Page 31 of Brutal Obsession

Dancing was like that for me, except it was just my body that I had supreme control over. Every little muscle, every expression. Down to my fingertips and my toes. It was a way to express myself, yes, but it was more than that.

It was more beautiful than that.

I see it in Greyson. In the way he skates.

And I’ve never wanted to break his legs more than I do right now.

“I need a drink,” Willow informs me after Knox is slammed into the glass, fifteen minutes into the first period.

Greyson passes by us with a scowl, his head on a swivel. For a moment, I’m afraid he’s going to start a fight. Avenge his friend. But he lets it go, and the game continues. Back and forth. I love the rapid speed of motion, the adrenaline rush from just watching.

Willow squeezes past us. The game has my rapt attention. Some of the other girls have started a chant. Something basic.Let’s go Hawks, andDefense! Defense!I keep my mouth shut. It’s dry anyway. Greyson checks one of the Wolves into the glass, and I smile at the retribution.

Hockey is brutal.

It suits him.

It suits all of them, really.

Miles, their goalie, is put to the test when the Wolves bring it back to our section. Greyson and Erik move on their line, and eventually Steele gets the puck back to Greyson. We burst into cheers, and Steele winks at our section as he coasts past.

He knows how to play the crowd.

And off they go again.

Back and forth. Back and forth.

Willow returns with two beers, and I gulp one down. It doesn’t quite quench my thirst or hose down my nerves, but it helps. A little.

She pulls her flask and takes a swig from the metal mouth, then chases it with the beer. I stare at her, but she just shrugs. “Liquid courage.”

“To do what?”

She winks. “Approach Knox, of course. Why do you think all the puck bunnies go to the bar and drape themselves across the players? Because they have all that excess energy…”

“And you’re trying to get to him before someone else picks him up?” Amanda asks.

Willow nods emphatically.

“Who would you get with?” I ask Amanda. “If you have a preference.”

She shrugs and looks out on the ice. “I don’t know. Steele, maybe. Miles and I had a fling last year, so I don’t think I’d go near that again. Too messy.”

I scoff. “You two dated for two weeks.”

“Yeah. We were seen in public together.” She eyes me. “People remember that kind of thing.”

“Noted,” I mutter. My mind goes back to Jack. When we went out after his games, I was always on his arm. And if I wasn’t, no one else approached me. I was untouchable in that regard.

But now I’m… not. Protected anyway.

And it feels good.

In the strangest way, it’s scary, too. The door to my cage has been left open, and I didn’t even realize I was living in a prison. It didn’t feel like one. It didn’t feel like I was trapped or contained. It was just safe and easy and comfortable.

Exactly what the girls said my relationship was. They spotted it before I did.

I heave a sigh.

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