Juicy Rebound (IceCats Book 1) Read online

  My stomach clenches. “Which is why you freaked out when you hit me.”

  She nods. “I know, Chandler. I know you’d never lay a hand on me. But I was so scared you might.”

  “Never, Amelia. Never.”

  She squeezes her eyes shut, and I almost don’t think she heard my promise. I want to say it again, but she continues. “I called Shelli. I couldn’t call my mom or my uncle because we weren’t speaking. And I knew if they knew what was happening, they’d kill him. Since I didn’t want anyone going to jail for me, I called Shelli, and she came right away. She brought a journal my mom had kept of her and my dad’s life together. I hadn’t seen it before, and apparently, Shelli had told my mom she needed something to convince me that I didn’t have what my mom and dad had. I’ll never forget the way Shelli looked at me. She had such fear and anger in her eyes, but she was so loving. When we finished the book, I knew I wanted more. I wanted to love my life again, and I wanted to be with someone who would treat me like a princess. So, I left. It took almost four years, but I left him.”

  I slip my hand into hers, lacing our fingers together. Pride shakes me to my core as I watch her. Her beautiful face is so tear-stained that it’s killing me, but I am so very proud of her. She is a warrior.

  She looks down at my hands and whispers, “I know you probably think I’m pathetic and disgusting—”

  “I think you are the strongest woman I have ever met,” I say, cutting off her words. Her gaze snaps to mine, her eyes wide and drowning in tears. “It’s not easy to leave a situation like that, especially when you convince yourself it’s your fault. But you did, Amelia. You wanted more, you wanted to be happy, and you’ve done that.”

  “But I was weak.”

  “Was,” I stress. “You’re not weak now. You’re strong, you’re beautiful, and hell, Amelia, you blow me away. Why do you think I fell for you so easily? In the last four months, I’ve watched you find your happiness. I watched you grow from someone who was going through the motions to a woman who is living her life. Yes, it sucks what he did to you—and I’m extremely pissed off that you didn’t let me beat his ass—but baby, you aren’t that girl anymore.”

  Her lips quiver as she looks up at me. “Shelli said the same thing.”

  “Because it’s true, and like Shelli, I would go to jail for you in a heartbeat. You’re special, Amelia. You’re everything. You’re perfect for me.”

  A tear rolls down her face as her gaze stays locked with mine. “I am so embarrassed I allowed someone to do that to me. I thought that you wouldn’t want to be with me after knowing all of it, that you would think I was pathetic and not the woman you deserve, because, really, I’m not.”

  “You are, Amelia. And all this just makes me want to be with you more.” I step closer. “Just makes me want to prove to you that you don’t need a man to treat you like a princess, but instead, like the queen you are. I am going to do that, baby, because I love you. So much.”

  “You still do?”

  “I always will,” I promise, taking her face in my hands. I run my thumb along her jaw and then her lip. “You’re it.”

  A tremulous smile covers her lips. “Why couldn’t you have told me that when we first met?”

  I grin at her, pressing my nose into hers. “Because I was terrified of you.”

  She grins as she kisses my top lip.

  “And the truth is, I still am.”

  Her brows come together. “You are?”

  “Yeah, you’ve changed my life, and I know there is no going back.”

  Her eyes soften as she wraps her arms around my neck, pressing her lips to my chin. “I love you, Chandler.”

  I go to tell her the same, but then Shelli’s voice carries over the water to us. “I’m out, bitches! I’m hungry. Let’s get food!”

  Amelia’s eyes don’t leave mine. “I’m still scared too, but I’m okay with that kind of fear.”

  My lips quirk. “You are?”

  “Yeah, I know you’ve got me.”

  I do. I really do.

  Chapter Twenty-Five

  Amelia

  “Mom… Mom… Yes, Mom. Yes, I understand that I made a bad choice. Yes, I did learn from it too. When I hit someone, don’t wait for the cops. Run.”

  I snicker against Shelli’s arm as she talks to Aunt Elli. We’re on the bed in my room, and Chandler and Nico are in the kitchen, cleaning up the Chinese we stopped to get on the way home. I didn’t feel like going out, and thankfully, everyone else kind of went with it. This night was supposed to be so much more. We were going to enjoy a nice dinner after the guys’ stellar win, but then Shelli decided to hit my ex-husband and cause a scene. I still don’t know what the hell got into her, but I’m not surprised. She has always hated him and threatened many times to do just what she did.

  Kick him in the dick and try to break his nose.

  We actually took self-defense lessons from my uncle before a One Direction concert. He taught us those moves, and Shelli used them today. But instead of using them on an attacker, she used them on Drew. Her parents aren’t happy. If I’m honest, neither am I. It did more harm than good. I know Drew; he won’t let this go. It didn’t even please me to see his face full of blood. I don’t care about him. I just want him to go away.

  “I hate him. He deserved it. Oh my God. I have money. I can pay my legal fees. Can I talk to Dad? I’m tired of being yelled at.” She rolls her eyes as a long sigh leaves her lips. “You have seriously been yelling at me for twenty minutes, Mom. Yes, I shouldn’t have hit that scumbag, and yes, I am sorry for embarrassing you. No, I didn’t know Bleacher Report had a story about this already. They need to stick to what happens on the ice and not off it. This has nothing to do with y’all! Oh my God, do you want me to call and tell them you guys never laid a hand on me and didn’t cause me to have violent tendencies?”

  What a load of shit. Pretty sure it was trending on Twitter that got the attention of the NHL. I have to admit, #SlapshotShelli sure is catchy. I pull up Bleacher Report, and there it is—a photo of Shelli kicking Drew in the balls. I shake my head. Honestly, all I want to do is forget this ever happened.

  “Oh, thank God. I know, Dad. But seriously, I had no choice. Well, no, he did not hit me first, but I didn’t like his face or his words. Well, I disagree. Violence was the answer today. I really don’t know why y’all are surprised. I got kicked out for fighting girls who wore cages on their helmets. I may not be the sharpest tool in the shed.”

  I chuckle as I lean into her, closing my eyes. She’s been on the phone with her parents for a while, and I don’t think she’s getting anywhere with them. As much as I want to sleep with Chandler tonight, I think I want it to be just Shelli and me. She did go to jail for me; I feel I may owe her some candy and cheesy movies.

  When Shelli slaps her forehead, I glance up at her. “So I feel, in my soul, we’re just going round and round on this. I did what I did. I’m truly sorry for embarrassing y’all. Which, if stupid social media wasn’t involved, no one even would know about. But it’s over. I did it. We all gotta accept it. Yes, we do. It’s over, for the love of Pete. I do love you both, but I gotta go.”

  When she hangs up the phone, she closes her eyes and lets her head fall back. “Why do they insist on informing me that I did something wrong?”

  I shrug. “Some would say you did.”

  “Eh, I don’t agree.”

  She meets my gaze, and I shake my head. “You didn’t have to hit him.”

  “Yeah, I did.”

  She sounds so sure that I think I’m missing something. “Why?”

  “Because when I was nine years old, you got into a fistfight with Janice Kela when she called me fat.”

  My heart swells. “You weren’t fat.”

  “And you didn’t deserve to be hit by some jackass you never should have married or even walked across the street for.” She leans in and kisses my forehead. “Plus, you’re my best friend. I would basically give you my right toe.�€