Page 186 of Over the Line

I swallowed. “But everything’s smoothed over now?” Grimacing, I added, “Are you really okay playing with him and not just because your GM backed you into a corner?”

Chris gestured dismissively. “Once I pulled my stupid head together, I mean, I’m not going to give up playing alongside him over this. That would be…” He laughed dryly and shook his head. “That would be the worst decision I could make.”

“But you are okay with⁠—”

“Yes,” he said. “Like I said, the conversation brought me back down to earth and made me realize I didn’t want to lose my place on this team over this.” He paused. “And that was before I realized what Saints was willing to give up to make sure I didn’t.”

I straightened. “What do you mean?” Had Liam told him he’d dump me if that was what it took to smooth things out with the team? I couldn’t really blame him if he did—that team was his life—but it was a gut punch.

Chris took a breath. “He told me that if I couldn’t handle us playing together, he’d retire.”

My lips parted. “He—really?”

Chris nodded, a dazed look on his face. “Yeah. That seriously blew my mind. He straight up told me that if I didn’t want to play alongside him anymore, he’d go tell our GM he was retiring.”

“Holy shit,” I breathed.

“I know, right?” He laughed softly. “He, um… You really found yourself a good guy.”

“Yeah. Yeah, I did.” I knew that. I’d known it for a long time. But the realization that Liam would give up his career to keep from derailing Chris’s… I could barely fit that into my head.

Chris shifted his weight. “Now I feel even worse about taking that shot at him. About holding me back my rookie season.” His shoulders fell. “I’m surprised he didn’t tell Tangen to just trade my dumb ass and be done with it.”

I was already shaking my head. “No. He understood you were angry. We both did. And when people are angry… sometimes they say shit.”

“Still. I should apologize to him for that. I should’ve earlier, but I was…” He waved a hand.

“I’m sure he’ll understand.”

“He will. But I feel like an ass for it.”

“Eh, I feel like an ass for…” I gestured at him and myself.

Chris laughed, which punched through the tension, and his neck and shoulders started to relax. “Nah. You’re good.” He stepped closer and hugged me again, and I just closed my eyes and basked in it.

Chris knew about Liam and me, and now that the smoke was clearing and the shock had worn off, he was okay with us. I hadn’t lost him. I hadn’t fucked this up as bad as I’d thought.

Lesson learned—just talk to him about things, Garrett. Jesus Christ.

I wouldn’t be forgetting that any time soon.

Walking into Liam’s kitchen later that afternoon, I was overcome with a million different emotions. Love. Relief. Gratitude.

Without a word, I strode right up to him, cupped his neck, and kissed him.

When we came up for air, he stared at me in surprise. “Hello to you, too.” With a cautious grin, he added, “I take it things went well with Chris.”

“They did. They went really well.” I caressed his cheek. “And he told me what you did. That you’d retire before you let the Phantoms trade him.”

“I would,” he said without hesitation. “No way in hell am I letting him get punished for this.”

Smiling, I nodded. “I know. I would never ask you to do that, but I’m grateful you did.”

He lifted his chin and kissed me softly. “Well, luckily I didn’t have to follow through with it. I would have, absolutely, but after Chris and I cleared the air…” He exhaled, and the relief coming off him was impossible to miss.

“Still. You didn’t have to put your career on the chopping block for⁠—”

“I did,” he said. “Chris didn’t do anything. Over my dead body was he getting waived or traded because of this.” He paused. “I just hope he didn’t think I told him because I wanted to use it as leverage. I wanted him to know he was secure on the Phantoms no matter what happened between him and me, but…”