Page 76 of Ice Rebel

“About what?”

“Us.”

“Let me help you. There is no us. I thought we were both on the same page. No complications. No strings. Now a couple pictures and suddenly, the whole world thinks we’re getting married.”

“Yeah, things got a little weird, but you know how people are.” My mind was in lockdown. Yes, I should confess the reporter had approached me in public, but what good would it do? Damn it. I wanted to kill the guy.

Her short laugh caused a pit in my stomach. “Yes, I do know. I’m curious. Did Jagger get to you or your sister, or you just happened to be perusing social media? Or maybe that reporter had already called for an exclusive on our upcoming wedding, eager for all the gory details.”

“You’re angry.”

“Hell, yes, I’m angry. I just… It’s just not what I need right now.”

“Samantha called a little while ago.” I tried getting closer to her again. She retreated again. “I’m sorry people are such assholes. I’m used to it, but they had no business dragging you into the middle of my world.”

“I’ve come to expect people enjoy watching others suffer.”

“I’m really sorry. I never intended for any of this to happen.”

“What do you have to be sorry about?”

I thought about her question and guilt was already eating me alive. “That I wasn’t able to protect you. Especially with the girls at the bar and whatever they said to you.”

“Protect me? Like a big he-man barbarian, the way you are on the ice? From the crazies out there? They’re everywhere, Cole. I don’t like what was said, the ugliness some people tried to imply, but I can’t change who and what they are as people. Neither can you.”

“Yeah, well, you haven’t been forced to deal with the shit for years. And yes, from the crazies who have nothing better to do than to hound me as if I’m some fucking lab rat.”

She nodded, still completely nervous around me to the point of constantly tugging strands of hair. I could swear she was about to rip them from her scalp. “Will people actually believe we’re engaged? Evidently so, since my old roommate from college, a girl I could barely tolerate, texted with fake congratulations.”

“People will believe anything these days, no matter how ridiculous. I’ll talk to our social media guru later and see if she can fix it.”

“Fix it? You know what they say about when the cat is already out of the bag. I really don’t need the extra pressure.”

“Do you think I’m to blame for the crap on the internet?” Her hesitation meant at least a small part of her did. Shit. Shit. Shit. This was all my damn fault.

“Maybe you should have warned me, Cole. Not about you being so popular, but about the real reason why. You’re a shifter.”

There it was in all its ugly glory. The real reason why she was so pissed. At that moment, I was angry as well. “The fact I’m a shifter shouldn’t matter. Nothing about my DNA changes how I play hockey or how I enjoy my life. I’m not some freak, Chelsea.”

“Freak? Of course you’re not a freak. That’s not what I said.”

“Yeah? Well, that’s what everyone else thinks.”

“Not everyone. You’re considered one of the best players in the AHL. Since I couldn’t sleep last night, I spent some time discovering who Cole Kendrick was as a hockey player and as a man. While you’re screaming with talent, you’re also angry all the time.”

Her comment caught me completely off guard. Another step taken, this time two steps lost. Damn it. “Hockey is a violent sport.”

“But you take it to the extreme and some people are terrified of you.”

I had no idea how to respond. “Wait. You’re afraid of me because I’m a shifter? You’re afraid I’ll hurt you?”

As her expression softened, she flicked her eyes back to the empty seats. “That’s not what I said. I’m not afraid of you. What I am concerned about is how you react under duress. Not just playing hockey, but I noticed your body language the other night. You were ready to tear that guy limb from limb all for looking at me. I mean, your eyes were… They weren’t human.” Her frown tugged at my heartstrings.

Now what could I say to that? “I know my limits.”

“Are you sure about that?”

In truth, the answer was no and I wasn’t going to lie to her. “The stories you obviously read aren’t true. My entire family has been pestered from day one of the world learning shifters exist. People are cruel. My parents have been shunned by some close friends; some business partners my dad had worked with for years took their business elsewhere.”