Page 16 of Heartless As Puck

With a quick check to make sure no one was hiding in the shadows—always a valid fear in dark, abandoned areas—I unlocked the car and got in. Rage simmered in my blood as I reversed out of the space and followed the exit signs onto the street.

I drove without knowing where I was going, jabbing a finger at the music system to stop Austin’s playlist. It reminded me of his stupid face, and I didn’t need that right now.

The quiet should have relaxed me, but it didn’t.

Damn the new owner of the Chicago Chaos and the new management and my goddamn boss and everyone who was conspiring to ruin the calm, routine existence I’d carved out for myself.

I liked being known only as Austin’s assistant. I suspected that a few of the players, like Nick Kelly and Matt Matthews, knew whom I was related to, but they’d never mentioned it to me. There’d just been a hint of recognition in their eyes when we’d met, and nothing had ever come of it.

I liked that.

I was comfortable being ignored. While it may not be great for my love life, it sure was good for my peace of mind.

The Range Rover stopped. Looking around, I realized I was parked in front of a nearby ice rink that I liked to visit to clear my mind. I checked that I was parked appropriately and killed the engine, then hesitated for a moment, a pang of guilt passing through me at the thought of leaving Austin without a ride home. I’d basically stolen his car and ditched him.

But I hardened myself. He could call a taxi. It wasn’t as if he couldn’t afford the expense, and he deserved it after the shit he’d pulled.

I got out, locked the Range Rover, and made a beeline through the front doors. I paid for entry and rented a pair of skates. They wouldn’t be as good as my own, but mine were back at Austin’s place, so I’d have to make do.

I chose a seat by myself and donned the skates. No one bothered me as I glided onto the ice and found a small area where I shouldn’t be interrupted by anyone else. It was a weekday afternoon, so there were a few teenagers around but not many others.

For a couple of minutes, I just got the feel of the ice and warmed up my legs, but when the next song began, I started to move. First, I kept it simple, but as my muscles grew pliant and my comfort level increased, I added spins and even a few jumps, falling into one of the core routines I’d learned during my years of figure skating.

Time fell away. I kept rhythm with the music, ebbing and flowing with the beats of each song. No one got into my way, and I made sure to stay clear of them as well.

By the time I stopped, I’d worked up a sweat and my legs and core ached pleasantly.

I left the ice slightly calmer than I’d been when I’d arrived. My clothes were sticking to me, and I wished I’d thought to bring a change, but for all that I was prepared to meet most of Austin’s needs, I wasn’t as thorough when it came to my own.

Grimacing, I pinched the neck of my shirt and let a little air flow down the front. I’d have to wait until I got back to Austin’s place before showering.

Speaking of the devil, what was I supposed to do now?

I couldn’t just return to my job as if nothing had happened. I wasn’t the sort of person who could forget a massive overstepping of professional boundaries like this. But all my belongings were there, and technically, I still worked for him. Unless I wanted to quit, I’d better figure it out.

As tempting as quitting might be, I liked my job for the most part. I also didn’t want to have to try to find another one when I was so close to graduating. Who’d want to hire me when it was obvious I’d leave as soon as I was qualified to find work as a speech therapist?

I withdrew my phone from my bag and checked, not sure whether to be disappointed that neither Austin nor Gus had tried to call or thankful that they’d honored my request for space. I pocketed my phone and left.

What the hell was I going to do next?

FIVE

AUSTIN

“Hold on. Can you just repeat that? What, exactly, did you and Gus expect Jane to do?” Nick asked as he paused the recording of our final game from last season, which was playing on the massive TV on his living room wall.

I winced. Nick never paused games for anything. This didn’t bode well. “I asked if she would consider pretending to be my girlfriend, so I’d look more settled to team management.” I’d already explained all of this and the reasons why. He’d just wanted to make me say it again.

“And you don’t see anything wrong with that?” His tone was dubious, as if he thought I was the stupidest man alive and it really should be blatantly obvious where I’d gone wrong.

“Yes, at first I didn’t like the idea, but not much would really have to change, and⁠—”

“When you found out who her family is, you forgot everything you know about who she is as a person and made assumptions,” Nick cut in, his pale gaze expressing disappointment in me.

“We already pretty much live together,” I said, as much to myself as to him. She’d looked at me as if I were a terrible person, and I hated that. I didn’t want her upset, but she didn’t give me a chance to explain how we could manage without making things complicated. “She’s with me almost every day. It would be easy to pretend we were dating.”

Honestly, once I’d gotten my head around the idea, I’d thought the hardest part would be reminding myself it couldn’t be real. I’d been in a decently healthy place, mentally and emotionally. The last thing I needed was to get feelings for her and be pulled back into the constant cycle of trying hard for someone and not being enough.