Page 130 of Slap Shot Scandal

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Even more—I want her to fight.

For us.

But she only stares up at me with defeat swimming in her red-rimmed eyes.

Broken.

So many things tumble through my head, things I should say.

But I can’t. There’s a hard knot lodged in my throat and my mind’s spinning.

“I’m leaving tonight. And I’m not coming back.”

“So this is good-bye then?”

She nods, her eyes glistening, and a swell of emotionsbubbles inside me. Anger, rage. Love, lust, longing. Agony and defeat.

I say nothing.

The silence stretches between us like a chasm I can’t cross. She’s three feet away, but she may as well be on another planet. I want to fight for us, but she’s already gone.

Spinning, I stride across the room and yank open the door. I need to get out of here. Away from the arena, Coach, Prince.

Away from hockey.

But most of all, away from her.

Glancing over my shoulder one last time, I try to memorize the high curve of her cheeks, the way her hair falls in golden waves down her back.

“For the record, Hurricane, you were never the distraction. You were the reason I gave a shit in the first place.”

CHAPTER 36

WESTON

Ipeel out of the arena parking lot and speed through town, rock music blaring so loudly I’m surprised I don’t immediately get a citation for noise violation.

Harbor’s leaving.

By tomorrow, she’ll be gone.

Where will she go? What will she do?

Because her career’s tanked after this. She’ll be blacklisted from hockey. No team owner will risk hiring the PR consultant who became the scandal she was supposed to prevent.

What’s worse is she’s not trying to spin anything anymore—she’s just accepting her fate.

And it’s all because of me.

She warned me, but I didn’t listen. Wouldn’t take no for an answer.

Because you love her.

Yeah, but at what cost? Because now she has nothing.

The way she looked in her office—defeated,broken—those wide hazel eyes filled with pain. The hollow note in her voice.

I’m resigning.

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