Page 70 of These Wicked Hearts

Little game????!!!! Excuse me. Nothing little about my game!

Are you going to watch my big manly exciting game tonight??

Are you??? GAAAAGGGEEEEEEEE

Are you going to watch because you’re obsessed with me? You want to see how good my ass looks in my shorts on TV, huh???

Spoiler alert . . .

Very thick and juicy.

I wait for a minute and feel relief when I see dots on his end.

Goodbye, hockey boy

I stare at the message longer than I should, holding in the smile I feel. “Girlfriend?” Rome asks, startling me.

I set my phone down. “No.”

“Boyfriend?”

I glare at him. “No.”

Our food arrives, thankfully, and I look down at my burger. Damn, I’m fucking starving.

“Atlas,” Rome says after a moment. “I just want to talk to someone. One person. Don’t turn it into something it doesn’t have to be.”

“Grey is my best friend.”

He picks up a fry, chewing it, then swallows. “I know. I meant what I said. I did not try to hurt him like that.”

“But you did try to hurt him.”

He sighs heavily, staring down at his plate. “Yes, but not like that. I tripped and hit him harder than I meant to. I am sorry about your friend.”

I don’t know what to say to that, so I eat instead. We have a dangerous job. We’re a bunch of hotheaded assholes who have tunnel vision when it comes to the game when we’re on the ice. Score, mow down anyone in our path. Get the job done.

“I meant what I said,” he adds. “I’m jealous of you.”

I laugh under my breath. “I’m a mess.”

“Yeah,” he smiles slightly. “But you’re a mess with people. You’ve got family. Someone at the end of the day, yes?”

“Yeah, I guess.” Something about that hits me harder than expected. Then I remember something. “Wait, aren’t you married?” Rome’s face drops, then it’s like he tightens it back up.

“My wife is . . . the best person I know,” he says. “She knows she’s my light. I’d never hurt her and that’s all I’m going to say about that.”

“Fair enough.”

“Some advice? About Grady.”

I look up at him mid chew. Okay, this is good. I’ve never given much thought to being vegan, but this burger is good. I nod.

“Whatever you do, stay as far from him as you can. Short answers. Yes Coach. No Coach. Don’t engage.”

“Okay . . .”

Rome takes a sip of his tea. “And most importantly, don’t give him anything to use against you. Even if it seems harmless, he will turn it into a weapon.”