Page 68 of High Stick Heartthrob

After telling him to leave me alone, he kept going.

Then he started grabbing me.

Pulling at my shirt. My arm. Telling me stories about the Sola Empire that I didn’t give a fuck about.

I told him I wasn’t in the mood to talk about hockey.

I had other things on my mind.

But he kept pushing at me.

I eyed the bartender for help.

Even the bartender couldn’t get this guy to stop.

So I had no choice.

I had to hit him.

One punch to the nose and the guy fell and smacked his face off the bar.

After that?

It turned into a blur that ended with both of us in handcuffs.

Lucky for me, the arresting officer knew who I was and followed theSola Empireso he helped me to not be seen as best as he could.

I had a hunch that the bartender threw a few goodwill comments my way when the cops were trying to figure out what the hell was happening.

That didn’t mean I got away scot-free from it all though.

My hands were cuffed in front of me and I got a ride to the police station.

Then they tossed me and the guy I beat up in the same cell.

When the officer told me to make my call, he figured I’d call my agent or lawyer.

I mean, why not, right?

I was a mostly famous athlete.

The perks of my job was to be able to get into trouble and then pay my way out of it.

And I probably should have called Tucker.

But.

A big but.

A really big but.

At the last second, I decided to call Hazel.

A split-second decision change in my mind.

It almost felt like it wasn’t even my mind making the decision.

It just… happened.