Page 35 of The Heart Stealer

She ignores my question. “Are you talking about Rachel right now?”

Ethan jerks forward in his seat. “What?”

I close my eyes, dipping my chin and giving it all away.

“Oh my—shit!” She spins and bolts back into the house.

“No, Mick, wait!” I chase after her, struggling to catch her as she darts up the stairs. “She doesn’t want anyone to know.” I lurch for her jacket, but she shakes me off.

“I’m her best friend!” Her eyes flash at me, and I swear, even though she’s little, she can be hella scary when she wants to be.

I’m this close to shrinking away from her, but the thought of Rachel thinking I betrayed her stops me.

“Mick, I?—”

She huffs and turns her back to me, sprinting up the last few steps and flying down the hallway. Bursting into my room, she scares the hell out of Rachel. I hear her gasp, just before Mikayla throws me a fiery look and slams the door shut in my face.

The lock clicks, and I have no choice but to curl my fingers into a fist and start pounding on the door.

“Mick! Let me in!”

CHAPTER 11

RACHEL

“Mick, open this door!” Liam is pounding on the wood while Mikayla stands at the end of the bed, hands on her hips, looking ready to cry. Her eyes are made bluer by the heightened emotions, and I wish I could be cluelessly curled up against Liam’s pillows wondering, “What’s wrong?”

But I know exactly what’s wrong.

“He beat you?” Mikayla’s voice cracks, her face crumpling with a mix of horror and disbelief.

I bite my bottom lip, tears clogging my throat and making it hard to speak.

“How did you find out?” My voice is so tiny, I’m surprised she can hear me.

“Liam.” Mikayla’s arms drop to her sides. “He told me.”

“No I didn’t!” he barks through the door. “She was eavesdropping. I never used your name; she just worked it out!”

I glance at the door, then back to my best friend. Now her eyes are glassy, tears building on her lashes. “How could you not tell me?”

Looking away from her, I curl into a ball, pulling Liam’s hockey jersey over my knees. It hurts my bruised body to crinkle up this way, but there’s something comforting about being swallowed by Liam’s jersey. “I didn’t want to worry you.”

Her shoulders slump with a huff.

Liam’s still thumping on the door. He must have changed from the side of his fist to open-palm slaps. Both are noisy. And man, is he relentless.

Mick rolls her eyes, tipping her head to the ceiling before marching over to the door and unlocking it. Flinging it open, she growls up at the towering hockey player, “Would you stop with all the racket? I’m trying to talk to my friend here.”

His nostrils flare, his glare scorching as he gently pushes her aside and walks to the bed. He jerks to a stop just before he reaches me, his eyes trailing over my body. I wrap my arms around my legs with a blush.

Yes, I’m wearing his jersey.

But it’s comfy.

His lips twitch with the hint of a smile before he lowers himself to the edge of the bed like I’m a delicate petal he might crush if he moves too fast.

“Are you okay?” His voice is so tender, it makes me want to cry.