Total pages in book: 107
Estimated words: 99723 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 499(@200wpm)___ 399(@250wpm)___ 332(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 99723 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 499(@200wpm)___ 399(@250wpm)___ 332(@300wpm)
Us. Me, Briar, and Harley. And he can’t do a fucking thing about it.
“I’m your albatross,” I echo, laughing at how that somehow became our thing, but I will wait for this woman as long as she needs me to. Now, tomorrow, the day after that, forever. I can be patient for her. It’ll be worth it to have a forever with her.
I press a kiss to her lips, promising a lifetime of never-leaving and demon-slaying for this sweet, silly woman who brings so much sunshine to my life. When I finally feel the beast in my chest subside, I put our foreheads together. “So you don’t have to come tonight if you don’t want to. I’m gonna be benched.”
She pulls away, meeting my eyes with a surprising flintiness in her blue ones. “Agree to disagree. I’ll be there, proudly wearing your jersey. I have a few things I’d like to say to my dad too.”
Chapter 27
Briar
“Where’s the little guy?” Penny asks, leaning in my direction.
I don’t have to glance at the seat next to me to know it’s empty. Harley was supposed to come with me tonight, but I asked Trina to come over and babysit him because I’m expecting a showdown with my dad. Harley had been disappointed at first, but when I told him that I had something to handle, he’d settled quickly. I suspect he might’ve heard some of the conversation between me and Dom this morning.
“Stayed home,” I bite out.
Narrowing my eyes, I stare at my dad from our seats halfway up the lower bowl. He doesn’t know I’m here and likely doesn’t feel my glare amid the packed arena, but it makes me feel better to shoot some laser beams of anger his way.
“Ohh-kay, Grumpypants,” Penny drawls. “Leaving that alone, are we gonna talk about why some kid I’ve never heard of is warming up with Dom? Or is that gonna be a no too?”
I sigh, turning to her. “I’m sorry. I’m mad at my dad, but I shouldn’t take that out on you.”
She holds up her hands in surrender, smiling. “We’re good. Just tell me why we’re mad so I can hex him correctly too. Are we talking ‘hope you accidentally fill up your gas tank with diesel every time you go to the gas station’ or ‘feel the pain of a thousand needles pricking your asshole 24-7’? Ooh, or maybe the crowd favorite, ‘his dick falls off and chases him’?” She makes a wormlike scrunch and unscrunch motion with her hand. “You know, like the snail that kills you if he catches you?”
I can’t help but laugh the tiniest bit at her level of unhinged creativity. “Thanks, I think I needed that.” She wiggles her shoulders, happy to be of assistance. “Okay, so here’s the deal . . .”
I go through what Dominic told me earlier today about my dad’s ultimatum, finishing with Dom telling Dad to fuck off.
Penny pales. “He did not!”
Nodding, I say, “Oh yes, he did. Hence, riding the pine.” I point at Dominic, who has taken a spot on the bench far, far, far away from my dad. There’s at least five guys between them acting as buffers, but even they seem unsure how this is going to go, their eyes occasionally bouncing from their coach to Dom, back and forth.
Everyone stands for announcements and the national anthem, and then the announcer shouts, “Let’s play hockey!” As the crowd cheers and players take their positions, Penny and I watch one particular player.
“I haven’t seen him on a bench in ages. Probably since his rookie year. Even when his line’s not in the rotation, he’s the sort of guy who stands the whole time, for goodness’ sake,” Penny says in disgusted wonder. She tilts her head. “Well, unless you count the penalty box bench. He’s in the sin bin often enough, he needs that theme song—”
I don’t say a word as Penny sings a line from “You Wish” by Flyana Boss. She isn’t half bad honestly. I’m just staring at Dominic, his jaw is clenched and his eyes locked on Tomville, who’s on first line tonight. When the rookie glances at Dominic for assurance, Dom gives him a curt head nod. Even with things going astray, Dom is supporting his teammate.
The puck drops and play starts.
Well, in theory it does. But if Dominic and Kipson were going easy on the Hawks last night, tonight’s play is downright . . . mild. I think Harley could get past Pacholek and Sabine, and I wouldn’t be surprised if Kipson went so far as to accidentally fall down on the ice so Harley could attempt a shot with how he’s playing. The only Blizzard player . . . and I do mean only one . . . who seems to be playing hard is Anderson, who is blocking more shots in the first half of this period than he typically blocks in an entire game.