Total pages in book: 98
Estimated words: 94653 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 473(@200wpm)___ 379(@250wpm)___ 316(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 94653 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 473(@200wpm)___ 379(@250wpm)___ 316(@300wpm)
She side eyes me before grumbling, “I didn’t need your help getting this job.”
I shrug and try to keep it casual, even though everything inside me is screaming to swallow up the distance between us and take her into my arms. “Never said you did. I just wanted to make sure you had the best shot at getting it.”
Instead of thanking me, which was a stretch to begin with, she gives me a full-on glare. Our gazes stay locked in silent combat as Sully returns with three black and orange shirts.
He holds one up and glances at her. “That looks like it should fit just fine. If it doesn’t, just bring ’em back, and we’ll find something else. As soon as I get you on the schedule, I’ll give you a call. Most shifts will start at seven o’clock until close.”
“That works for me.”
When he smiles again, the fine lines bracketing his eyes and mouth deepen. As long as I’ve known the man, Sully has always been easygoing. He used to play hockey for Western back in the day. A decade later, he opened Slap Shotz and dedicated it to all things Western Wildcats hockey. It’s nice to hang out at a place that has so much love for the team.
Fallyn stalks past me without so much as a second look.
I glance at Sully. If he thinks her behavior is odd, he doesn’t mention it. “Thanks. Really appreciate it.”
He claps me on the shoulder. “It wasn’t a problem. We’re family around here. Once a Wildcat, always a Wildcat. Right?”
I jerk my head into a nod as his words seep into my heart and warm it.
Ever since I was recruited freshman year of high school by our old head coach, that’s exactly the way this team has felt—like family. There’s nothing I wouldn’t do for any of these guys. Over the years, they’ve become more like brothers. When we’re on the ice, we work together, fighting for one common goal.
I glance at Fallyn as she shoves through the back door.
And yet, no matter how close we are, none of them will ever replace Miles.
Or his sister.
Chapter 11
Fallyn
I slip into the apartment and huff out a relieved breath that I’m home. Spending time alone with Wolf makes me twitchy. It doesn’t matter if I now despise him. All those old feelings lying dormant for years have been roused and are now attempting to fight their way to the surface. It takes every ounce of strength to shove them back down and pretend they don’t exist.
Never existed.
It's the dinging of an incoming message that knocks me from the whirl of my chaotic thoughts as I fish my phone from my pocket. My heart skips a beat when Chloe’s name pops up on the screen.
First meeting on Tuesday afternoon. Four o’clock sharp. Wiltshire Hotel downtown. A key will be waiting at the front desk under the name Abby Mitchel.
That’s all it takes for nausea to roll around in the pit of my gut. Any moment, I’ll be sick.
If my predicament didn’t feel real before, it certainly does now.
My hand rises to rub my chest through the thick fabric of my winter jacket. I quickly unzip and toss it over the back of the dining room chair before beelining to my room. On the way, I notice that my cousin’s door is closed. Since the place is quiet, I had assumed she was out.
Mental exhaustion takes hold as I sink to the mattress and stare at the text until it swims before my eyes. My mouth turns cottony as I focus on what will happen in less than four days.
Will this guy just take me, and it’ll be over with quickly?
I squeeze my eyes tightly closed, praying that’s the case. What I don’t need is for this to drag out. I don’t want to think about him running his hands over my naked flesh, touching me in places no one ever has.
Why do we have to meet three separate times?
The dude can only take my virginity once.
It occurs to me that not only will there be pain, or, at the very least, discomfort, but there could also be blood.
Blood!
A shudder scuttles down my spine. That’s all it takes for bile to rise in my throat as another text from Chloe pops up on the screen.
Make sure you take care of birth control.
For the second time in a matter of minutes, the reality of my situation slams into me with the force of a two-by-four.
I’ve been on the pill since arriving at Western. Even though I wasn’t in a hurry to do anything, it felt important to have that part of the equation taken care of in case something unforeseen happened. Before the accident, my parents had the rule that I wasn’t allowed to date until I was sixteen years old. Afterward, they refused to let me out of their sight long enough to do anything or go anywhere. And since then, there’s been a few guys here and there, but not many.