ur: He Sai

le

ted about hockey culture crammed

ing daggers at each other over red plastic cups. The music was too loud, the bass vibrating up through m

m around my shoulders feeling less

y pulling away. "I'm grabbing

wd of his teammates. His team had lost tonight, and the Eagles were

was a child. Like I'd

upport him felt like a target now, bright gold in a room full of Falcons who'd just won. A few o

emy's colors. I could see the t

k of my neck. The sensation of being wa

oked

l like he had all the time in the world

id something

line of his jaw, the shadows under his cheekbones. He wasn't looking at me the way guys usually did, not like I was

my cheeks heating.

ght, a bottle already in his hand. He wasn't looking for me. Of course he wasn't. He was

! Hey,

wd with a grin. She was wearing Falcons colors, which was eith

reached me. "Please tell me y

arm through mine. "Why do you lo

s now. "It's Marvel. He's been weird all night. Con

, her smile tightenin

words came out bitter. "I don't know what's going on with him. He lost, so no

tupid about emotions." She squeezed my

, a voice cut through

it isn't the p

swaying in front of me, beer sloshing over his knuckles. His eyes were

s little daughter, right? Slumming it with the losers tonight?" He gesture

"Back off, Kowalski. S

lled off him in waves. "What's a nice girl like you doing in a place like this?

flat. I'd learned that tone from my father, the

close to mine. "You know what I think? I think you're here 'cause you like the danger. 'Cause being

Jess

caging me in. "I think you want someone to show you what rea

or anyone, but the crowd was a blur of indifferent faces. His teammates were

way fr

ehind Kowalski. Low.

leaning against anything now. He was fully upright, shoulders back, his gray eyes fixed

"Collins. This doesn't concern you.

dn't blink. Just sa

i's bravado flickered. He looked at me, then back at Ray, then muttered somet

left felt h

His gaze dropped to my hands, I hadn't realized they were shaking until I

as different. Not the c

t trusting m

ave a single, sharp nod and turned, disappear

e me. "Okay. What

st happened, or why my heart was still racing, or why it felt