Page 68 of Expose on the Ice

"You couldn’t have known, Lily," Tank says, reaching out as if to comfort me. "There’s no way you could have?—

I step back from his touch. "Don’t. I get you were in a tough spot, Tank, but this… this is going to destroy Carter. And it hurt me, too."

"Maybe we can stop it," Tank suggests weakly. "If we just talk to Frank in time, we can get him to kill the story. And I’ll give him the money?—

I laugh bitterly. "Frank doesn’t give a damn about either of us. He’s got his story now. There’s no way he’s not running it."

"Okay," Tank says, visibly slumping. "Time to face the music."

CARTER

Still riding high from our win as I step out of the shower, I see Tank and Lily waiting for me in the locker room. The smile on my face fades as I take in their grim expressions, which tell me as well as a neon sign that something is wrong.

"What’s going on?" I ask, wrapping a towel around my waist. "You both look a bit glum given we’re supposed to be celebrating a win…"

Tank can’t meet my eyes, but Lily’s gaze is steady if pained. "Carter," she says softly, "Tank has something he needs to tell you."

I feel a cold dread settle in my stomach. For a split second, my mind conjures up an image of the two of them together, a betrayal I’m not sure I could handle. But then Tank starts talking, and the reality is so much worse.

"I’m sorry, man," Tank begins, his voice barely above a whisper. "I… I’ve been leaking information to the press. About the team. About you. "

The words hit me like a sucker punch to the gut. "What are you talking about, Tank? Is this some sort of joke?"

Tank’s words come out in a rush, explaining about his gambling debts, the threats, how he’d started with minor details, but then it had spiraled out of control, putting him deep underwater. Each revelation is like another blow.

"I broke into Lily’s apartment," he confesses, and I see Lily flinch behind him. "I found her notebook. The one with… with everything."

"Everything?" I repeat, my voice quiet, sinister. I’m like a coiled snake, ready to strike. "I want the truth, Tank."

Tank nods miserably. "About your sister. The accident. The cover-up. It’s all going to be published soon."

I feel like I’m going to be sick. The secret I’d carried for so long, the guilt that had eaten away at me for years – it’s all about to be exposed. And Tank, someone I’d considered a friend, a teammate, had been the one to betray me.

"How could you?" I snarl, anger rising to replace the shock. "We’re supposed to be a team, Tank. We’re supposed to have each other’s backs!"

"I’m sorry," Tank repeats, his eyes pleading. "I didn’t know what else to do. They were going to break my knees, Carter. I was desperate."

Part of me understands. I know what desperation can drive a person to do. But the larger part of me is consumed by rage and betrayal. Despite keeping my distance from the team forever, Tank was one of the few I trusted.

"So you ruined my life instead?" I spit. "Screw you, Tank."

Before I know what I’m doing, I lunge at him. My fist connects with his jaw, sending him stumbling backward. Tankdoesn’t fight back, just raises his hands in a placating gesture, which only fuels my anger. I wind up for–

"Carter, stop!" Lily’s voice cuts through the red haze of my fury. She’s trying to pull me off Tank, her small frame straining. "This won’t help!"

I allow her to drag me back away from Tank, my chest heaving as I glare at him. He sits up slowly, wiping blood from his split lip. When he mouths another apology, sad and pathetic, I want to hit him all over again.

But as I look at him, I see the shame and regret etched into every line of his face. And despite everything, I feel a flicker of sympathy. He’d made a terrible choice, but I know what it’s like to be trapped by your mistakes.

"Get out of here, Tank," I sigh.

LILY

I wrap my arms around Carter, feeling his body tense against mine as Tank’s footsteps fade away. "I’m worried about Tank," I murmur into his chest. "What he might do to himself."

Carter’s shoulders lift in a half-hearted shrug, even as he wraps me tight. "Not our problem. Not right now, anyway."

I pull back, searching his face. His jaw is clenched, eyes stormy with barely contained emotion. "I’m so sorry about the notepad," I say, my voice catching. "If I’d just been more careful?—