“Excuse me?”
“Didn't you see?” She rose from the bench and neared me with her phone in hand. “Hunter blasted your guys' picturesallover the internet.”
She handed me her phone. Her browser was loaded on a page called “GutterSports: The One Night Stand for Sports and Gossip.”
I reared back, heat rushing into my cheeks. “The hell?”
“Mm-hm. See?” Madison scrolled the page down.
The headline read: “SCORE for Hunter Rockwell: Steamy leaked pix of the foxy ice babe he's currently screwing!”
She scrolled lower. And what I saw stole my breath away.
The first picture he took this morning. The one where we both look sostupidlyhappy, our faces dewy with post-sex glow, 'underboob' spilling out from beneath my hands. And now I hated his smile—because I knew it was so obviously a fake smile. Or maybe he smiled because he was thinking about how he was going to betray me in a few short hours.
And I hatedmysmile even more. Because,ugh,my shameless optimism and naivete were on display for all. I'd fallen for it! Everyone warned me all along what would happen and I didn't believe them. I really thought I'd be the rare case. That I could turn Hunter from a bad boy into a gentleman. You could see it plain as day. What a fool I was.
And the second picture. Ohgodthe second picture. Me in nothing but my panties, arching my back and pushing my ass out—which wastotallyon display thanks to my thong.
Welp.
Madison had done it.
She'd finally found the evidence she needed.
“Remember what I told you when I hired you, sweetheart?” Madison asked, shaking her head at me with fake pity. “Itoldyou the players aren't in it for love. And Itoldyou I'd find out.” She let out a fake sigh. “Unfortunately, since you've been caught fraternizing with a player, we can't have you out on the ice tonight. You're suspended indefinitely, pending an official review with the department of Fan Relations. But don't get your hopes up, dear, because that's just for formality's sake. Youwillbe fired.”
I didn't say anything. I was too stunned to move, speak, or cry … thankfully.
But when my legs finally obeyed, I ran for the door. Cora was just arriving when I threw the door open. I couldn't bear to face her, either.
“Hey, rooki—hey!” she shouted as I pushed past her. “What's the matter, Honor?”
That's it, I'm done with all this. Fuck this, fuck Hunter, fuck Denver. This place is cursed and I'm going home.
Chapter 22:
Gossip
Rockwell
“Come on boys! Get your heads in the game!” Coach yelled during a timeout.
Good advice. Because with five minutes left in the first period, we were trailing 1-0, and playing like we were already mentally defeated. Cunningham, that fucking rat, scored the game's only goal.
And I had my lion's share of the blame, because my head wasnotin this game either. The ice girls were out for the third time already, and still I didn't see Honor among them.
Where the hell was she? And what happened between us? Did I piss her off today? I didn't understand.
Madison skated by with her crew. She winked at me, smilingwaytoo big for my liking, and greeted me in her overly cheery, sing-song voice. “Hiiiiiiii, Hunter!”
My eyes narrowed at her as she skated by.The hell did you do, Madison?
I watched as she circled around the rink. On the far end, Cunningham glided next to her. She said something to him, and he followed her.
What the fuck …? Why is she talking to him?
When the break ended and the girls left the ice, us players hopped over the bench.
