Page 123 of Breakaway Hearts

“But you’re a golden retriever who looks like his dog just got run over.”

His analogy went off the rails, but still feels accurate. I’m trying not to expect the worst, and for once, I’m not doing great at it.

“I’ll be better tomorrow.”

“Did you and Madison break up?” Miles asks.

“They’re not together,” Shawn corrects him, though I don’t think he’s trying to be a dick so much as to have my back.

“Do we think that might be the issue?” Vale ventures.

“Can we focus on hockey, not my personal life?” I try.

“Sorry Cap, we like to take a holistic approach to the team.”

“Fuck you,” I tell Donovan, but his call back to a very temporary assistant coach we had my freshman year achieves its goal of making me smile.

“I think we’d all prefer it if Madison fucked you,” Miles whispers loud enough for everyone to hear.

“Don’t you fucking talk about her like⁠—”

Mike puts his hand on my chest to stop me, not that I was going to do anything, but I’m also not sure I wasn’t.

“Can we stop the fucking therapy session and find a way to make sure we don’t hand them the fucking game tomorrow?” Danny is loud–and angry–enough to get everyone’s attention.

“Rookie’s got a point,” I say, though I’m pretty sure his dig was aimed at me and my problems taking priority over training.

He huffs before going to shower. The rest of the guys follow until it’s only me and Jason left.

“What did you do?” he asks after making sure there’s no one in earshot.

“You just assume⁠—”

“I didn’t throw you against the wall or threaten you, which means I’m not assuming you did something terrible,” he stops me. “But you’re upset and it’s about Madison. So, I repeat, what did you do?”

“She didn’t tell you?” I ask, but she probably isn’t moping around their apartment like she just ruined the best part of her day. She might be completely unaffected, or even better for it.

“Insisted it was nothing, then promised she’d tell me later.”

“Does that mean she’s⁠—”

“Did you break up? Or stop whatever you had going on?” he corrects before I can.

“Fuck, I hope not,” I admit with a sigh. “But she is avoiding me, ever since I…since Team Dinner.”

“She was weird on the way home,” he agrees.

“But she didn’t say anything?”

“She will, eventually, but Maddie doesn’t like being a burden, or vulnerable, or hurting people⁠—”

“Or driving a wedge between teammates?” I venture, but that doesn’t sound like her.

“She’d blow up the team if you hurt her. The only reason she’d hesitate would be to keep me out of jail.”

His look is a warning, but he must see how wrecked I am, or he hopefully knows that I would never hurt her, because he sighs, almost like an apology.

I don’t feel right telling him what’s going on with us, especially if she hasn’t, but as her best friend, he has to know how to break down those walls.