealousy, but the mental image left me outraged. Who would leavethiswoman wanting more? I had no time to think about it because Olivia was glorious when she was angry. And was shesnarling?
She continued, advancing on Alex, who had the audacity to look amused. “Ash would never use me the way you did. Never once has he talked down to me, or compared me to anyone else, talked shit about my friends or my fuckingpersonality. Ash is kind and thoughtful and I don’t have to hide who I am from him or his friends, and at leasthecan give me a fuckingorgasm. And helikes doing it.” The last bit she hurled at her ex like the final nails in the coffin of their relationship.
