Page 123 of The Pucking Coach's Daughter
“Great.” My stomach flips. “Why are we talking about him?”
“While I thought he’d go home, it seems he lied about a lot.”
“That doesn’t sound good,” I mutter.
“It’s not.” He reaches for me, steadying me with a hand at my waist. “His dad is in jail for murdering his mother. His brother is a drug dealer.”
I wait for more.
“And the brother has a record.” He winces. “Of sexual assault.”
There it is.
Penn joins us. “Nothing is going to happen to you,” he promises. “In fact, we don’t know anything will happen at all. It’s just stuff that my private investigator found out.”
My lips part. “Private investigator?”
“Yeah, well, someone needs to keep track of stuff.” Penn lifts one shoulder. “He’s also my uncle.”
Oliver snorts.
“So,” Penn continues, “while Bear and his asshole brother live one town over, there’s been no hint of retaliation against you or Oliver. Or me.”
“Great.”
“You said that already,” he points out.
Oliver elbows him. His gaze is warm. Not hot or smoldering, just… warm. “You should go to bed,” he advises. “And we’re going to leave you to rest.”
“But—” I grab at him. “No.”
“No?” He steps closer.
There’s something about these guys getting into my space that gives my heart an extra pep in its step. I look up at him and shake my head.
“Finish what you started.”
As in, please don’t leave me. That’s what I mean, even if I can’t say the words out loud.
There’s no way in hell I can process the night I just had, and I won’t process it as long as one of them is here. Penn left me hanging—on purpose, clearly. But his brows furrow watching the two of us, and I wish I could smooth it away.
There’s no way this is going to end well.
“I will.” The words are husky leaving Oliver’s mouth. “But only if you ask your dad about joining us next weekend.”
I stop.
Dylan made the three of us promise that we would be there to cheer her on. If I go with them—their games are Friday and Sunday—then I will absolutely miss her Saturday game.
I like these guys, but I’m quickly learning to put in the work when it comes to treasuring my friendships. They’re the ones who surrounded me when everyone at FSU hated me. They’re the ones who didn’t shy away from me or join the crowd in throwing stones.
“I can’t.” My gaze falls to the floor. “I can’t miss Dylan’s game.”
He’s not going to stay. Simple as that, right?
“That’s the thing with ultimatums.” I slip between them. “You don’t set them if you’re not ready for the wrong outcome.”
I drop the towel and snatch my sleep shirt from the floor. I put it on and ignore the way my hair raises on my neck. How they’re probably both staring at me like a lunatic. I climb into the freshly made bed, with clean sheets, and curl up facing the wall.