I couldn’t help the bark of disbelieving laughter that bubbled up my throat.
Minns’s eyes lit up and a smile curled his lips. “I’m glad that we could work things out,” he added.
“Are you fucking delusional?” I plucked the card out of my pocket and let it fall to the floor. I didn’t even want to touch it, but there was no way I was keeping that poison pill. “No. No chance. Not a hope in fucking hell.”
I turned on my heel and walked straight out of there. Gauthier wouldn’t miss me. Half the team and a bunch of fans, including one who looked a lot like Cara’s mum, had converged on him the moment I walked away.
According to Maps, the hotel was a short walk away, and it wasn’t late. Our curfews were relaxed given we weren’t playing for standing, but Coach didn’t want us too messy when we had a game schedule like it was the middle of the season.
I entered the lobby and headed toward the elevators.
But three steps in and I stopped in my tracks. Roe was there, sitting with another man. His shoulders were slumped, his blue eyes dim. His clothes were rumpled, and sadness radiated off him. He looked like he’d had a rough day. Cara had said that today was difficult for him, but I’d underestimated just how much. He looked wrecked, emotionally drained, and a husk of the man he’d been when he’d left my room the night before.
I looked at the man with him. He was gorgeous, like he’d walked straight off the catwalk and dropped down next to Roe. He had caramel-coloured hair and brown eyes with golden skin and just the right amount of stubble to make him irresistibly sexy. But as lickable as he was, I hated him on sight.
I hated the possessive arm he had slung around Roe’s shoulders.
I hated how close they sat.
I hated the way he was so familiar with Roe.
I wanted to fucking rip his arm off and shove him away.
Jealousy flared inside me, burning as bright as the sun.
I changed directions and headed straight for them.
Roe’s friend locked eyes with me and lifted his chin, practically daring me to say something.
But I wasn’t there to shout accusations. The need inside me to stake a claim on Roe was stronger than anything I’d ever experienced. I’d literally known Roe and Cara for only a fewdays, yet there was a rightness that settled into my bones when I thought about them.
I needed to be the one to comfort Roe and be there for him when he was down. I wasn’t deluded enough to think I was worthy of him giving me that, but he needed to know I wanted to be it for him, and that Cara would want it too.
I wasn’t worthy of either of them, never mind both. My parents and Chris and Kam had all shown me exactly what I was worth—nothing. I was a throwaway. It was no different this time. I was a way to get off for both of them. But I couldn’t deny wanting more.
There I went, jumping on the commitment train again. I groaned. I was in for a world of hurt. Again.
I was a fucking idiot.
But no one ever said hockey players were smart.
Still, even against my better judgement, I didn’t back down.
“Hey.” I sat on the armchair next to Roe and rested my hand close enough that he could grasp it if he wanted. I wasn’t about to put Roe in the shit with whoever this was. If he was a boyfriend, I wanted to keep my face.
“Do you mind? This is a private conversation,” the other man said by way of greeting. His annoyance was obvious, his body rigid and his deep voice holding a don’t-fuck-with-me edge to it that I appreciated. Whoever he was, he was protective of Roe.
“It’s okay,” Roe rasped. “Ez, this is Alec. Alec, my best mate, Ezra.”
“Are you okay?” I asked gently.
Roe sucked in a wobbly breath and exhaled slowly before he pressed his lips in a straight line and gave a slow shake of his head. “But I will be. Sorry I missed the game. I wanted to be there, but—”
“I get it. Important things.”
Roe looked at me, and the utter devastation in his eyes crushed me. I wanted to take away that hurt, to banish it from his memories. I didn’t know what had caused it, but I’d do just about anything to get rid of it for him.
My heart clenched, and it hit me. I was falling for Roe and Cara. I was already on that slippery slope. I had no hope of stepping off at the station now.
