All Chapters of Romance In The Hockey Pitch: Chapter 81 - Chapter 90

The office was on the 40th floor. It was all glass and white marble. Mark walked with his head up, but I could see his hands were clenched into fists at his sides. I felt sick.We reached the heavy oak doors at the end of the hall. They opened before we could even knock.My father was standing behind his desk. "Sit," he said. I sat in one of the leather chairs. Mark stood behind me, back in his professional stance."I pay for a service," my father began. He was speaking in a very low, very dangerous voice. "I pay for a man to ensure my son is where he needs to be, when he needs to be there. I pay for security. I pay for discipline."He walked around the desk. He stopped right in front of Mark."A flat tire," my father said. He held up his phone. "I checked the GPS on the car, Mark. The car was parked at a cafe for two hours. A cafe. While I was sitting at my desk, waiting for a report."Mark didn't blink. "It was my call, sir. The boy was exhausted. I thought a break would…."Slap.

I felt the blood drain from my face. It felt like someone had punched me in the stomach while I wasn't looking. The noise of the stadium faded into a dull hum. All I could see was the black foam of the microphone and reporter’s waiting, hungry expression.No one had ever said it out loud. Not in public. My father had spent millions of dollars and years of work to make sure I was the perfect, straight, athletic hero."What?" I managed to say. "A tip, Liam," he pressed. " Is there any truth to the idea that you’re gay?"I felt a wave of hot anger wash over me. It started in my chest and moved up to my throat."I’m here to talk about the game," I said, my voice shaking with rage."Fans want to know the real Liam Simpson," the reporter said, not backing down. I looked past the camera and saw Mark. He had moved. He was standing right behind the cameraman now. But then I saw the panic in Mark's eyes too. He knew what this meant. If I answered, if I reacted the wrong way, the blame would

The drive to the hotel was silent. I sat in the back, staring at my backpack. Inside were the few things Mark told me to pack. My phone was in my pocket,vibrating . I didn't look at it. I knew it was Jax. We pulled up to the Grand Regency. It was the most expensive hotel in the city. My father always stayed here. It was a building made of glass and gold. "Let's go," Mark instructed. We went up to the penthouse suite. When the elevator doors opened, the room was already full of people. There were men and women in dark suits holding tablets. There were cameras on tripods. There were racks of clothes.My father was standing by the window, talking into a phone. He looked at me and pointed to a chair. "Sit. We don't have much time."I sat. A woman with a headset walked over to me. "I'm Abby from the PR team. We need to move fast. The morning news cycle starts in six hours. We need the “Proof of Romance” package ready by then.""Proof of romance?" I asked. My voice felt dry."Chloe is in

I opened my eyes and felt the headache immediately. The wine from the night before was still heavy in my brain. I was still wearing my suit pants, my shirt was wrinkled on the floor.I looked at the bedside table. The speech my father wrote was sitting there. Next to it was a fresh bottle of water and two headache pills. Mark must have left them.I swallowed the pills and went to the bathroom. I stood under the shower for a long time. I tried to wash away the smell of the hotel, the smell of the wine, and the feeling of Chloe’s kiss. I needed to be sharp. When I came out, Mark was waiting in the living room of the suite. He looked like he hadn't slept at all."Your father is already at the arena," Mark said. "He’s meeting with the board of directors. The photos of you and Chloe worked. The sponsors are happy again.""Great," I said. "Let's just go."The drive to the arena was different today. There were more people than usual. I saw fans wearing my jersey, holding signs that said Tea

The champagne was tasteless. As the crowd cheered and my father slapped me on the back, I felt dizzy. i did everything I was supposed to do for the next hour. I smiled for selfies with the school’s board members. I even let my father pull me into a group photo with the Dean, standing right between him and Chloe.Every time a camera flashed, I thought about the bubbles disappearing on my phone screen. Finally, the gala began to wind down. My father was in high spirits, leaning against a marble pillar with a glass of expensive scotch in his hand."A perfect night, Liam," he said, his voice thick with satisfaction. "We’ll head back to the hotel. Tomorrow morning, we have an early flight back to the city for a victory breakfast with the press. Mark, get the car ready."Mark nodded and disappeared toward the lobby. I stood there, staring at my shoes."I’m going to stay behind for a minute, Dad," I said. My voice was low. "I need to clear my head."My father narrowed his eyes. "The car is