Page 111 of Pucking Forbidden

He narrows his eyes at me and clenches his jaw. “Move, Wilder.”

“What was that?” I rumble, my jaw set, ignoring him. “I really did turn Chicago down, and in part, I did it because of her. Your daughter is the most incredible woman I’ve ever met in my entire life. She’s kind and generous. She actually cares about the people around her, and she’s been an incredible support for me. I haven’t had that a lot in my life, so I know how significant it is. If you weren't so damn busy trying to control her like a piece of property, you’d see that she isn't a kid anymore. You raised an amazing woman, and she’s more than capable of making decisions for herself.”

I take a deep breath before throwing my shoulders back and declaring, “I love your daughter, sir.”

Liam stares up at me, a flicker of something unreadable crossing his eyes. He doesn’t say anything. Instead, he just turns his back on me and walks away.

CHAPTER FORTY-ONE: WHATEVER IT TAKES

JULIAN

The next morning, the team leaves at four in the morning for our next away stretch. I sit by the window of the charter plane, staring out at the black Colorado mountains, my chest feeling like it’s being compressed by a hydraulic press. I wanted to drive straight to Carson’s apartment last night, knock the door down, and fix things with Hadley, but she asked for space. If I’ve learned anything from Mrs. Clay, it’s that you have to respect the boundaries of the people you love, even when it kills you.

Instead, I spent three hours in my dark apartment typing and retyping a text message until my fingers ached.

Julian: Hadley, I understand why you’re hurt. I should’ve told you sooner, and keeping it from you was the biggest mistake of my life. Chicago started before Vegas, before you, before any of this. Somewhere along the way, you became more important than any contract or safety net ever could be. I don’t expect you to forgive me right away, but please…just wait for me until I get back on Saturday. Let me fix this properly. I’m not going anywhere.

She never replied.

Our next set of away games are a complete disaster. I’m so distracted and trapped inside my own head that my play on the ice suffers. During Tuesday’s game in Phoenix, I miss a glaring defensive assignment on the penalty kill that leads to a goal. On Thursday in San Jose, I get caught flat-footed on a transition play and take a stupid, unnecessary two-minute minor for hooking.

At least Coach isn’t acting differently, which I was genuinely worried about. He’s pissed at me the usual amount when I fuck up, but he’s not raging at me because of Hadley. That makes me think he doesn’t know about us and that Liam never told him.

By Friday afternoon, after a brutal, exhausting practice at a local rink, the guys are starting to notice the cracks in my armor.

I’m sitting on the bench in the empty locker room, staring blankly at the tape on my stick, when a heavy shadow falls over me.

“You’re skating like you’ve got cement in your breezers, Wilder.”

I look up. Theo is standing there, his gear already half-undone, his wet hair sticking to his forehead. He looks at me with that observant gaze that usually makes me want to punch him.

“I’m fine, Theo,” I mutter, turning back to my stick. “Just tired.”

“Bullshit,” Theo scoffs, tossing his towel onto the floor and sitting down on the bench right next to me. He crosses his arms, leaning back against the lockers. “You’ve been a ghost all week. You missed three checks in the third period yesterday, and you looked like you wanted to murder the referee just for breathing your air. When Jensen or any of the other guys try to talk to you, you stonewall them. What the hell is wrong with you?”

I let out a long, ragged sigh, my shoulders slumping. The pressure in my chest has been building for six days, and I don’t have the energy to fight it anymore. Maybe Theo’s the one person I can actually be honest with right now. He went out of his way to get Hadley my jersey and encouraged me to go after her. He clearly cares about her. He wouldn’t say anything to anyone and risk hurting her.

“I almost transferred to Chicago,” I admit, my voice a rough whisper in the empty room.

Theo stiffens, his eyes widening in genuine shock. “The Ironclads? When?”

“Over Thanksgiving. It was a massive four-year contract, guaranteed money, close to home,” I mumble, staring at the floorboards. “I went to Hadley’s dad to look over the financial structure before things got serious. I turned it down because… I want to be here. To be with this team, and with Hadley. Then, her dad caught us kissing and let it slip in front of her. She had no idea, and she…didn’t take it well.”

Theo winces, shaking his head. “Oh, man. That’s…that’s a brutal way to find out, Julian.”

“Yeah.” A bitter chuckle escapes me. “I lied to her, and she thinks I was going to abandon her. She asked for space, and now I’m stuck here while she’s back in Denver hurting, and I can’t do a damn thing about it until tomorrow.” I shake my head, the dark thoughts from my childhood creeping back to the forefront of my mind. “Maybe it’s better this way. With you on the roster now, the blue line is set. I’m older. I’m dispensable to this team anyway. If I left, it wouldn't change the standings.”

Theo looks at me for a long, quiet moment, his expression hardening. He reaches out, punching my shoulder hard enough to rattle my frame.

“Don't ever say that shit again, Wilder,” he snaps. “You think because management brought me in, you don't matter? This team doesn't function without you in that locker room. You’re the guy who keeps the peace, the guy who takes the hits so the younger kids don't get destroyed. You’re not dispensable. Not to the Night Hawks, and definitely not to Hadley.”

I look at him, stunned by the sudden defense from a guy I’ve spent weeks being intensely jealous of.

Theo looks down, a self-conscious, nervous smile touching his lips. He rubs the back of his neck, his posture shifting into something uncharacteristically vulnerable.

“Look,” Theo whispers. “Since we’re clearing the air…I think you need to know something. Part of the reason you’ve been so wound up around me is that you thought I was a threat to what you have with Hadley, right?”

I tighten my jaw, but I don’t deny it. “You’re a good-looking kid, Theo. You’re young, you’re talented, and you’re her friend. Of course I worry about you.”