Page 76 of Breakaway Hearts

I’m trying to get a smile, but all she gives is another sigh as she shakes her head.

“That’s not how this works,” she says sadly. “You’re going to be late for practice.”

She goes in and closes the door, leaving me standing in the hallway, my hands full but nothing to show for it.

“Fuck,” I mutter under my breath.

That did not go the way I wanted it to, and instead of getting more of her, which was my intention, I think I might have lost whatever shred of goodwill I had.

Jay must not have been inside, because she’s right and I’m the last one to walk into the locker room. Technically on time, but it’s not how I want to be as a captain, and I get looks that I try to dispel by sharing that the coffees and pastries, which are probably cold by now, are up for grabs.

If anything, that only makes some of them, like Danny, look angrier, probably because it seems like I’m late because I went to get coffee, rather than to get kicked in the nuts by the girl I was hoping to be spending a lot more time with.

We run a few drills and work on passing before Coach gives us a water break. I do a couple more passes with Vale, showing him how I control the puck, then skate over to the bench just as Danny is saying, “But you can’t fix everything with money, you know? If you’re not going to show up on time and be there when you’re needed, what’s the fucking point? I don’t want your bought apology, just fuck off.”

He looks at me like he always does, as if I’m such a dick he can’t stand it. Normally I let it slide, because it’s insane to think everyone should love you, but not today, man.

“What the fuck is your problem?” I ask, barely containing my pent-up anger.

Danny’s face drops, but so does every other guy on the team’s, because I said that out loud.

“I’m sorry,” I apologize. “I’ve got shit going on and didn’t mean…”

Danny nods as Coach calls us back, but the damage is done.

I don’t know why I blew up. I should have calmly talked to him after practice, but fuck, I made it onto the ice on time and the shit wasn’t a bribe, not to the team for being late, or for Madison, I just thought she might enjoy them. When she didn’t, I knew my roommates, for one, love the chocolate and almond croissants.

Fuck, is that what Madison thought? That I was trying to bribe her to sleep with me again? I would never fucking do that, especially not with cheap pastries.

Danny stays on the ice after Coach lets us go, working on his wrist shots, so I skate over to him.

“I’m sorry for snapping. Whatever is going on in my life, that’s no excuse.”

He looks at me with confusion, probably not trusting my sincerity.

“At the same time, though, I don’t get why you dislike me so much. I was on the ice⁠—”

“Wasn’t even talking about you,” he cuts me off.

“You said⁠—”

“Private stuff to a friend. But of course, the star player is so narcissistic that no one could ever talk about anything other than him.”

“I didn’t mean⁠—”

“To make everything about you? Of course, you did. You assholes have it so easy, and the second someone calls you out on it, you’re all charm and fake promises. And no, I really wasn’t talking about you, because I don’t give a fuck if you’re here or not, but there might be a reason you felt targeted by it. You showed up late, with pastries so no one would call you out on it, as if that makes it okay, but it doesn’t. So you can save your bribes. If I cared, that shit wouldn’t fly with me.”

He gets off the ice and I feel like defending myself, that it wasn’t at all what I was doing, but I also have a tendency to do just that. To soften the blow with flowers if I had to miss something Cami cared about for a game. Dolls or girly barrettes if I haven’t seen my nieces in a while. They’re not bribes, I’m not trying to use money to get rid of the problem…I just want to make things better. To get smiles back and let people know they mean a lot to me and I’m thinking of them.

Chapter Thirty-One

Madison

I think it broke me

After lunch, I take Jay’s truck and drive to the law offices of Pruitt and Dobbs. I’m not nervous, but I am off my game, which is not what I want when I’m meeting the senior partners for my preliminary interview. I have my advisor’s voice in my head, telling me to make sure I smile, my mom assuring me I’m amazing and they’re the ones who would be lucky to have me…then I have the image of Owen at my door, tray of coffees, a bag of something that smelled delicious, and that earnest look on his face, like all he wants is me.

I think it broke me.