The Game That Breaks Us (36 page)

I laugh. “You still don’t like him?”

He shrugs and glances to where Willow stands with her cousin and his girlfriend. “We patched things up, but …” He trails off and shrugs like that’s answer enough.

I watch him greet Liam with an outstretched hand and then Liam smiles and pulls him into a hug. Maybe things aren’t as bad as Dean thinks they are.

Bennett whistles. “Fuck, you know too many people for me to keep up with all of them.”

I laugh. “And you haven’t even met my aunt and uncle and their kids.”

“I’m going to need a drink.” Bennett chuckles.

I pat his knee. “That can be arranged.”

Willow and Dean return to our table and Liam pulls over two chairs for him and his girlfriend to join us. We scoot around and make room for them. It’s cramped but it works.

“Hey, Liam,” I greet. I last saw Liam in Hawaii over the summer when I tagged along with Dean and Willow to see him at his surfing competition. “Hello, Ari.” I lean over to wave at his girlfriend.

I didn’t get to know her very well while we were in Hawaii and I don’t think they were dating then anyway. Who knows? Liam’s always been really secretive so they could’ve been together and not telling anyone. She seemed nice enough, if a little wary. That wariness is even more prevalent in her vivid blue eyes now. 

“Hi,” she mumbles, but it’s like she doesn’t even notice me as her eyes flit around the large room. She looks scared, like she expects someone to jump out from behind one of the large columns that line the room and get her. Liam whispers something in her ear and she seems to relax, but only slightly.

The food is served then and we all fall into easy conversation as we eat.

When the food is gone and the plates are cleared off the table, the band finally takes the stage.

Bennett stands and offers me his hand. “May I have this dance, milady.”

I laugh. “Only if you promise not to be cheesy the whole time.”

“I’ll do my best.” He grins as I place my hand in his. He closes his over mine and my hand nearly disappears in his large grasp.

He leads me out onto the ballroom floor and we begin to dance—and not like club-grinding kind of dancing. No this is
real
, like a waltz.

“Where did you learn to dance like this?” I ask him. I can’t keep the awe off my face which amuses him.

“Dance helps with skating so I took dance classes when I was younger.” I snort at the visual. “What? You don’t believe me?”

I shake my head. “No, I’m just trying to picture you in a leotard.”

He pinches my side. “I didn’t wear a leotard.”

 “Bummer.” I laugh and he spins me around. 

I hold onto his shoulders as my giggles fill the air. A few older people give us dirty looks but I can’t bring myself to care.

I hear a camera click and I look over to see the guy from our local paper photographing us. He takes a few more photos before moving on to take photos of other people.

Bennett’s hand settles on my waist and I look up at him. He wears the biggest smile and my heart soars. I think it’s safe to say that I’ve never been happier than I am in this moment.

He ducks his head and presses his lips to mine. My heels put me closer to his height and I grasp the back of his neck, holding him to me when he might otherwise break the kiss. I don’t care who sees—let them all see and know that I love him and I’ve chosen him. We might’ve had the most unconventional start ever but our love is real and nothing can change that.

Nothing
.

Grace and I sneak away from the ballroom and find a closet to fool around in. Now I really know she loves the thrill of possibly being caught. Even though there’s a part of her that doesn’t want to admit it, she was bad before I met her, she’d just never explored that part of herself. 

It’s nearly midnight and she tugs on my hand. “We need to go outside.”

“Outside?” I raise a brow. “But it’s freezing.”

“Don’t worry, they’ll have heaters so we won’t be cold.” She pulls me toward a large set of double doors. “The fireworks go off at midnight, and I don’t want to miss them.” 

We shove our way through the growing crowd. My wide shoulders help us move through faster, but I think Grace would be fine all on her own. The girl is a bulldozer.

We lose Elle and Ryland, as well as her brother and his girlfriend, in the crowd but Grace doesn’t seem to care. She’s like an eager little kid at the thought of fireworks and I’d be lying if I said I didn’t like her being this happy.

We step outside into the frigid December air and onto a large … I don’t know what the fuck you’d call this. I guess it’s a deck, but fuck, it’s so large that
deck
hardly seems like an adequate enough description.

Grace keeps tugging on my hand until we reach the railing.

“Just wait,” she breathes and her breath fogs the air. “It’s amazing.” She looks up at the pitch-black night sky, waiting for the show to start.

I know I should look to the sky too, but I only have eyes for her. I find myself taking a mental picture of the look on her face—the one of pure happiness and awe—so I can remember it forever. There are some moments in life that should never be forgotten; this is one of them. 

The fireworks explode in the sky and still, I only look at her. Her lips part and she gasps a soft, “Ooh,” as the sparks fall through the air and disappear. Another one shrieks through the air and explodes, bathing her face in halos of red and silver. She shivers and I don’t know if it’s because she’s so moved by the experience or because she’s cold. I shrug out of my tux jacket anyway and drape it over her shoulders. She gives me a grateful smile and loops her arms into the large sleeves. She looks even smaller than normal in the jacket and I feel a tug in my gut—one saying I would do anything and everything for this girl.

She gazes up at me and a tiny smile dances across her lips. “Happy New Year, Bennett,” she murmurs.

“Happy New Year, Grace.”

I kiss her and hope to whatever God is out there that this year will be as fucking amazing as the last two weeks.

When things are too good to be true, it’s usually because they are, and eventually the other shoe has to drop.

I sleep with my body curled around Grace’s in the mansion—it was late and none of us wanted to go home—when the doors to the room come slamming open.

Both Grace and I sit up, fumbling for the covers, which is stupid since we’re both clothed.

“I warned you!” Trace bellows, storming over to the bed.

I’m too stunned to move and he yanks me from the bed onto the floor. 

Grace screams from somewhere in the room and I want to tell her it’s all right but Trace’s fist slams into my face and I taste blood in my mouth.

“Get the fuck out of my house,” he yells, pointing a shaking finger at me. “And don’t ever,
ever
talk to my daughter ever again.”

“What the fuck is going on?” I wipe blood from my lip. “I didn’t do anything.”

“Don’t lie.” Trace’s face twists with anger. “You know exactly what you did.”

“I really fucking don’t.” I roll to my side to stand up and Trace backs a step away, his hands fisting at his sides like he’s trying to hold himself back from hitting me again. 

“Imagine my surprise when I wake up this morning and find
your
face on the news.”

“For what?” I ask incredulously. “I didn’t fucking do
anything
.” My eyes dart to Olivia where she holds onto Grace. Olivia looks … sad … weary. Fuck, something bad is happening and I don’t know what the hell it is. “Whatever it is, it has to be a lie. My coach is out to get me, he—”

“I’m sure he is out to get you,” Trace spits, getting right up in my face. “I would be too if you’d raped my sixteen-year-old daughter.”

Grace gasps from the other side of the room and cries out.

“He’s a fucking liar,” I hiss between my teeth.

I’m going to kill him. I’m really and truly going to kill my coach. All I want is to get my hands around his neck and choke him until the light disappears from his eyes.

First he took hockey away from me, the only true love I thought I had, and now that I’ve found Grace—the
real
meaning of love, someone that understands me and I see myself having a future with—he’s going to take that away from me too.

He’s fucking up my life and I won’t stand for it. I’m done.

I forget about Trace and stride across the room to Grace. Olivia tightens her hold on her daughter and glares at me. “Stay away,” she says coldly. “Don’t you think you’ve done enough?”

I won’t be defeated that easily, though. “Grace, baby, please talk to me. You
know
me. You know I wouldn’t do that. He’s lied about everything else, you know he’s lying about this too. Please, baby,
please
,” I beg. I’ve never fucking begged in my life but I
love
this girl and I need her to believe me. I would never do something like this. I’ve never even
met
his daughter. Okay, maybe once in a brief passing, but she never hangs around the players. She lives with her mom in another state since her parents got divorced. 

Fuck, I can’t believe the asshole would drag his own daughter into his beef with me.

“Grace, please, talk to me. I didn’t do this. I love you.”

She turns from her mother’s arm, her face streaked with tears, “Just leave, Bennett.
Please
,” her voice cracks.

I would have rather she yelled at me than to speak so calmly.

Anger I can handle. This resigned Grace, I can’t.

“Sweetheart.” I reach for her hand and she fucking
flinches
.

“Go.” She flicks her head toward the door of her room. 

My shoulders sag and I exhale a heavy breath—all the fight leaving me.

I don’t know what to do or say, because the truth …

The truth is never enough.