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I pass security and stop at the edge of the first row. Disregarding the fans, I cup my hands around my mouth and yell, “Aurora! Aurora!”
Her face turns a bright shade of pink, and she makes her way to the barrier between the players’ tunnel and the stands.
I hand my stick to a guy between us who’s desperate to get my notice. “Here, move.” Shit, that’s another fine. Worth it.
He steps back, and I have Aurora in my grasp, carefully lifting her over the barrier.
“What are you doing?” She smiles, and laughter rolls through her voice.
“You’re going to tell me you love me before leaving me? Seriously?” I set her on her feet but refuse to let go.
“I wanted you to?—”
“Stay. Please. I can’t do this without you.” Too impatient, my words rush out, filled with desperation.
“Jackson…”
I release her from my embrace and cup her face in both hands. “I’m serious. I love you. You love me. Stay.”
“I’m already behind. I’ll be gone for three, maybe four weeks tops.”
Daggers of sharp pain pierce through me. “I need you.” My throat is tight, and tears prickle my eyelids.
“I. Love. You.” She stresses each word. “We’ll be okay.”
I drop my hands in despair. “I won’t be okay.”
“You’re Jackson O’Reilly. You’ll be more than okay.”
I draw her close and inhale her sweet scent. “I just want to be yours. Fuck the rest of this.”
“Let her go, lover boy.”
This can’t be happening. Not again. My head falls back in frustration, and Aurora jolts away from me.
Kyle stands not two feet away, flanked by two other men—men he undoubtedly wants to impress by using me. This is where I paste on a smile, shake hands, tell jokes, and invite these pricks to an after-party.
Ricky places himself between Kyle and Aurora, and she grabs the back of his jacket.
She should be holding me. Her trust should be in me. The familiar weight of hopelessness crashes upon me, and panic floods my veins. I can’t do this. I can’t go back to the loneliness, every day being on edge and praying for it all to end.
Ethan rounds the corner into the tunnel, the team behind him. His stony eyes connect with mine and flit to Aurora. I can hear that deep voice telling me not to be a fucking idiot, cupping my shoulder and reminding me I’m better than this.
There will be no forced smiles or after-parties. No descent into darkness—he’d probably reach down and rip me out of the abyss by the throat and shake the crazy right out of me.
Snubbing Kyle, I face Aurora, but it’s too late. There’s distrust and hurt in her eyes.
She puts a halting hand on my chest and mutters, “Bye.”
That’s all she says before she leaves with Ricky, whose icy glare is fixed on Kyle.
“Great game, son!” Kyle postures and slaps my pads, blocking me from chasing after her. “I have a few people I want to introduce you to.”
I knock his arm away. “I need to be in the locker room.”
He steps into me. “We need to talk,” he says through gritted teeth, his threatening voice matching the fury in his eyes.
I don’t want this confrontation in front of fans, cameras, and my teammates, and neither does he. This is another one of his manipulation tactics, and if I don’t comply… I don’t even want to think of the aftermath.