Page 89 of The Playmaker

“You going?” Jess asks.

Before I can answer her, Cason messages again. You need to come. Tell me you’ll be there. I’ll get you and Jess seats behind the bench.

“He wants me to come. He says I need to, and that he has seats for both of us.”

“That’s weird. He’s never needed you to come before.”

I shrug. “We’re working on our relationship.”

Jess nods. “Okay, I’ll go with you, but so help me, if Cole so much as looks at you, I’m going down on that ice and slamming his face into the boards.”

I shake my head. “You can’t do that.”

“Oh, I can. I just shouldn’t.”

“Jess—”

“No guy is going to hurt my best friend and get away with it.”

I exhale heavily and rest my head against the sofa. “I knew what I was getting into when I started this, Jess. We were hate fucking, nothing more.” Too bad my heart saw it differently. Thought we had something real.

Your heart is right.

She waves a dismissive hand. “I don’t care. He turned on his Playmaker charm. How could a girl not fall for that? This is all his fault.”

“That’s the thing though. Yes, he can be charming when he’s in Playmaker mode, but he’s also a cocky, arrogant bastard in that mode, too. Sure, the crowd loves it. But you know what, that’s not the guy I fell for.”

She gives me an odd look. “Why are you defending him?”

I can’t tell her too much without giving away Cole’s secrets. He’s a private guy, and I respect that. Yes, he’s a showboat on the ice, but that’s an act to prevent the world from seeing who he really is. He doesn’t think anyone would like that guy. But I do. I love that guy.

“Because you don’t really know who he is.”

“Then who is he?”

“He’s so sweet,” I say, and hug a pillow to my chest. “He’s funny, caring, an all-around nice guy. He doesn’t let many people in but when he does, he’d do anything for them.”

Like give Kenny a black eye. Make me get back on the ice.

“Nina, I know you’re in love with him, but he’s clearly not in love with you, or he wouldn’t have left with that girl. Maybe you’re mistaken about who he really is.”

“I’m not,” I say adamantly. “When Cole is just being Cole, he’s the most amazing man in the world. That’s the guy I fell in love with.”

I take in the concerned look on my friend’s face, and I can’t blame her for being worried. She was right by my side when Cole pulled that little stunt with the bunny—and then met my gaze to be sure I saw the entire exchange. Why the hell did he do that?

“I’m not wrong about him, Jess.”

“Then maybe you need to figure out why he did what he did.”

“Something is off about him leaving with that girl.”

“Why? He’s done it a million times before.”

“I know you’re right, but we were at a place…” No way could Cole touch me, kiss me the way he did—make love to me—if there wasn’t more between us. So if there is more, if he’s feeling everything I’m feeling, then why is he running? Especially after I bought him that gift—showed him I knew and liked the guy he really was. That he didn’t need to pretend around me.

I go over everything in my head again. Was he afraid that guy was too damaged to be liked…loved? That he couldn’t even keep his mother around, so why would anyone else stay? Cole hurt me on purpose, pushed me away for a reason, of that I’m sure.

“I think I know,” I say past the knot in my throat.

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