AllFreeNovel
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Hat trick.
Church, Lawson, and the rest of my teammates skate around me as I go off celebrating. They pat my helmet, tap their sticks against my legs. I grin, victorious, and go to the bench.
My gaze goes right back to where Melody is.
Should be.
She missed it.
Steele shrugs. Miles and Willow turn around, looking back up the aisle to the opening at the top of the section. There are people, but I can’t see if they spot her.
Damn.
The goal was for her, regardless of whether or not she saw it, but… shitty time to go get a beer.
My vague annoyance, however, bleeds into worry the longer she’s gone.
And when Knox and Steele hurry up the steps, my stomach knots. I glance at the timer and lean forward, bracing my elbows on my thighs. My lungs are tight, my muscles burning. It’s the good sort of pain that comes with a hard workout. I’m conditioned for it. But I’mnotconditioned for this sort of worry over Melody.
I glance at the bench. Then at the clock.
Two minutes remaining.
Two minutes for my friends to return Melody to her seat.
Two minutes to last so I don’t get fired in the middle of the playoffs.
57
MELODY
“I’m fine,” I say over my shoulder to Violet.
I mean, I’m not. I’ve got another text from Henry, but this one…
He’s in my hotel room. On the bed where Jacob and I had sex a few hours ago. The photo is of his legs extending out on the bed, like he’s sitting back against the headboard. My bag and Jacob’s are both visible in the frame.
“Well, I’m following you either way,” Violet says. “This is always when it happens.”
I shake my head. “When what happens?”
“The bad shit.”
“I just need a minute.” I duck into the restroom.
Greyson groans, but Violet keeps following. Aspen, too. I go for a stall, but Aspen grabs my arm and steers me into the handicap one. The restroom is deserted. No one in their right mind would come in herenow. There were only a few minutes left on the clock.
“Spill,” Aspen demands.
I shift my weight. “I don’t want to drag you into this.”
“We’re in it,” Violet counters. “Jacob is Grey and Steele’s best friend. We’reinit, so just… trust us.”
Ugh.
I take my glasses off and touch my index finger to the inner corner of my eye. My head aches. I don’t know if it’s from stress or remembering.
How can I trust them? They’re practically babies.
