“Luke is good to me, Dad. And to Kyler. We’re taking it slow with him, but Kyler really likes him. It feels so good to have someone in my life who wants to be with both of us.”
“Charm is a Hudson trait,” Dad said bitterly. “His father never had trouble getting women to fall for him, either.”
Like always, he wasn’t listening. I might as well have been talking to the walls of my empty office. “I have work to do, Dad.”
He nodded and left. A knot of worry formed in my throat. How long would Luke put up with this song and dance? My Dad wouldn’t let up, and with his capability to assign us a full-time babysitter, we’d never be able to have a normal relationship.
My fears about us not staying together were already coming to call, only it wasn’t even Luke’s fault. My own father had become my worst enemy.
***
Luke
We were on a road trip in Indy, and I had a shadow. Everywhere I went, one of our assistant coaches, Isaac, was on my heels. I was trying to sneak away for dinner with Dell when finally I turned and confronted him.
Though he was 20 feet away, he was watching me like a fucking private eye.
“You need something, man?” I asked him.
He looked from side to side. “Who, me?”
“Yeah, you. You’ve been up my ass since we left the airport.”
He looked down at the floor. “Sorry, man. Coach Price told me to keep an eye on you.”
I shook my head with disgust. “You’re my babysitter now?”
“Look, he told me it’s my job to enforce the no fraternizing rule, and that I’m the one who’s gonna get in trouble if anyone breaks it.” Isaac sighed deeply. “Sorry.”
“Just head up to your room and we’ll both agree that you followed me out to a bar where I ate a fucking cheeseburger by myself.”
“Is that really what you’re doing?”
I glared at him. “What do you think?”
He raised his hands in the air. “I’m a hockey coach, so stalking’s not my thing. I’m just doing my job.”
“How long have we known each other?” I narrowed my eyes at him. “And you’re gonna throw me under the bus for having dinner with my girlfriend?”
“I’m not fucking with Butch Price. I need my job.”
So this was how it was now. Butch had me and Dell under his thumb, and he planned to remind us of it constantly.
“Fine.” I ran a hand through my hair. “I’m going to my room.”
I was walking and pulling my phone out to text Dell when I felt Isaac’s presence behind me. I turned and gave him a questioning look.
“You’re following me there? I’m not a fucking liar, Isaac.”
He looked away. “Ah, actually, I’m staying in your room.”
“What the fuck?” I demanded. “I room with Ryke.”
“I’ll take the couch.”
“Yeah, well you’re sure as hell not sharing a bed with either of us.” I blew out a breath, disgusted. “You planning to follow me into the bathroom and shake my dick off when I piss?”
His expression was just as pissed off as mine now. “Look, I don’t like this, either. I’m still your coach. Respect me and I’ll respect you.”
“Sorry, man. I know this isn’t your fault.” I considered the options. “How about if we all three go out for dinner? Have you eaten?”
He thought about it. “Not yet. Yeah, we can do that.”
“If you repeat any of the lovey shit I say to Dell I’ll kick your ass.”
He raised his hands in mock surrender. “I’ll just be eating and looking at my phone. I won’t even listen.”
I nodded. “She’s meeting me down the hall. Let’s go.”
He followed, and Dell seemed to understand what was going on when he showed up with me. Isaac kept to himself as promised, but there was an undercurrent of tension throughout dinner. Butch was flexing his muscle, and there wasn’t much any of us could do about it.
Dell and I were right back where we started – not allowed to touch each other. Only it was much harder now that I knew what I was missing.
***
I spit out my mouth guard and tipped a water bottle to my upturned face, letting the water flow over me. My muscles pulsed from the intensity of the workout I’d just had. Price was fucking with me in front of the entire team now. He’d made an example of me, running me back and forth down the rink in an extra-long practice.
We needed to get faster, he said, and he’d made me skate up and down, scoring on every pass, until I shaved a full five seconds off the time it took me to do it.
Ryke met my eyes sympathetically. I was exhausted. All I wanted was to climb into bed. I didn’t even have the strength left for a shower. But damned if I’d sit down and give Price the satisfaction of knowing it.