Breakaway (Penalty Kill 1)

“I will later.”

“That’s a bunch of shit, Carr. Just because you have a stand-by-,”

“I said, later,” Levi cuts him off. “And watch what you’re saying about my girlfriend.” Levi sternly looks at Andrew. Levi just pulls me away to his vehicle.

“Um, Levi, my car is on the other side.” I can see on his face he’s still upset by the comments from Andrew. He nods as he does a u-turn to go get my car. “What was Andrew going to say about me?”

“He was going to call you a ‘stand-by bunny’. It’s what we call girls that are at our beck-and-call.”

“Oh.” I don’t think he realizes he is still calling them ‘our Bunnies’. It hurt my feelings a little bit. It wasn’t five minutes ago he was calling me his ‘girlfriend’.

He pulls up alongside my car. I lean across and give him a gentle kiss.

“Do you have a lot of stand-bys?” I know I shouldn’t push the issue, but I want to know. He looks at for me a second and it seems he’s almost thinking about what to say. I raise an eyebrow at him, waitin

g on his answer.

He smirks as he says, “Not since you have become my girlfriend.” I know that he is just throwing me a line, but I believe him. “Now, I will see you back at your place.” He kisses me and all I can think about is ripping his clothes off right there.

I jump in my car, and Levi is following behind me as we get back to my place. We walk up my stairs, and I unlock my door, but it’s already unlocked. I walk in to see Trevor’s jacket on my couch and he’s sitting at the kitchen table drinking a beer. He looks pissed, and I think he’s about to explode.

“Hey, Trev. What’s going on?” He doesn’t look at me. He is picking at his beer bottle label. “Um, how was the game?” I take off my jacket, set it on the back of the chair, and sit next to him.

He scuffs. “The game? Yeah, well the game was fucking brilliant, actually. Of course, I didn’t play in it.” He looks at me.

“You...you didn’t play, how come?” I’m shocked that Trevor didn’t play in his game. He is the captain, of course he is going to play.

“Got ejected in the first period for fighting.” I’m speechless. He never fights. I look over at Levi and he has the biggest and brightest grin on his face.

“Hey, why don’t I go home and you hang with McCarthy? Looks like he needs a good cry,” Levi suggests, but I can hear the sarcasm in his voice.

“Fuck you, Carr,” Trevor says.

“Stop, both of you. Trevor stay there.” I point at him, as I grab Levi’s jacket sleeve and pull him to the front door. “Stop teasing him. Go home and I’ll call you later.” Levi’s just grinning at me when he nods. “Oh, wait. I need you to come to Trevor’s game with me on Friday.” Levi looks at me like I lost my mind. “Don’t say ‘no’, either. My father is going to be there and he wants to meet you.” I give him a kiss before he can say anything.

“Only if I get a prize afterwards.” He wags his eyebrow up and down and I laugh.

“Deal.”

After Levi leaves, I walk back into the kitchen and Trevor has gotten himself another beer. I sit there and just wait for him to start talking. Sometimes he just needs to stew for a moment before he can get his thoughts together.

“I’m so angry at you. I’m so mad at Carr. I’m disgusted you two are together and all I want to do is beat him to death. Then that fucking incident today just pissed me off more.” He looks at me and he is on the verge of tears. “I went onto that ice ready to kill someone and I can’t believe I was ejected. NHL scouts will see that and it’s because of Carr.” I stare at my brother. He’s the one I run to whenever I need someone to talk to, cry on, or just be there for me. He is everything to me, he is my twin.

“Levi is meeting Daddy on Friday.” Trevor’s eyes widen. “If Daddy doesn’t like him, I won’t see him anymore.” Trevor grins at that. “But if Daddy does like him, you can’t say anything else. Deal?”

“Deal.”

Chapter Eleven

Levi

Back at my place, I’m in my room doing schoolwork. I can’t concentrate because my mind can’t decide what to focus on first. Should I think about how McCarthy is being a dick to Presley? Something I never saw coming, but I don’t know much about their relationship anyway. Or how about I called Presley my girlfriend not once, but three times to officially damn myself in a relationship with her? After that first time though, I couldn’t help but say it again. It didn’t hurt watching McCarthy’s furious expression either.

Part of me wants to cut him some slack. I want to laugh at the thought, but the more I push him, the more he’s an ass to Presley. I rather he direct his anger at me than her. She doesn’t deserve his backlash from my actions. I can understand he doesn’t like her seeing me, but still. When he talked to her so hatefully and disrespectfully this morning, I was like a bull seeing red with such rage. I still can’t believe my reaction, especially since my plan doesn’t garner much respect for her either.

I’m getting pissed just thinking about what McCarthy might have said to her after I left. Maybe I should check on her. I groan and shut my textbook. I can’t think straight with all this shit going on in my head. Presley can handle herself, right? She doesn’t need me checking up on her from her jerk of a brother. Why am I feeling a little guilty over this? Especially when by the time this is over with, she’s going to need him from where I’m going to be a jerk. This is too much thinking. I need to relax.

I text Presley and tell her where to meet me. If she wants, of course. Why I want her to come when all I want to do is relax from this mess where she’s standing in the center, I don’t know. Gavin and Andrew pay me no attention as I grab my jacket and leave. When I arrive at the old building, I wait outside, leaning against the bricks with the chilled wind blowing by. Presley hasn’t answered me yet, so I don’t know if she’s coming or not. I’ll give her ten minutes before I head up.