Page 276 of Cross Check

Amelia.

Maybe it’s Amelia.

That makes me pick up my step, and I stumble as I cross the room. There are hushed voices on the other side of the door. A sharp groan is followed by a string of curse words. I glance through the peephole, shock rippling through me when I see Maverick standing in the hall.

“What are you doing here?” I ask when I fling the door open.

“You showed up when we needed you, and now you need us,” he says. “Hope it’s okay that I brought reinforcements.”

Maverick steps to the side, and that’s when I realize Ethan and Connor are next to him. Hudson and Riley are behind them, and when they all shift to their left, the sight of Liam at the end of the hall makes me burst into tears.

“Fuck,” I sob, motioning them into my room. “I don’t know what’s going on.”

“You didn’t answer our messages, and we wanted to see you.” Riley hugs me. “Thought you might need some cheering up.”

“I just spent eight hours on a plane from DC sitting in coach,” Liam grumbles, pushing past me. “There’s not many people I’d do that for, Everett.”

They get to work rearranging the furniture to make room for everyone. The coffee table and chair are pulled over to the couch so they all have somewhere to sit. Someone passes me a water bottle. Maverick puts a hand on my shoulder to lower me to the sofa, and they all surround me.

“How are you doing?” Ethan asks.

“Not great.” I set the water down and bury my face in my hands. “I’m hurt. I’m mad. I can’t believe people were taking pictures of us and sharing them for the world to see. But you know what makes me furious?” I lower my hands and stare at my friends. “We’re only in this situation because of who Amelia is. If she were an intern or a social media manager or anyone other than a fucking coach, it wouldn’t be a big deal. Look at you all.” I point to Riley and Liam. “Your significant others work on the same goddamn team as you, and you haven’t gotten any backlash from the league. How does that make sense?”

“I asked Lexi if we were allowed to date when we first started seeing each other because that was my concern too. I’m not technically on DC’s roster, so she’s not violating her athletic trainer code of ethics. I’m not saying it’s fair,” Riley says when I scowl at him. “It’s definitely a gray area.”

“Let’s talk about your situation, Grant. What can we do to help?” Hudson asks.

“Nothing. I’m in the depths of hell, and nothing will make me feel better. The only thing that would work is being able to see Amelia, and I can’t even do that. I can’t tell her how much I love her. I can’t be seen with her, and it’s all my fault.”

“Stop.” Maverick sighs and pats my thigh. “This isn’t your fault, and you didn’t do anything wrong. You’re allowed to love and be attracted to whoever you want.”

“Tell that to the league. There’s an email from the commissioner in my inbox I haven’t answered. He’s asking for a meeting when I get back to DC.” I sigh and rub my forehead. “We tried so hard to be discreet. We tried so hard to keep our relationship a secret. We’ve been safe for two fucking years, and now it’s all gone to shit. I bet it was one of our neighbors who took some of those photos. I knew I should’ve looked at houses that had privacy walls.”

“Hang on.” Ethan scoots forward in his chair. “You’ve been dating Amelia Green for two years? And none of us knew? What the fuck? What happened to sharing everything with each other?”

“I knew,” Maverick says proudly. “I knew, and I kept my mouth shut just like I did when Liam told me he and Piper were married. I’m a goddamn vault, and I’d never crack in an interrogation.”

“Now I’m jealous.” Connor crosses his arms. “Why did Maverick get to know?”

“He found out by accident. I wanted to tell you all, but we were afraid of the repercussions. I didn’t think it would be bad if word got out Amelia and I were dating, but clearly, I was wrong.” I groan. “So much for being an optimist.”

“Can we go back to the house part?” Riley grins. “Are the two of you living together?”

“Yeah,” I mumble. There’s no point keeping any secrets now. Might as well let it all out. “I bought a house for us in the suburbs. It’s halfway between our apartments, and it’s the cutest place. Don’t know if Amelia will ever step foot in it again though,” I say. “She asked for space, and I’m not sure how long that’s supposed to last.”

“Should we talk about what you’re going to do next?” Maverick asks, and I nod. “What exactly did she say when you last talked?”

“You mean three days, four hours, and eight minutes ago? She told me I’ll be labeled a hero while she gets the brunt of the hate from this situation. And she’s right—people are calling her a slut. They’re wondering if she’s sleeping with more guys in the league.” I hang my head. “Coach said he expects her to get fired, but I’m hoping it doesn’t go that far. I wish there was a way for her to keep coaching and keep me in her life.”

“Why not quit?” Liam asks, and we all turn to look at him. “As long as you’re in the league, the two of you won’t be allowed to be involved. You need to decide what’s more important: continuing to play, or your relationship.”

“Damn,” Ethan whispers. “I love when Goalie Daddy gives good advice.”

I mull over Liam’s words.

Could I give up the sport I love?

Could I walk away from my brothers?