Will surged forward, shunting Linc toward Finn. “You knew he was… that they were…” He raked his hands through his hair, his chest heaving with each breath. Linc didn’t back down, but Will peered around his towering frame. “So this wasn’t a one off? I don’t know if that makes it better or worse. Was my whole team keeping your dirty secret?”
Finn lurched forward, arm outstretched to seize Will. Austin grabbed at him, but his hand was already wrapped around Will’s throat. Linc braced his arm across Will’s chest, holding him back against the counter.
“Finnegan… please?” Mrs. Mo’s voice cut through the haze enough for Finn to loosen his grip around Will’s throat, but he didn’t move his hand.
“This isn’t some sordid one-night-stand.” Finn sucked in a breath. “I’ve loved her from the minute I saw her in your backyard.” Another breath. “But I fought it. I fought her. Because of you.Foryou.” Another breath. Despair curled like fog under his skin. “For our friendship.” His voice cracked.
“I was afraid of losing you.” He turned to Molly, black mascara tracks led down her cheeks and her pale skin stood out even more against her red lips. He swallowed. It might be the only time he got to say anything to Will, so he’d better say it all. “Afraid I’d lose your family.Myfamily. The people who saved me, who held me together after Liam…”
Someone gasped at his brother’s name, probably Meabh.
“But my fear of losing her… leaving college and playing pro hockey… Not being here to have her back… watching her fall in love with someone else…” He dropped his hand from Will’s neck, blinking back tears. He pressed his fist against his racing heart. “I can’t do it anymore, man. I needed to tell her how I felt before it consumed me from the inside.”
Will’s cheek flexed as he clenched his teeth together. Linc’s body had softened, but he hadn’t moved, still caging Will to the counter.
“I tried not to love her. And I was wrong. I wasted years being apart from her because you didn’t want her with someone on your team and I respected that, respected you. But I was wrong.”
Will turned to Molly, whose jaw still trembled. Her eyes flitted back and forth like she was trying to find something on Will’s impassive face.
“You could have had anyone, Molly. Anyone in the whole world and you had to have him? He might not be smart enough to know you’ll move on to the next one when you get bored, but you… doesn’t he mean more to you than that?”
She opened her mouth to speak but Will rushed on.
“Or has it been a forbidden romance from the get-go for you as well?” His mocking tone crawled under Finn’s skin.
“Easy. Don’t let him rattle you. He’s lashing out.” Austin’s quiet, calm voice spoke close to Finn’s ear. “Steady.”
Finn was anything but fucking steady. His whole body vibrated. Sure, he’d expected Will to be surprised and upset, but he was just being a dick.
Molly chewed her lip but nodded at Will.
“How long?” he demanded.
She cast her eyes over the spectators. Finn still had no clue who had stayed or who had gone, but if he knew his teammates, they’d all stayed to make sure there was no bloodshed, and their girlfriends had stayed to ensure their boyfriends didn’t get hurt.
Molly heaved out a sigh, as though she was too exhausted to form words. “Since I met him.”
Will slammed his hand on the kitchen counter with a thud, and Molly jumped. “What the fuck?” He moved toward her, but Linc pivoted, blocking his path. Will growled. “Why didn’t you say anything?”
“Because, Will.” Molly’s control wavered as her volume inched higher. “Because you were always so adamant I couldn’t go near your precious teammates. Because I thought you’d beaten the shit out of my boyfriend for cheating on me.”
Will’s eyebrows shot up. “I never did that.” He glanced back at Finn.
“Well I know thatnow, don’t I?” Molly flapped her hands against her thighs.
A heavy tension filled the air, suffocating. The presence of Finn’s friends and family around him brought the walls even closer.
“I thought if anyone ever broke my heart again you could end up really hurting someone... Getting arrested… I thought it could impact your future.” Her voice dropped. “You’re the Golden Boy, Willy. You can do whatever you’d like, and if you decide to go work for the CIA or go to MIT or some shit, having something like that on your record could be pretty damaging. So I got my jollies off elsewhere.”
Will raked his hand through his hair. “I…” He sucked in a breath. “I can’t.” He stepped forward, but Linc boxed him in.
“Don’t leave angry, man.”
Will met Linc’s pleading stare. “Did everyone know?”
Linc shook his head.
“I guess that’s something.” If looks could kill, Finn would already be dead. Will’s eye-dagger game was strong as he passed Finn toward the back door. He paused, turned back, pointed at Finn, then back to himself. “We’re done.”
