Page 75 of Cheap Shot

His body seemed to deflate at my admission. “I can’t believe you.”

“I didn’t mean for it to happen. I didn’t even know who she was that night. It wasn’t until she came to our room the next morning that I realized it.”

“And you just pretended like nothing happened?” He scoffed. “You’re supposed to be my best friend. I asked you to watch out for her because she’s been through hell and needed friends, and you crossed a line. She needed people to have her back.”

“And I have!” I couldn’t control my temper anymore. “I have been there for her more than you have. I’ve talked to her, listened to her, protected her, and where have you been?”

His eyes narrowed to slits. “You don’t know everything, Reid.”

“Exactly! I don’t know because you refuse to tell anyone.” I threw up my arms, completely exasperated.

“Bayman! Clarkson! Sit down and shut up!” Coach Weston’s stern voice echoed through the room.

Every single guy dropped to the benches, completely silent.

Ethan glared at me for another moment. “We’re done.”

He walked away as my stomach dropped. He might as well have punched me in the face. That would have been less painful. We might have pulled off winning the game, but I just lost my best friend.

Did I make a mistake?

Chapter 25

Haley

The girls offered to wait with me after the game, but I told them I needed privacy for this conversation. I didn’t want them, or anyone else, to be around Ethan after seeing how angry he was on the ice. We needed to talk so I broke my own rule and came to his game. The one place he couldn’t avoid me, and I was mentally prepared for the fallout. If he wanted to tell our parents about everything that had happened, I wouldn’t stop him. If they wanted to stop paying my tuition, they could. That didn’t mean I would move home. I was an adult, and maybe it was time to start acting like it.

I could get a job and support myself. I was done letting other people control me, even under the guise of protecting me. I’d spent my whole life following the plans someone else set but no more. I was ready to take a stand.

“Hey, Haley.” Matt waved as he walked by with Becker. They were the first to leave from the back entrance the team used.

I waved back and wrapped my arms around myself as more of the guys trickled out. A few of them greeted me, but most either ignored me or shot me looks that varied from irritated to white-hot anger.

Great. Not only was my brother pissed at me, but now half the team was.

Benjamin walked out, and the second our eyes connected, his face turned to stone, and he shook his head as he walked away from me. How was he able to make me feel thoroughly chastised without a single word?

Finally, Ethan stepped out. He saw me immediately and rolled his eyes. He tried to pass me without saying anything, but I stepped in front of him.

“Can we talk?”

He shook his head. “I’m not in the mood.”

“I know, but you won’t answer my calls or texts. You aren’t staying in your dorm, and you avoid me on campus. I’m done trying to chase you down, so we’re talking about this now.”

He glanced around, but we were alone. “I told them to stay away from you for a reason. After everything you went through last year, you need time to heal.”

I pushed down my initial reaction of yelling at him. He was telling me his perspective. That was a good first step. “I appreciate you trying to protect me, I really do, but if I tell you I’m ready to move, on then you need to trust me.”

He adjusted his duffle strap higher onto his shoulder. “I trust you, it’s the guys I have a problem with.”

“Why? Reid is your best friend. You’ve known him for years, and I assume you wouldn’t tolerate him if he wasn’t a good person.”

“You deserve better. You deserve normal.” He stared down at the ground while I tried to figure out what that meant.

“Normal?” I crossed my arms over my chest. “What isn’t normal about him?

He rubbed the back of his neck. “His life is focused on one thing. His priorities, energy, thoughts, time, everything is all directed toward hockey.”