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“Lilly.” Her name comes out as an agonized rasp.
She closes her eyes tightly and shakes her head. “Not right now.” She takes in a shaky breath. “I need to go get some things for the lesson. If you want to stay and help, we won’t turn down an extra set of hands.” She brushes past me, not bothering to put on her skate guards.
Spinning back around, I find Bishop watching me. “I changed my mind.”
“What?” he asks, brows jumping.
“What I asked you to do, using up her free time. I changed my mind.” Thing is, I’m jealous as fuck. He has the friendship with her that I used to. That I want back. He makes her smile and laugh. Those are my fucking smiles and laughs. I shouldn’t feel like this, but right now, I don’t like him. Even if this is my own doing.
He snorts out a laugh. “No.” He shakes his head.
“What do you mean no? I don’t need or want you to use up her time anymore. It was stupid of me to ask you to do that anyway. I thought it made sense at the time.”
“You’re right, it was stupid. But, Toby, I’m not hanging out with Lilly because you asked me to. I’m doing it because I want to. I was planning on strengthening our friendship before you asked. With me being away for school, I’ve missed her. I’ve missed hanging out with her.”
“But you don’t need to,” I snarl.
He gets off the ice and steps closer to me, getting in my face. “I want to,” he repeats, in a low, dangerous voice that has the hairs on the back of my neck standing up. “I know this isn’t something you're used to. That all the years we’ve been friends, you were always there when I hung out with Lilly. You hate it, don’t you? That we don’t need you there in order for our friendship to work. But, Toby, that's what it is, our friendship. Mine and hers. Just because things between the two of you are strained doesn’t mean my friendship with her has to suffer. I love you, Toby, you're like my brother. But I’m not going to give up being friends with an amazing person like Lilly because you're jealous and pissed off.”
“I’m not jealous,” I snap, body vibrating.
“You are, among a lot of other things. I’m not here to take your place in her heart, Toby. But I want to be there for her too.”
“She’s mine.” My chest heaves.
“You keep saying that, but yet you still don’t claim her. You keep hurting her, instead. She deserves better than that. So, until you get your head out of your fucking ass, I’ll be there for her. I’ll try to fix the damage you’ve done. Because it’s not fair for her to love someone who won’t love her back.”
“I do!” my voice cracks.
“Then fucking be a man and take your fucking woman before someone else does!” he growls before turning around and heading in the direction Lilly went.
Closing my eyes, I struggle to take in deep breaths, to rein in my anger because there are kids here and I will never chance putting them at risk.
It’s not easy, but I do it. I calm down and head to my car to grab my skates.
He is right. I am jealous. But it’s also not right of me to ask him to stop being friends with her. She needs him too.
So, that means I need to at least try to get back in her good graces, right? Even if it’s in small, baby steps.
Chapter 26
Lillianna
I’m trying to pay attention to the kids on the ice, but my attention is divided in three ways; between the kids I’m teaching, the man who kissed me and shook up my whole world, and the man who broke my heart, but still holds a piece of it.
The guys are so damn cute with the kids. All the little boys look up to Toby and Bishop, wanting one of them to teach them because they know they’re hockey players and want to be just like them when they grow up. The guys are so patient with them, and it’s melting my heart.
In my group, there are a few adorable girls and the little blonde one is very determined to stay on her feet.
“You’re all doing amazing.” I beam as they move on wobbly legs, holding onto their skate supports.
“Look, Lilly, I’m doing it!” Ava, a sweet little redhead cheers as she picks up speed.
“That's awesome, Ava, but don’t go too fast, okay?”
“Lilly,” Breanna whines. “I keep falling.”
I giggle under my breath as I go over to help her up. “There you go.” I get her back up to a standing position and help her hold onto her support.
