Page 185 of Make Me Mean It

I shove his hand off immediately, trying to look around him. “Move.”

My voice shakes.

I hate that it does.

Marcus shifts with me, deliberately blocking my view again. His jaw tightens as he catches my shoulder a second time.

“Con, don’t.”

“Don’t fucking what?”

I wrench away from him, anger surging up because it’s easier than whatever the fuck else is happening inside me.

Behind Marcus, one of the medics shifts.

I catch a glimpse between bodies.

Theo.

Still on the ice.

Still not moving.

Something tightens around my throat.

“Get the fuck out of my way, Marcus.”

Marcus glances over his shoulder.

It’s quick.

Barely a second.

But I see the grimace that pulls across his face before he turns back to me, and my stomach fucking drops.

“You don’t wanna see him like this.”

My eyes burn.

I swallow against the lump forcing its way into my throat and shake my head because he doesn’t get to decide that. I don’t care what Theo looks like. I don’t care how bad it is.

I need to fucking see him.

“Move.”

Marcus hesitates.

“Marcus.” My voice cracks this time and I don’t even try to hide it. “Move.”

Something in his expression gives.

He steps aside reluctantly.

And suddenly there’s nothing between me and Theo.

I drop to my knees beside him hard enough that pain shoots straight through them, the cold of the ice soaking through my jeans almost immediately, but I barely fucking feel it.

Because up close, he looks worse.