Page 28

Hunter

The sun casts a warm glow as I make my way across campus, my mind filled with thoughts of Rilee.

These past few weeks have been a fucking nightmare.

She moved in and basically took over. She’s fucking Caleb now, and I think she’s got something going on with Grayson too.

It’s exactly what I didn’t want to happen.

I have no idea what the fuck I’m going to say to Fletcher when he returns from rehab.

I’ve never lived with a girl, never even wanted to, but with her…

it’s different. I’m more on edge than I ever expected.

I get nervous when she’s left home alone at night.

When we leave for games, I always check that everything’s locked up.

I’m like a grumpy mother hen—not a role I ever expected to play.

Lost in my thoughts, my phone buzzes with an urgent text from a teammate named Finn.

It seems he got himself into a messy situation and needs me to pick him up.

Fantastic . The guy’s been nothing but trouble since he joined the team last year.

With a sigh, I change direction and head toward downtown.

The neon lights of the bar cast an eerie glow on the street as I pull up, my heart sinking at the sight of the rookie, clearly inebriated and surrounded by chaos. I step out of the truck, frustration mixing with a sense of responsibility.

“Finn!” I call out sharply, striding over to where he’s leaning against a lamppost, a bruise forming on his cheek.

He startles at the sound of my voice, looking both relieved and guilty. “Hey. Thanks for showing up, man.”

I cross my arms, trying to keep my patience in check. “You care to explain what the hell happened?”

He runs a hand through his disheveled hair, avoiding my gaze. “It’s stupid, really. Some guys started mouthing off in there, and I didn’t back down.”

I let out a frustrated sigh. “So, you decided to fight them?”

He shrugs, his gaze finally meeting mine, shame evident in his eyes. “I guess I let my temper get the best of me.”

I shake my head, disbelief mingling with disappointment. “You’re a rookie, Finn. You represent this team both on and off the ice. You can’t just go around getting into brawls. You’re lucky it’s me here and not coach Dalton.”

He looks down, his bravado fading. “I know. I messed up.”

I run a hand through my hair, trying to figure out how to salvage this situation. “We’re a team. We support each other. But that doesn’t mean I’m going to bail you out of every mess you create.”

He nods, his shoulders slumping. “I understand.”

I sigh again, my frustration ebbing slightly. “We’ll deal with the fallout tomorrow. Right now, I’m driving you home.”

As we walk towards my truck, Finn is mostly quiet.

He’d gotten in trouble early in the season for allegedly making a sex tape with a teammate’s sister and her friend.

I didn’t know the details, didn’t know if all the rumors were true.

What I did know was that he was almost kicked off the team due to the seriousness of the allegation.

Last thing I heard about it was that he had some rich lawyer father who made all the trouble go away.

To his credit, Finn has tried to keep his head down and work hard since then.

As we pull up to his dorm building, I turn off the engine and face him.

“Listen, Finn,” I say firmly, “you’ve got potential, but you need to get your shit together. Your actions affect the whole team, not just yourself.”

He nods, his expression more serious now. “I get it, Hunter. I won’t let this happen again.”

I give him a pointed look. “I hope so. We’ve got expectations, and you need to meet them.”

He opens the car door, his gaze meeting mine one last time. “Thanks for not leaving me stranded out there.”

I offer a small nod. “That’s what teammates do.”

When I finally make my way home, the lights in the living room are dim, and Rilee is asleep on the couch.

The sight is both heartwarming and slightly frustrating.

With a sigh, I move to grab a blanket and gently drape it over her. As I do, her eyes flutter open, and she blinks at me in surprise.

“Hunter?” she murmurs, her voice soft and groggy.

I offer her a small smile. “Hey. Sorry I woke you.”

She stretches slightly, her expression confused. “What time is it?”

“Late,” I reply, my gaze meeting hers. “I had to take care of some team stuff.”

She sits up, rubbing her eyes. “Is everything okay?”

I nod, not wanting to burden her with the details. “Yeah, just a rookie who got himself into some trouble.”

“Okay.” Rilee yawns, the sound endearing. “I’m glad you’re back.”

Her words pull at something inside me. Without another word, I turn and head to my room.

It’s been a weird fucking night.