Page 13 of Ice Me Out

I laugh. “Ah, here we go. Nice begging, you spineless coward. Why should I let you go, huh? Did you let Bex go when she said no? Did you walk away when you thought you had more manpower and could win this fight?”

“Fuck you!” he spits, and I plunge my fist into his face again.

He spins on his feet and Connor sinks in another punch.

The fucker lands on the ground again, curling up in the fetal position and crying louder this time.

I’m about to grab him again, but Talia’s voice cuts through my fury-induced fog.

“That’s enough, Jamie.” She says. “I just called the sheriff. I think it’s better if you guys aren’t here when the cops arrive.”

Right. I was so furious, I didn’t even think that we were out in the open. If I get arrested for fighting, jail is the least of my worries. Being locked up would actually keep me safe from Coach Harrison’s wrath.

“It’s fine.” I rub my split knuckle with my other hand. It’s throbbing and bleeding. “I have no problem to talk to the sheriff. It was three against two and we were just protecting our friend.”

Joe, the owner, comes to stand next to Talia. “Just go. I’ll talk to Sheriff Pullin. I saw everything.”

I can’t believe Joe is letting us go scot free. “Are you sure? I don’t mind speaking to the cops.”

Joe sighs. “Look, if he wants to talk to you, he knows where to find you. The entire town knows our hockey stars. You’re lucky those three fuckers you just dealt with had been causing issues for weeks. I’m grateful you took out the trash. Next time, though, stop when the other guy is down, got it?”

“Got it.” I nod.

“Yeah.” Joe’s eyes meet mine. “Just go now.”

I turn to look at Bex, who in the meantime is nestled in her brother’s arms.

“You ok?” When I step closer, she recoils, as if she were scared of me.

What the fuck?

“Bex—” I don’t understand why she’s scared of me. I would never hit a woman.

Luke shakes his head, mouthing “not now.”

Connor and I follow Luke and Shane, who keep Bex between them. There’s an uneasy feeling in my chest at the idea that Luke’s sister is scared of me now.

“I don’t understand what just happened.” I mutter, noticing that Connor is carrying Lady Marmalade’s glass pitcher.

Connor’s brow is lowered into a frown. “Earlier, she was fidgeting with her dress. I saw some pretty nasty bruises on her neck. I think she must have had her reasons not to get married.”

We—I—scared her. Connor doesn’t say it out loud, but it’s more than clear that he thinks Bex is scared of me now. Of us, maybe.

I hate that thought, but maybe it’s for the best. She’s my teammate’s sister, anyway. Getting in her pants isn’t a better idea now than it was a couple of hours ago.

Bex

Light is filtering through the curtains, and I press my eyes closed to hang on to the last remnants of precious sleep.

But I’ve always been a light sleeper, and I know once I start waking up, it’s very unlikely that I’ll be able to slip back into blissful oblivion.

When the unfamiliar room comes into focus, I blink, confused. Where am I?

This isn’t my room, nor the small apartment on the Bridgeport campus Dad had arranged for me and Kurt.

The thought that this morning I should have woken up next to my new husband, causes a shiver to work its way down my spine.

I never want to see Kurt again, if I can help it.