Kodie climbs angrily to his feet, stumbling a little as he recovers from the hit. “Oh my god,” I gasp as he shoves a celebrating Rett, forcing him to crash into the boards.
Kodie hasn’t had a good game. Every one of his attempts was thwarted by Rett or one of the other Seattle defensemen.
Kodie shouts something at the defenseman, but we’re too far away to hear.
Whatever it is has Rett’s entire body tensing before he spins around and gets in Kodie’s face, shouting right back.
“What the fuck is he doing?” Parker mutters.
Rage ripples from them, the air is thick with it as the rest of the players watch everything unfold before them.
I watch in horror as they rip their helmets off, sending them clattering to the ice.
“Kodie doesn’t fight,” I whisper, my voice barely audible over thesounds of the arena.
“That doesn’t look like a man who doesn’t fight,” Parker muses as Kodie rips his gloves off, standing skate to skate with Rett.
“You need to stop him,” I beg as I reach over and grip her forearm.
“I can’t. Even if I went down there and tried, that idiot doesn’t listen to me. And what exactly would I say? Please, big brother, don’t hit the player that Casey’s been secretly banging?”
“Christ,” I hiss, combing my hair back with my free hand.
Thankfully, Fletch, Linc, Handsy, and a few of Rett’s teammates pull them away from each other.
Nothing but potent irritation rolls off Kodie as Linc turns him away from Rett.
Just before he shoves him toward the gate, Kodie looks up.
My breath catches as our eyes collide.
Refusing to get lost in him—or give him any kind of indication that I care about how things ended the other night—I turn my back on him.
The second I do, I realize my mistake.
Or not…
My skin tingles. I don’t need to look back over my shoulder to know he’s glaring pure hate at my back. Or more specifically, my jersey.
“Oh shit,” Parker whispers. “He really doesn’t like that.”
Good.
“I don’t care what he does and doesn’t like,” I lie as I snatch my empty cups from the floor and stalk toward the stairs to leave.
“Casey, wait,” Parker calls, catching up with me as I storm down the stairs.
Out of the corner of my eye, I can see Linc skating beside Kodie before they step off the ice and disappear.
Finally, I’m able to breathe.
Banging on the plexiglass rips my eyes back to the rink, and I find Rett pounding his fist on it, grinning up at his sister.
“Fucking moron,” Parker mutters. I glance back in time to see her flip him the bird, which he gives herone right back.
It’s easy to forget what a nightmare the two of them were growing up.
“I need another drink,” I mutter to myself as I round the corner.
