Page 49 of The Rule Breaker (Colton U Playbook #1)

RYAN

I can’t focus.

Not with Nathan glaring at me from the net, and the sounds of skates scraping up the ice.

The whole team’s off today, and it’s all my fault.

I should’ve stayed away from Isabella. I shouldn’t have kissed her. I shouldn’t have fallen for her, but I did. And now Nathan’s treating me like I’m the fucking enemy. Hell, the whole team feels the tension.

They all notice the way Nathan won’t talk to me, won’t even look at me. I knew he’d be pissed, but I didn’t expect him to shut me out this way.

I push the puck forward and take the shot, but instead of moving to block it, he just lets it hit the net. Doesn’t even acknowledge it.

My teammates shoot me confused looks, but I don’t even know what the fuck just happened.

I skate up to the net, frustration starting to boil over. “Come on, Nathan, don’t be like this.”

He doesn’t move. Doesn’t look at me. Nothing. Just keeps staring in front as if I’m not even on the ice.

Jesus. I can’t fucking stand the silence from him. “Are you that pissed at me that you can’t even look me in the eye? You’re seriously gonna pretend I’m not even here?”

He freezes, his back straight, and without a word, he pushes himself up and skates toward me.

He jabs his finger into my chest, hard. “You gonna pretend like you didn’t lie to me for who knows how long?” I open my mouth, but the words get stuck in my throat. “You think you can sneak around with my sister behind my back, and everything’s just gonna go back to normal?”

“You think I wanted this to happen?” I spit out, my jaw clenched so tight it aches. “I tried to stay away from her.”

Nathan scoffs, shaking his head, his lip curling into a snarl. “Well, you did a fucking great job, huh?”

Fuck, this is everything I didn’t want to happen. And it blew up in my face anyway. “I tried, Nathan. I really fucking tried. But I just couldn’t stay away.”

Nathan rips off his mask, then his gloves, his fingers shaking with anger.

I heave out a breath, ripping off my helmet, and throwing it down onto the ice. “Alright, you wanna do this? You wanna hit me?” I don’t back down. “Go ahead. Hit me for kissing her. Hit me for thinking about her. Hit me for wanting her when I know I shouldn’t have.”

He steps closer, his hands balling into fists, his jaw tight with rage. He grabs the front of my jersey and yanks me toward him.

“I told you not to go near her,” he spits.

“I know, man,” I reply, shaking my head. “I know. It wasn’t about the sex for me, alright? I fell in love with her.”

Nathan’s face twists, and he shoves me back. “Oh yeah? You loved her from the start, did you?” he sneers. “You just knew? You knew the second you met her that you’d be in love with her?”

I wince, trying not to let it show, knowing at the beginning it was just pure attraction and only sex between us. But even back then, I knew that what we were doing was more than sex. I just wanted to see her. To kiss her. To talk to her. Sex was a perk. A really good, fun perk.

“I… I don’t know when it happened, alright?” I bite back. “But this thing between us is real. And I can’t walk away from it. I didn’t mean for any of this to happen, but now that it has, I’m not going anywhere.”

Nathan’s glare turns sharper, colder. “Bullshit, Ryan. You can’t even keep your attention on a girl for longer than a week. What makes my sister so different?”

“I don’t know, Nathan,” I tell him honestly. “I don’t. But what I do know is that I’ve never felt this way before. I love her, man. And I’m not going to hurt her. Ever.”

His eyes narrow, and I can see the doubt still clouding his judgment. But at least for a moment, the silence hangs heavy between us, and something in his eyes softens, like he believes what I’m telling him.

But Coach’s booming voice cuts through, making both of us snap to attention.

“What the hell is going on here?” he asks, stepping onto the ice. “You two are supposed to be practicing, not about to tear each other’s throats out!”

The previous look in Nathan’s eyes is erased, replaced by a glare as his jaw ticks. “You want to tell him, or should I?” he asks.

My stomach sinks, dread twisting inside me like a knot. I know what’s coming. And I can’t do shit to stop it.

He turns toward Coach before I can say anything. “Ryan’s been messing around with Izzy. They’ve been sneaking around behind our backs.”

Coach’s face hardens, his eyes narrowing as he processes what Nathan just said. For a long moment, he just stares at me, like he’s trying to figure out if we’re just messing with him. But then his jaw tightens, and his face turns red. “My daughter , Ryan? Are you fucking kidding me right now?”

I can’t even look at him. Coach is waiting for an answer, but I don’t have one. Not a good one, anyway. There’s nothing I can say that will make him not want to wring my neck.

Austin picks this moment to chime in. “Coach, come on. You can’t be pissed he fell in love with her. He wouldn’t have kept it this quiet for so long if it wasn’t important.”

Coach whips his head toward Austin like he’s ready to strangle him. “You knew about this?” His eyes narrow, pinning him in place.

Austin blinks, looking like a deer caught in headlights. “Uh… knowledge is a tricky thing.”

Nathan groans, his hands clenched into fists at his sides. “Austin…”

Austin sighs, defeated. “Yeah, I knew. I walked in on them in the hot tub fuck—I mean… kissing,” he finishes, his eyes widening, and I kiss my good looks goodbye.

Will Isabella even want to be with me after they’re finished pummeling me into the ground?

Coach spins his attention to me, his brows tugged in anger. “You had sex with my daughter in the hot tub?”

Nice going, Austin.

I wonder what’s beneath this ice. Can I crack it and drown, please?

“The hot tub I then went into for a relaxing midnight dip?” Coach groans, his hand going to his forehead like he’s about to pass out. “Oh Jesus. I need to wash my body with fucking bleach. I’m gonna have a fucking rash.”

I want to tell him I actually came inside her—not in the water—but I doubt it’d bode well so I keep my fucking mouth shut, pressing my lips together to keep from laughing.

Coach is still grimacing, looking like he’s seconds away from having a breakdown. “Christ, this is gonna give me a heart attack.”

Nathan’s eyes are still burning with rage. “Do I have permission?” he asks his dad, his fists still clenched.

Coach rubs his temples. “Fine. Just get it over with.”

Nathan’s already stepping up and before I realize what he’s doing, he lands a punch straight to my jaw. My head snaps back, and for a second, I forget where I am, everything goes blurry.

“Fuck,” I choke out, swallowing the sting. “I deserve that.”

Because if this is the price for being with her?

Then I’ll take every hit he’s got.

Nathan’s still standing there, breathing heavy. “Yeah, you fucking do. Messing around with my fucking sister?”

I force myself to meet his stare. “I told you, I’m not just messing around, here,” I tell him. “Have you seen me with anyone else this year?”

He lets out a sharp, bitter laugh. “Brandy.”

I shake my head, wiping the blood from my lip. “That was your sister.”

His brows pinch, confusion flickering behind the anger. “The toy in the bath?”

I drag a hand down my face, sighing. “You really don’t wanna know.”

His eyes narrow. “The panties in the locker room?”

I groan, looking up at the ceiling. “Just punch me again.”

Nathan steps forward, and for a split second, I brace myself, thinking maybe he’ll hit me like before. Instead, his knee slams hard into my balls.

The air gets knocked out of me, and my knees buckle.

“Fuck,” I wheeze, doubled over as my vision blurs.

“Alright, that’s enough,” Coach barks. “Both of you. Showers now.”

Nathan finally steps back and drops his stick onto the ice before he skates off.

I take a deep breath, trying not to pass out.

Because I want nothing more than to be with Isabella.

Even if I lose everything else in the process.