Page 51 of Vicious Butterfly
“You’re fucking delusional, Jarvis.”
“It was a fair hit,” Coach says to my fucking surprise, and my heart calms down. I can’t get into any more trouble for stupid shit, not when I’ve got bigger shit on the horizon. “Hit the showers.”
Early dismissalandRowan’s knee is fucked up? Fucking Christmas. The happy shock keeps me in place as a slow smile spreads onto my lips. I take a deep inhale of the chill air, wanting to remember this moment on my deathbed.
“Yikes. That looks bad,” Kane says, using his stick blade to toss the puck into the air. The rest of the team’s already filing off the ice, but I can’t move. This is too good to be true. Then I get a flash, that thing my brain was trying to tell me to remember as Rowan went down.
Kane’s done this before. Second period of Saturday night’s game. It’s a matter of getting your stick in, right against the other guy’s skate, forcing his legs too wide. A number of things can happen, the other leg buckling, for example. He’s learned a fewdirty-ass things from murder hockey. He taps his stick on the ice.
“Shame. He’ll probably be out for a while with that one. Maybe he’ll never play again.” He shrugs. “See you at breakfast, Cap.”
Did he do that for me? Yeah, I think he did. It’s hard to tell what’s going through Kane’s mind. But what this also did was buy Griff and me a few minutes. Finally. It’s been two of the longest weeks of my life. I have so much to ask him.
I wanna tell him that … well, that I might have a way out for him. I’ve been thinking about it all week. If anyone can extract us and bring us to Shadowridge, it’s Tate. If he can do that, it’s worth my freedom. Seeing Griff smile every day, that’ll be satisfaction enough.
Turning, I take a breath, ready to call his name. But no one’s there. I blink. Maybe I’m imagining the void on the bench where Griff was sitting.
But I’m not.
He’s gone. I’m alone.
My stomach drops, something dark settles low, tightening. The ice isn’t what’s chilling my bones.
Griff could have left for so many reasons, but the Griff I know wouldn’t have missed the chance to talk to me for any reason.
The truth is, I don’t know how to beg. Even at my worst with Father, I’ve never begged him. It was my own private rebellion. The only way I could preserve a little piece of my sanity. It’s sexy, though, and fuck have I lovedmaking other people beg for my cock, but not begging’s become a little piece of my soul.
But enter Tate VanCourt.
Tate
Where did you go?
Me
Alpha Kappa house.
It’s tradition. After the exhibition game, which is always with Shadowridge U, Alpha Kappa Epsilon House throws a party. But this year it’s underwhelming. Last year, it was massive. Lots of other houses. Loud music. This one feels like a setup. The Delta Gamma sorority is the only other house in attendance.
Tate
I don’t remember you asking me if you could go to a party.
Is he joking? I can’t tell. Probably not, but he didn’t do anything about the thing he didn’t like last time. Maybe it’s one of those, I-mean-it-but-I’m-not-super-pissed-about-it-either, things?
Who the fuck knows? But I’m not as mad about it as I was the first time.
Me
Is that what you’d expect from me as your husband? Asking permission?
Tate
And what if it was?
Me
I’d be willing to negotiate.
