Page 76 of The Groupie

Her face softens, her mouth taking a Mona Lisa pose. “Zak… you can’t make promises.”

“I know what you’re thinking. I can’t promise forever. Maybe you’re right. But I can promise you my whole heart, everything I have as long as I can, as long as I can see, as long as you can stand me.” I pause and she looks around, blinks her eyes. I touch her cheek and turn her head back to face me.

“I’m worth a chance. We’re worth a chance. Nothing is guaranteed. We both know that. Not a gold medal, not a Stanley Cup but we work for them anyway. Maybe we can work on something more between us besides a fling.”

She lets out a breath and shakes her head.

“If you’re honest with yourself, you’ll admit we’ve already passed the fling stage anyway. We have a relationship, Rylee. You and I are a couple. Admit it. Go for it. Give us a shot.”

The lift rumbles forward and we both turn to see the boarders start lining up, the first few jump on to ride up the slope to the top of the chute for the halfpipe.

“You’re crazy. I have to go. You didn’t expect me to run off with you now, did you?”

“No.” I hold onto her arm and lean in for a quick kiss, my heart pummeling my chest because my time is up, the clock has ticked down to zero. “Good luck today. Win a medal. I hope to see you when you get home, but whatever happens between us, know I love you, Rylee and I hope that all your dreams come true.” I brush my hand over her cheek. “You’re gold no matter what happens in the pipe.”

“I have to go.”

I squeeze her hand. She squeezes back and it feels like she’s squeezing my heart.

“So do I or Coach will kick my ass off the team for being AWOL For tomorrow night’s game.”

“You really are crazy, you know that?”

“Crazy in love.” That shuts her up. Her brow creases and confusion flies across her face before she clears it for her polished camera-ready smile, the one I’ve seen flashed on the screen every time ads for the Olympics air in between hockey games. The one she’ll wear when they drape the gold medal around her neck.

Someone pushes past me roughly and when I turn I see red because who else would it be but the infamous asshole Chuck Banner shoving me out of the way.

I push back.

“What the fuck are you doing here?” he says way too loudly.

“Back off, Chuck,” my voice is low and controlled. “You know why I’m here.” I look at Rylee. She stares back at me with those eyes that tell me everything she’s not saying, begging for understanding. I see the need, the fear and the spark of what I hope is more than lust.

“I came for Rylee. Because I’ve fallen for her, because she’s the one for me. For real.” People are watching us now and listening.

“She wants no part of you.” He screams the words and more people stop and stare. A crowd gathers, backed up from the lift because we’re blocking the line, but if he doesn’t give a fuck about causing a scene, neither do I.

“Stop it, Chuck.” Rylee’s voice is firm and anxious.

“Stay out of this Rylee.” He pushes her aside.

I step close to him and speak in a low growl. “Lay a hand on her again and I’ll flatten you out.”

While I stare him down, I hear Rylee suck I a breath, but I don’t look at her. He doesn’t back down.

“I can touch her if I want, I have every right—” he reaches out a hand to touch her hair and she flinches. I see red and time for talking is done because I’m not capable of talking right now.

Instead, I fist up and throw a uppercut that hits him squarely in the jaw.

I hope I knocked some of the fucker’s teeth out as I feel the sting in my knuckles. He teeters backwards and falls into a couple of boarders and they catch him as he bellows, holding his mouth. Blood seeps through his hands.

Rylee looks at me in disbelief. She doesn’t run to his side or defend him, but she doesn’t rush into my arms either. She pushes her way around the astonished murmuring crowd all with their phones out taking videos, and pushes through the line of snowboarders to the gondola and she disappears in the crowd of athletes and equipment. I watch as she jumps on the next lift up the mountain and away from the fiasco I just created.

People in the crowd are talking to me, some in Italian, some in English, some night be reporters, and in the distance, I see security headed our way.

Congratulations Zak, you’re now perfect gossip fodder for TMZ sports. Fuck.

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