Page 3 of Breaking Point (IceHawks #1)

“I’m not.” Peering around the kitchen, I’m surprised to find it still messy from last night’s escapades. “Have you seen Ashley?”

“She quit. Why are you lying about lying?”

“She quit?” I rub a frustrated hand down my face and groan. “That’s the seventh one this year. My agent is going to kill me.”

“Lucy will be fine. Stop ignoring me.”

Pulling out my phone, I send a text to Lucy updating her about Ashley and asking for another replacement. God, I already feel shitty enough. This…this is not helping.

“Grayson.”

“Kieran,” I parrot.

Shoving off the couch, he moves to stand on the other side of the kitchen island, watching me as I furiously clean dishes.

I don’t mind cleaning. In fact, I find it therapeutic; the only reason my assistants are required to do it is because I’m usually too busy.

By the time I come home after a game or a day of practice and workouts, I’m so exhausted I can’t move.

“Maybe I’m not paying the assistants enough,” I mumble.

“Their salary is enough to feed a family of fourteen. You pay them too much.” Now suddenly in front of me, he slaps his hand over mine, stopping me from rinsing a cup. “What did Coach say?”

“Nothing, Kieran. Drop it.”

“No, what did he say?”

“Drop it,” I growl.

He slaps the cup out of my hand. “No. Tell me what he said!”

“I’m not captain anymore!” I snap, shaking off his touch. “Are you happy now? Does that fulfill your desire to know everything?”

My chest is heaving by the time I’m done spewing the words, and instantly, remorse slams into my chest. That was a dick thing to say. I know the reason why he always needs to know what’s happening around him.

Kieran tenses, his body coiled tight.

“I’m sorry, I shouldn’t have said?—”

He holds up his hand. “I pushed you. It’s fine, you hit back verbally.” He drops down onto the kitchen stool. “He really took your captaincy away? No one deserves that title more than you. You gave your everything to earn that title.”

“And then I stopped caring.” Swallowing thickly, the words feel like razor blades as I admit, “He was right to take it away.”

Kieran’s face suddenly grows serious, and out of everything I’ve experienced today, that is the most frightening sight.

“What did you tell him?” he asks.

Shrugging, I continue cleaning. “I didn’t beg him to keep me on as captain if that’s what you’re asking.”

“Why not? You love being team captain.”

“Loved,” I correct, putting away the clean dishes from the dishwasher.

He shakes his head adamantly. “That doesn’t just go away, Grayson. ”

“Yes, it does.”

My phone vibrates in my pocket.

AGENT LUCY

I suppose this has to do with that rumored orgy party in your yard?

Which, by the way, your publicist is pissed about.

I’ll interview candidates this week.

An orgy?

Fuck, I don’t remember that, let alone participating in one. I may be drinking myself into oblivion, but I’m not that far gone.

I need to stop letting random people in my house.

Kieran clicks his fingers in front of my face, trying to snag my attention. “Why are you acting so nonchalant right now?”

“Because it doesn’t matter.”

“Of course it fucking matters.”

I deadpan, “Look who isn’t letting me burn my world to the ground anymore.”

Kieran frowns, a lone drop of water gliding down his cheeks from his wet black hair.

Did he take a shower in my bathroom again? We really need to work on boundaries.

Kieran is my best friend. There isn’t anything I wouldn’t do for the man, but he uses up all my products and leaves his wet towels everywhere.

Shifting my gaze, I find him gaping at me.

We’ve passed as twins in the league despite no blood relation.

It surprisingly helps along the ice because it confuses our opponents…

or it did before I fucked up so thoroughly that I now continue to get benched or spend the majority of my time in the sin bin before being fouled out.

Coach was right to tell me to take last season off, and I know he’s right again now in revoking my captaincy.

“Grayson, stop cleaning and talk.”

“I’m all talked out,” I admit, the evidence of my exhaustion laced in my words. “I don’t want the responsibility anymore. I don’t want to be held responsible for anyone.”

Myself included.

Something passes across his blue eyes, similar to mine, yet the emotion is there and gone before I can clock it. If I’m honest with myself, I don’t want to know what it was.

I want to sleep…if my brain will allow me.

Without another word, I leave the kitchen, not caring if he sticks around or not. His voice rings out behind me.

“I think it’s time to pull you back from the ledge you’ve been dancing on.”

Sighing deeply, I turn to him, looking at a spot beside his head because I can’t look him in the eye as I whisper, “Don’t.”

“Fine, what do you need right now?”

“Sleep.”

He settles back onto the couch, pressing play on Gilmore Girls again. “I’ll be down here when you realize you can’t.”

Under my breath, I curse him out using every name in the book. Unfortunately, I know he’s right, and I fear my mind will never let me sleep peacefully ever again.