He grins cheekily and it’s so infectious, I laugh. He’s cocky, but not in a bad, arrogant way. It’s actually endearing and quite dangerous to my heart. I don’t want another relationship where I end up hurt and my heart bleeding on the ground, broken and shattered into a million pieces. He has the potential to do that.
“Now, what say we watch a movie or something? I don’t feel like wondering around downstairs in all the noise.”
“I need to catch up on my reading.”
“I’ll keep the TV down low so you can read.”
“Fine.”
He grins again and it actually thaws a little of the ice wall I’ve built around myself. I let him stay instead of pushing him away like I usually do. I don’t have the emotional stamina to deal with those thoughts, so I pull out my homework and start on that while he channel surfs.
I hope I’m not making a mistake again.
But time will tell.
CHAPTER 18
Hutch
“Hutch! Get your ass in here!”
Groaning, I pull myself up off the bench and head toward Coach’s office. The game tonight was rough and we’re all pretty beat down. We won, but just barely. If it hadn’t been for Kyle coming in clutch there at the end, we would have lost.
The last time Coach screamed at me like this was when he told me scouts were looking at me and that my time was off. My time better not be fucking off again. Not with Daisy in the house. She texted that she can’t stick around after the game, but she came. That’s a win.
Coach is glowering at me when I come in.
“Shut the door.”
Ouch. He’s really about to ream my ass out about something. Our team was sloppy tonight and since I’m the captain, I’m going to take the brunt of his anger. I’d rather that then the whole team feel it, though.
“Sit.” His tone is clipped and hard.
I slide into one of the two very hard, very uncomfortable chairs in front of his desk.
“What the fuck was that out there tonight? You all played like it was your first time on the ice.”
“Everyone has a bad day once in a while.”
“Bad day?” His ire rises and I lean away from him. “Bad day? You want a fucking bad day? You’ll see a bad day Monday morning. Get your ass out of here and get those men in shape or there will be consequences!”
I stand, ready to leave when he sighs.
“Sit down.”
“You just told me to leave.”
“Shut the fuck up and sit your ass down.”
I fall into the chair, feeling it groan under my weight. I wish he’d make up his mind. I need a shower and maybe a soak in an ice bath. The other team’s enforcer was brutal on all of us tonight.
“I got a call earlier today. I didn’t want to say anything in case it affected your game.”
Frowning, I crack my neck, hoping to relieve some of the tension there. Fuck, I need a massage and an ice bath.
“Julian McClare called.”
Fuck me. I sit up, forgetting all about my aches and pains. He’s the recruiter for the Raptors.
