Page 142 of The Heart Breaker

I push to my feet and head for the door, but the second I step into the hall, my vision blurs for a second and I have to blink hard.

Fuck.

Maybe he’s right.

Maybe I really do need some sleep.

I stop short when I see the guys heading into the locker room to gear up for practice, and Ryan’s brows lift the second he gets a look at me.

“Everything good, man?” Logan asks.

I just let out a scoff because what the fuck do I say to that? Nothing is good. Not one fucking thing.

Ryan shifts his hockey bag higher on his shoulder and walks toward me. “So, uh…” He clears his throat. “Apparently I’m supposed to kick your ass.”

I blink at him. “What?”

He sighs. “Isabella said you hurt her best friend, and she told me to...” His brows pull together like he still can’t believe he’s repeating this. “Staple your balls to your forehead, I think.”

“Jesus, Cap,” Austin says. “Your girl is ruthless.”

A breath leaves me, all the fight draining out of my shoulders. “Go ahead,” I mutter, lifting one shoulder. “I deserve it.”

Because I do.

I hurt the one person I couldn’t stop wanting and made her feel like she meant nothing, when the truth is she got under my skin so deep I don’t think she’s ever coming back out. I broke her heart when all I wanted was to keep it. Keep her. Be the one she came to. Be the one she stayed with.

Ryan studies me for a second and shakes his head. “You already look fucked up enough.”

Austin’s usual grin is gone when he looks at me. “You know we’d do anything for you,” he says, and there’s not even the ghostof a joke in it. “Hell, we already got arrested for you. You can tell us what’s going on.”

I’ve spent so long keeping my shit to myself that even now, my first instinct is to shrug it off and act like I’m fine when I’m very obviously not.

Even when the guys asked me to move into the off-campus house with them, I said no. Partly because I couldn’t afford it and had to stay in a shitty shared dorm with a guy who gamed half the night, but mostly because I never got used to the idea of leaning on anyone.

But when I asked them to help me with Chase, it was the first time in a long time I didn’t feel like the world was crushing me.

And I’m tired.

So fucking tired.

Tired of carrying all of this alone. Tired of pretending I’ve got any of it under control. Tired enough that my shoulders finally drop and I let out a breath.

“My sister ran away from home a few days ago,” I say. “My dad hit her.” Every one of them goes still. “But CPS took her from me this morning.”

“Jesus Christ,” Logan mutters.

Ryan drops his bag onto the floor. “Why the hell didn’t you lead with that?” He drags a hand over his face. “Fuck. Definitely not stapling your balls to your forehead now.”

I huff out a laugh even after everything.

“My mom’s a family lawyer,” Nathan says, his brows pulling together. “I can ask her if?—”

“Your dad already did,” I tell him, giving a short nod.

Austin steps forward first, still looking too serious for Austin. “Then what do you need?”

I open my mouth, but nothing comes out.