As I hit the ice, I look up to see that Avery isn"t sitting with my mom, but her mom is there with Lucy. I wonder where she and her dad are. Looking away, I can"t help but worry. I know that"s silly since it"s her dad, but I just hope he is doing right by her. And he has for the last two days, but that"s because I"m there. I think that"s the reason. Maybe they really are trying. More her dad than her mom, but I can tell they want to make things better with their daughter. No matter how much Avery claims to be done with her family, I know she craves their love. I just hope they don"t let her down.
But if they do, I"ll be there.
I"ll always be there.
I look down the ice because I feel someone staring at me, and my gaze meets Avery"s brother"s. He"s glaring and I roll my eyes. "Got something to say, Haverbrooke?"
He laughs as he skates toward me, and I do the same, meeting him in the middle. "I"ve got nothing to say to you. You"re the one ruining your life."
I smirk. "And how is that?"
I feel Markus watching me-h.e.l.l, the whole team is watching. They all know he"s Avery"s brother and about my hatred for the d.i.c.khead. Shaking his head, Matty looks over at me, leaning on his stick. "She"s a f.u.c.king psycho, dude, and she"ll ruin your career. Watch."
"Funny, I heard it was you who tries to ruin people when things don"t go your way."
He eyes me and I know he knows I know the truth, yet he laughs as he says, "I don"t know what you"re talking about. She"s crazy, dude, really. I"m trying to help you out."
"I don"t need your help, bro," I say, my eyes burning into his. He looks so much like Avery, a male version. But unlike his sister, he"s the devil himself. Leaning in close, I say, "And from what Caleb Rutherford said, the only crazy person is you. I mean, really, dude? Your own sister? Who does that?"
The way his face changes from smug to shocked to scared, ending in anger is almost comical. Standing up, he glares, his words coming out as venom as he seethes, "She"s a b.i.t.c.h."
I move toward him, glaring too, my shoulders back, and my blood bubbling in my skin. "Watch your mouth before your teeth end up on this ice."
"Whatever, dude. You can"t touch me-not when so many scouts are here. You might be dumb, but I doubt you want to ruin your career. Well, wait... You kinda are by being with that c.u.n.t of a sister of mine."
He"s right, people are watching, but that doesn"t stop me from cross-checking him in the chest, my stick knocking him to the ground. Markus is there within seconds, pushing me back. As calmly as I can manage, I say, "You can talk all you want on the ice, you little f.u.c.king b.i.t.c.h. But off the ice, say it again and see what happens. You won"t speak badly of her in front of me. Not the woman I love."
"I"m not scared of you," he laughs, standing up. "You think I care about you or who you are?"
I shrug. "I"m surprised, since I"m a dude and all." His eyes widen as Markus looks confused, but I shake my head. "Watch yourself, Haverbrooke."
He gives me a quick nod. "You too, Sinclair."
Skating away, I fix my gloves as Markus looks over at me. "This is going to be a s.h.i.tshow, isn"t it?"
I shrug. "Maybe. Just watch my back."
"No problem," he says as he sends the puck over to me, and I feel Matty watching me. Looking back, I see he is while he skates around, his eyes full of hate. He may think he scares me, but he doesn"t.
And that doesn"t change once the game starts. Since we are both star players, we almost always play at the same time. I had forgotten how fast he is.
But I"m faster.
Rushing for the puck that Boston"s defense lost, I send it over to Markus just as Matty comes crashing into me, his shoulder hitting mine. But I push back into him, knocking him the other way, before I zoom up the ice, trailing behind Markus and Gordon as they crash the net, shooting one after the other. Going to the front of the goal, I watch as my teammates pa.s.s the puck back and forth. Boston is trying to steal as Matty comes right for me, putting his hip into mine, trying to get me out of the way. But I"m not going anywhere. While I push into him, Markus tries a wrist shot but it doesn"t go in, coming right on my stick. But when I shoot, Matty"s stick comes down hard on mine, snapping it in two.
"f.u.c.ker!" I yell, pushing into him before looking at the ref for a call, but nothing comes as the goalie covers the puck and the whistle is blown. "He broke my stick!"
"Aw, you gonna cry? Hope you have another one. Or are you broke "cause you have a wife and a baby and my dad cut y"all off?" Matty sings, and when some of his teammates laugh, I"m confused.
"How is that funny, you douche? Especially when it"s your sister who"s my wife. Get your life together, f.u.c.ker," I sneer.
"It"s funny "cause you"ll f.u.c.k up, you will, and she"ll off herself. She has tried before."
"What the f.u.c.k is wrong with you?" Markus yells and I shake my head. "You are a piece of s.h.i.t, you know that?"
Matty laughs. "You don"t know her like I do. She"s pathetic."
"She"s your sister," I yell. I mean, I knew he was a d.i.c.k to her, but really? This is the person she is forced to call her brother? What a f.u.c.king a.s.shole, and I"m not sure I"m going to make it through this game without killing the dude.
"That"s enough, boys!"
"She"s a waste of s.p.a.ce, believe me." His eyes are so serious, so full of hate, and it really just hurts me. Who can hate a person that they share blood with so much? It"s insane and sad.
Shaking my head, I pin him with a look. "She is the best thing to ever happen to me-"
"Then you need to reevaluate your life."
"Dude, Matty, that"s enough," someone says, pressing him in the chest, but he knocks his hand away as the ref pushes me back. All I can do is look into his eyes as I shake my head. When I skate back to the bench for another stick, Coach is glaring.
"Don"t let him in your head, Sinclair," Coach yells and I wave him off.
Not going to happen.
But it"s hard. Especially when he is on me like white on rice. It"s like he has set out to break me, and it"s really trying my patience. The game is tough-no one scores in the first or even the second, which is unusual for us. But their goalie is bada.s.s and blocks all thirty-three shots he"s been faced with. Ours is kicking a.s.s too, but I want a goal. h.e.l.l, I don"t care who scores as long as we beat these f.u.c.kers. As long as we beat Matty.
When we hit the ice for the third, my eyes are on the prize, but Matty is relentless.
"Do you know how easy it was for her to do it? It only took a couple days before she tried. She"s weak, pathetic."
Shaking my head, I try to ignore him as Markus yells, "Shut the f.u.c.k up. Play the game."
"Aw, gotta have your friends stand up for you? How are you going to stand up for that wife of yours?"
My jaw clenches as I win the puck, sending it to Markus. But to my surprise, Matty zips by me, stealing it and heading down the ice. I"m on him, though, trying to poke the puck away, but he throws his hip into mine, sending me face first into the ice. Getting up, I"m too late, and he"s scored. Shaking my head, I slam my stick to the ice. I don"t know why I"m letting him get to me. I"m making mistakes. I"m pushing too hard into him instead of sticking to my game.
f.u.c.k!
But it"s hard. I don"t like what he is saying because those are concerns I have for Avery. I don"t ever want her to feel the desperation she did. But man, I understand it a little better now after being on the ice with this b.i.t.c.h. Still, though, I"m shaking with anger and I can feel Avery watching me. I don"t know what to do, but I"m ten seconds away from ruining this dude"s life.
Coach is yelling at me, but I don"t listen as I go to sit down. Leaning against the boards, I watch as my boys rush down the ice, throwing shot after shot at the goalie, but he isn"t letting anything by him. Frustrated, Elliot hooks a Boston player and ends up in the box like a d.a.m.n dumba.s.s. When the tap comes for me, I jump over the boards and rush onto the ice after they clear it. But before I can even get the puck, we are called for being offside. Bulls.h.i.t.
Setting up for the puck drop, I win it, sending it to Markus. And instead of clearing it, we rush their zone. He fakes, sends it over to me, but the goalie has read that, so I deke quickly, picking the puck up on my blade and sending it over his left leg pad. I throw my arms up, and my boys wrap me up in a hug as the crowd loses it. G.o.d, that felt good! Looking back at where Matty is screaming at the goalie, I shake my head.
Douche.
Going off the ice, I watch as the Bullies win the puck and go back into Boston"s zone, but someone steals it, racing back. It goes like that for the next two minutes. Getting on the ice when my line is up, I look down to see Elliot with the puck.
"Go!" he screams at me before sending it up, and I do as he says, Gordon at my left. Taking the puck, we enter the zone and I drop it back to Elliot, getting in position to not only block the goalie but also hoping for a rebound or something. But it won"t come easily, especially when Matty and I are jousting back and forth. He gets in front of me, and then behind me, trying to push me away. But I ignore him, my eyes on the puck as my boys try to keep it away from Boston. When Markus shoots, he misses and it goes back to Gordon, who sends it back to the new line of defens.e.m.e.n. One of them takes a shot, but it goes to the left, where no one is. Rushing to it, I beat Matty, sending it to the slot where, thank G.o.d, Markus is waiting. And in over the shoulder of the goalie it goes.
Throwing my arms up, I go to congratulate Markus, but Matty hooks me around my ankle and I crash to the ground. The cage of my helmet hits the ice hard, causing my head to jerk forward, but not crashing forward like I could have. Getting up, I go for him, despite hearing a whistle and even seeing the refs coming toward us. Slamming my stick into his chest, I get in his face, our cages clanking together as I yell, "Keep it up, you little b.i.t.c.h."
"The only b.i.t.c.h I see is you. Who gives up his career for some p.u.s.s.y?" he yells back. Really, what the h.e.l.l is wrong with this dude?
"Would you rather I give it up for d.i.c.k?" I yell as the refs get in between us, and Markus pulls me back as Matty lunges for me. Laughing, I roll my eyes as I"m being pushed backward. "Keep it up, man. I got you once this is over."
"You don"t have s.h.i.t. Keep it moving," someone with a Boston jersey says, and I laugh as Markus continues to push me. When I get off the ice, Coach is in my face, taking me by my cage and shaking my helmet.
"Get your head in the f.u.c.king game. You are making s.h.i.t-a.s.s mistakes, and I didn"t ask my friends to come watch you for that big contract just to see you acting like a punk-a.s.s player. That dude does not matter. Your future does, though. Remember why you work hard, Sinclair, or get the f.u.c.k off my ice."
He lets me go, and I sit down as everyone directs their gazes back to the ice. Looking up, I see Avery watching me, her hand over her mouth and the other on her stomach. Her face is red and she looks worried, which makes my heart stop.
She"s the reason I work so hard.
Shaking my head, I look down and regroup. That piece of s.h.i.t is nothing to me. He isn"t anything to Avery either.
So why does he matter?
Because he hurt her.
And no one hurts my woman.
But I won"t allow him to f.u.c.k up my game. Instead, I do my best to ignore him for the remaining seven minutes of the game. I even ignore him when he scores once more and ties the game. I don"t hear him as he taunts me. Nope, nothing. I play my game, and when Elliot scores a goal on a sick-a.s.s slap shot, winning the game for us, I don"t even spare Matty a look.
I just go off the ice.
And pray, for his sake, I don"t see him outside.
When I enter the lobby, Avery is waiting for me, a nervous look on her face, and of course, I go on high alert. I had hurried, not wanting Matty to beat me out there. The trainers said no one had left the Boston dressing room yet, so I"m unsure what is going on.
"You okay?" I ask as I stop in front of her, bringing her into my side.
"I was gonna ask you the same thing."
"I"m fine, no worries."
"It looked bad out there."
"It was, but nothing I can"t handle."
She sends me a grin and cuddles into me as we start for the lobby where our families are waiting for me. "I"m sorry he"s a d.i.c.k."
"Don"t apologize for his actions, Avery. They are on him. He"s lucky I didn"t kill him."
"I"m surprised you didn"t," she smiles nervously and I smile back.
"It must have been the yoga," I say with a wink, and she laughs as she leans into me.
"My parents and your mom are getting along well."
"My mom could get along with a rock, believe me," I say with a grin. "But your parents haven"t been bad. It"s been a nice visit, not what I thought it would be."
"Me too," she says with a nod. "My dad and I talked."
That makes my brow rise. "Really? How"d that go?"
"Really good. He apologized and told me he"d failed me."
I smile and go to tell her how great that is, when another voice joins our conversation. "He doesn"t mean it. Remember no one loves you, Avery."
Looking to my left, Matty is standing there with the sickest, most sinister smile I"ve ever seen in my life. "Dude, what is your issue?" I bark, moving Avery behind me. But she doesn"t go easily, holding my arm to keep me from getting in his face. "She doesn"t want anything to do with you, so why do you keep messing with her? Are you really that jealous? That pathetic? Get a f.u.c.king life."
"So you think you know her?" he asks, coming toe-to-toe with me.
Avery pulls me back. "Just stop. Go away, Matty."
We both ignore her as I hold his gaze. "I know I know her, and I also know you are a poor excuse for a human being. I mean, s.h.i.t, how can someone hold so much hatred for someone? Most of all, your own sister, your twin. Do you know how bad that makes you look?"
His smile remains as he shakes his head. "She"s nothing to me."
My fist clenches and I see Markus and Gordon coming up, along with some of his teammates. Not that I care. I don"t need an audience or help to ruin this dude. "You know, it must be lonely being you. Hiding who you really are and spreading your hatred all over the world. How do you live with yourself? Is it "cause you can"t say who you are?"
"Matty, just come on," a taller guy says, thin and with a trendy haircut. I question his choice of his scarf. But really, I don"t care, because my eyes are pinned on Matty, waiting for him to make a move so I can pummel his face. I try to shake Avery off me, but she digs her nails into my arm.
"Please just stop," she says, but I shake my head.
"Shut up, Graham," Matty snaps, and Avery gasps with a quick intake of breath as a grin curves my lips.
"Graham? The Graham?" I ask, my eyes dancing as Matty glares.
"Shut your mouth." He"s shaking, his eyes wild, and I really don"t get it.
I come closer, my face only inches from his as I whisper, "Man, why are you so angry? If you want to be that person, be him. Be you, be f.u.c.king happy, but stop trying to bring my wife down because you don"t want anyone to know who you really love or who you loved." I shake my head, feeling so freaking sorry for this dude. "I had every intention of beating your a.s.s, ruining you for hurting Avery, for touching her. But, dude, I can"t hit you when I feel so f.u.c.king sorry for you."
"You know nothing," he sneers, his eyes cutting into mine.
"I know that I"m happy "cause I love who I love. I know that my career could end tomorrow and I would be okay with it because I have her and my baby. What do you have, Matty?" His jaw clenches and I back away, my palms facing him. "Nothing. But don"t worry, your sister, the one you hate so much, has everything. So really, what does that jealousy do? Nothing "cause she"s still going to win in the end."
I hadn"t realized that my mom or her parents were watching. No, I"m too disgusted and feeling so sorry for the man who isn"t even a man. He"s a fake. When Matty doesn"t say anything, I shake my head once more before I wrap my arm around Avery"s shoulders and kiss her temple. She looks up at me with tears in her eyes, and I smile. "You don"t have to worry about him anymore."
"Matthew, what is he talking about?" I hear Thea ask, but before I can go any farther, Benedict is in front of me, his hand on my chest. His eyes burn into mine and all I can do is look up at him, unsure what is going on. When he gives me a curt nod, he clears his throat and then says, "You"re a good man, Jace."
I smile, nodding my head. "Because of who I love."
Benedict"s gaze cuts to Avery and he smiles. "Yeah, she"s a good girl, too."
Avery"s cheeks redden as she looks up at me. "Thank you."
He nods, cutting a look to Matty and shaking his head before looking back at Avery. "I"ll see you in March, then?"