“Do you want me to read it first?”
My eyes flick up to his. Again with his boyfriend behavior. Then I’m clicking open on the screen myself.
Aaron (9:30pm):Hey, M. Heard you’re teaching the clinic tomorrow. Teaching is such a solid alternative to competing. So glad to see you got back on the ice, regardless of your level. <3
I grip the phone so hard my knuckles turn white. A slow burn crawls up my spine. My pulse pounds in my ears. It’s the heart emoji that does it, honestly. Like he didn’t just patronize the hell out of me and call me a washed-up has-been in one text.
Someone’s been taking personality lessons from Natalie, it seems. That’s surprising to me. Aaron has always been snarky, just never to me.
I can feel Rhodes watching me. His energy has shifted.
“What’d he say?”
I grind my molars together, exhaling sharply through my nose. “Nothing. Just—wishing me luck.”
Rhodes says nothing, but I can feel his stare drilling into the side of my head.
I set my phone face-down on the table.
“I’m fine, Rhodes. Eat your grilled cheese.”
I’m not fine. I’m keyed up, snapping at Rhodes when he didn’t do anything wrong. The combination of the clinic starting tomorrow, being on the ice in front of people again… Aaron’s text is just the icing on the cake.
I feel Rhodes’ eyes on me from across the table, his stare burning into my skin.
“Monroe,” he murmurs, voice husky and low. My eyes flick sharply up to his. “Aaron doesn’t deserve the space you’re giving him in your head right now.”
I open my mouth, but no words come out. Rhodes continuously surprises me with how well he sees past my bullshit. After a full year of hiding and self-sabotage, I don’t even know what to do with this.
And the way he’s looking at me now—steady, expectant—makes heat curl deep in my stomach.
“How badly do you want to help me relax tonight?” I say, surprising even myself. His navy-blue eyes narrow, his finger twitching against the table.
“Say the word, Monroe.” He smirks. “Whatever you need.”
“I’m saying the word, Rhodes.”
Chapter Twenty-Two
Rhodes
I don’t know who moves first, me or her.
I’m ready to push that prick Aaron out of her head for whatever the hell he sent her, because it sure as hell wasn’t just agood lucktext.
She doesn’t need to tell me everything for that guy to be on my blacklist. Her reaction alone was enough. I almost wish he’d try something, come up to her in person. He’d be out cold before he could get a word out. I’ve already thrown two punches for Monroe. What’s another one? Maybe I’ll make a fucking pastime out of knocking the teeth out of anyone who disturbs her peace.
I’m across the table in a second, my fist curling in her hair, tilting her chin up so I can look at her. Her hazel eyes flick to mine, blown wide, her breath coming fast.
“You want this, Monroe? I need to hear you say it every time.” I could get off just to hearing her say it.
Her tongue flicks out to wet her lips, and, I swear to God, that alone almost does me in.
“I want this,” she murmurs, pushing against my mouth.
“Fuck, yes,” I groan, not wasting another second.
I haul her into my arms, her thighs wrapping tight around my waist, and carry her to the living room.