All Chapters of My Hockey Bully Stepbrother : Chapter 31 - Chapter 40

Summer's PovRuby arrived, took one look at the situation, and said, "I need to borrow her for a second," in the tone of someone who absolutely did not need to borrow anyone for anything but was going to do it regardless."Ruby—" I started, as she physically took my arm."One second, sorry, won't be long." She smiled at Miranda with a warmth that did not reach her eyes and steered me three tables away."Listen to me." She turned to face me, hands on my shoulders, completely serious. "You and me. Tyler. The three of us. That's it. That's the group. We are going to grow old together, Summer. We are going to be those weird old women who have lunch together every Sunday and argue about the same things we argued about when we were eighteen and share photos of each other's grandchildren. That is the plan. I did not sign up for expansion." She paused. "I love Tyler. He's the only reason I even accepted a third member and I've known him since we were eleven. Miranda from English has been in y

Summer's PovDetention on day two was somehow worse than day one.At least yesterday there had been the novelty of it. The adrenaline still in my system, the fight still fresh, something to sit with. Today it was just a room and two other students who looked as miserable as I felt, and Mr. Sam at the front reading something on his phone with the energy of a man serving his own sentence.They had us arranging books for the first twenty minutes. The library shelf situation, apparently, had gotten out of hand and someone had decided that detention students were the appropriate solution. I stacked textbooks in alphabetical order and thought about my life choices.Brianna's chair was empty.Mr. Sam noticed at the thirty minute mark.He looked at her empty chair. Then at me. "Do you know where she is?""No."A pause. "Can you go find her?"I stared at him. "You want me to go find Brianna.""She's supposed to be here.""I understand that. I'm just clarifying that you want me specifically to

Summer's Pov One hour.One full hour of Ruby and Cain on that video call and I lay on my side of the bed staring at the wall like a person who had made several poor decisions that led to this exact moment.Cain saying things I absolutely did not need to hear. Ruby making sounds she absolutely did not need to make within three feet of me. I pulled my pillow over my head and thought about the periodic table. Then projectile motion. Then the entire plot of a book I'd read two years ago. Then I started mentally reciting French vocabulary because I was desperate.*Why is everyone around me doing this.*Finally, after what felt like a full academic semester, it went quiet.I waited five minutes. Ruby's breathing slowed and evened out into something deep and steady. I waited two more minutes just to be sure.Then I got up.The kitchen water on my nightstand had gone warm and I needed something cold. I needed something cold and I needed to stand somewhere that wasn't that bedroom and breathe

Summer's Pov My mother pulled me into a hug that lasted longer than a quick goodbye hug. I held on and breathed and told myself not to cry because I had already cried twice today and my makeup had miraculously survived and I was not going to ruin it in the last hour of the reception.She pulled back and looked at my face and smiled like she knew exactly what I was thinking.We went back to where Richard and Crew were standing.Richard looked at me and tilted his head toward the side of the garden, away from the remaining guests. I followed him, and we stood near the hedge with the fairy lights above us and the music low in the background.He was quiet for a moment, like he was choosing his words carefully."I want you to know something," he said. "I know about starting over. I've done it. It's not easy and it doesn't always look the way you expect it to." He looked at me steadily. "You're an Ashford now. That means something in this family. Anything you need, any cost, you call me. Y

Summer's Pov Gray Ashford.Ashford.I turned the name over in my head while the room swayed slightly around me. Ashford like Crew. Was he a cousin? A relative? My brain was trying to work through it but the alcohol had other plans and thinking in straight lines was proving difficult.The two guys were gone. I registered that. One second they were there and then Gray said whatever he said in that quiet certain voice and they just left.He crouched down in front of me."I'm sorry about that." His voice was calm and warm and completely different from anything I had been surrounded by tonight. "Can you stand?""I can stand," I said, which was optimistic.He looked at me with grey eyes that were kind in a way I hadn't seen in a while. Then he made a decision and scooped me up before I could protest, one arm under my knees and one behind my back, and I was off the floor entirely."I can walk," I said into his shoulder."I know," he said, already moving.I wanted to ask how he knew which ro