Page 6 of Ruck Me Harder

Before I know what’s happening, she shoves me, and then her forearm is pressed against my airway as she gets me in a headlock.

“Don’t fucking touch me,” she snarls, squeezing my throat.

“Sorry,” I croak. I tap her hand, trying to breathe. My vision starts to go black.

Finally, she releases me. Choking back air, I take a step backward, dusting off my jacket.

“Was that really necessary?” I ask in as dry a tone I can manage.

“Fuck off,” she says, rolling her eyes.

“We should talk,” I suggest. “Grab coffee.”

“Why?”

I look her up and down. “I think you know why.”

It may have taken three years for our paths to cross again, but that doesn’t mean we can’t rekindle things where we left off. Just because she never messaged me back doesn’t mean my feelings changed.

She shakes her head. “There’s nothing to talk about.”

“So you remember me.”

“The worst mistake of my life?” Viv scoffs. “Yeah, I’d say so.”

My heart pounds.

The worst mistake of her life?

She’s the highlight of mine.

“Vivienne—”

“Fuck off,” she snarls again. “Just—don’t. You live your life, I’ll live mine, and we’ll never have to do this again.”

“You’re my sister’s team captain,” I point out.

She scowls. “How did you know that?”

“Are you kidding? Cari can’t stop talking about you. She has some serious hero worship going on.” I take a step forward. “Look, hate me all you want, but Cari likes you. She looks up to you.”

She frowns. “She shouldn’t.”

“Why not?”

Let me in. Drop your guard, I try to tell her.

She seems to snap back to herself. Her scowl deepens.

“Fuck off,” she snarls again. “Just—go away. Leave me alone.”

With a sigh, I turn back to the front stoop. I’m ready to get this day over with.

A thought comes to mind, and I turn back to her with a second wind, ready to give her something to think about.

But she’s already gone.

Shaking my head, I let myself into the house I share with my siblings. Our parents retired to Miami a few years ago, mainly to take care of my abuela. For a while, I rented out rooms to my teammates, but when Carolina graduated from Harvard last spring, she needed a place to stay. And I’m not about to tell my baby sister she can’t live in her childhood bedroom. Alberto? Well, he signed a three-year contract with Boston over the offseason. I didn’t expect him to stay for more than a few days, but as we wind down preseason and he starts the hockey season in earnest, he’s making no attempt to move out.