Her body is limp as she sucks in air with ragged breaths. My throat is tight, and my chest cracks open, letting her slip inside. I feel her fear with the force of a Mack truck slamming into me and then dragging me a mile down the road. I can’t find the oxygen to speak, so I wrap my arms around her and pull her head under my chin.

I glance at Adam, feeling his presence like a dark cloud hovering over us. His glare goes from confused to pissed, but this isn’t the time or place to have this conversation.

Adam senses the same thing, and I shield her while he gets us some privacy, calling for everyone to get lost with only slightly more polite words.

“Ginny.” When his attention is back on us, his voice is softer than I expected for the rage rolling off him. “G, are you okay?”

She pulls herself away from me, not meeting my gaze, and hugs him instead. He looks relieved as she glues herself to his side.

“What happened?” he asks gently, cupping the back of her head.

She tries to speak, but her voice is shaky, and he shushes her. “Later, G. Just relax.” He’s calm and loving with her, and I feel a sense of relief that he’s here with all the right words, even if it means he’s going to kick my ass later.

Adam’s jaw flexes and he nods over my head. “Can you see Tom to the arena?”

Ginny’s face is buried in his side, giving me her profile. She’s not crying, but her eyes are closed, and her dark lashes fan out against her smooth skin.

“Heath,” Adam says again, voice as sharp as razors.

I take a step back. “Yeah. Yeah, okay.”

Adam doesn’t show up to the arena while I’m showing Tom the locker rooms and team training facilities. The guys who are free this afternoon are hanging around, including Maverick and Rauthruss. They both question me on Adam’s whereabouts. I shrug it off and focus on getting through the quick tour.

When Coach shows up, I hand off Tom and decide to do a quick skate to clear my head. I assume Adam is going to show up and slam me into the boards at any moment, but he doesn’t.

I trudge home with dread and guilt weighing down each step. No matter how many times I tell myself it’s none of his business, I can’t find any solace in it.