Page 13 of Brutal Little Secrets

I’m never losing you again, Evan

My heart thumps hard. It still might not be Jackson. It could be someone fucking with me. Like Chase. Or even someone like Olivia if she thinks I have a thing for Damon—or worse, Damon has a thing for me. That’s what he was worried about and why he let her hang all over him.

I block the number. If it’s a misunderstanding with one of the actors, they’ll have to tell me at rehearsal. But I’m not playing this game right now.

Damon

I can focus on the ice and the way it feels under my skates without having to worry about Evan in the stands with Chase. Hawk pointed out Mia was here solo before the game began. She sits closer this time. We haven’t heard if she got with anyone else on the team last night.

I skate circles around the defense and score three goals during the first two periods.

With our team comfortably ahead, I hang back and let the others take the lead, assisting on goals and helping keep the way clear for some of the newer members of our varsity team. My leg, even though it’s healed, could use the break. It doesn’t hurt as much as it did when I first got back on the ice.

Even with my leg, it’s an easy day on the ice, which is another reason I wanted to move up this year.

If I can get four hours of sleep and still skate circles around the competition, I need more of a challenge. I’m glad to be playing this year at all, but I still shouldn’t be here. Having Evan is a good distraction from everything that’s happening.

We win our scrimmage and lineup for handshakes with the other team before going down to the locker room. Cam looks green as he lowers to the bench to take off his skates.

“What’s the damage?” Hawk asks as he works on his skates.

“Dad’s pissed. No more going out on school nights. Had to give him access to my location on my phone.” Cam shakes his head. “It’s fucked.”

I blow out a breath. We’re both fucked. “Not sure what my dad’s going to say, but it won’t be good.”

“You beat up Chase Chadwick.” Hawk laughs. “Man, if you knew you were going to end up doing that, we could have finished this whole thing before it started.”

“I’m sure I’ll get the talk about how I’m not mature enough to head off to the big leagues.” I shake my head. I don’t have to remind them we wouldn’t have Evan if we’d fucked up Chasein the beginning. She’d probably still be in the dark about him fucking around on her too. “We need to talk to her.”

“She broke up with him last night before he ditched her in the forest.” Hawk runs a hand through his hair.

“Good.” Cam shakes his head. He barely contained his anger when he found out she was left out there alone. I don’t know if it’s really sunk in for Cam that she knew he was drunk and couldn’t come rescue her. “We should return the favor. Scare the shit out of him.”

“I’m game,” I say. Chase deserves what’s coming to him after the way he left her out there. Alone, afraid. I rub the corner of my mouth. “What if he wants her back?”

“Then we tell him to fuck off.” Cam stands and removes his gear to head to the showers.

“He may be useful.” I don’t know why I’m pulling at this thread. I don’t want Chase touching her or kissing her, but if she’s free and we’re free, what the fuck are we doing?

Hawk narrows his eyes like he doesn’t like where I’m driving this. “We’ll talk it over with her.”

It’s late afternoon as we head to our own homes with a plan to meet up before we go to Olivia’s party tonight. She texted me to say it was going to be low key since Fletcher’s party got busted. The problem is, if Evan isn’t there with Chase, why would Olivia invite her?

Chase doesn’t deserve to share the same air Evan breathes. If he touches her, I’m not sure any of us will hold back. When I picture the bruises on her arm, I want to bury him for hurting her.

If I bring her to the party, all hell will break loose. Part of me likes the idea of the chaos.

After I dump my gear in the mudroom, I go to my room the back way to avoid running into my dad. When I walk through the bathroom, I find Evan curled up on top of her covers asleep with a book open in front of her.

I lean against the doorframe and look her over. Things have changed since that first day.

Last night during the game, when I dragged her under the bleachers, she was scared, but when she realized it was me, she relaxed. It couldn’t have been Chase she was afraid of because he was out on the field. So who did she think I was?

It swam around my mind the rest of the game and last night while Olivia was talking my ear off. But it got pushed to the background after what Chase did to her.

I blow out a breath and sit on the edge of her bed. Her woodsy scent makes my cock twitch like it’s trained on the smell of her now. She’s wearing her usual clothes. Not the high-end clothes her mother bought her.

Maybe I read Evan wrong.