“So you needed proof of that?" she replied dryly, turning her back on him and opening the filing cabinet. “You can go.”
Naturally, Jack wasn’t leaving. He was bad at following instructions.
“I’m hurt,” he stated calmly.
Snorting, she turned. “You’re not.”
“Yes, I am. My sister hurt my feelings because she didn’t trust me enough to tell me she was screwing a friend of mine and had contacted her father.”
“That had nothing to do with trust.”
“Of course it did, Anna. I’ve missed so much.” He looked at her intently. “I just...wish I’d been there for you. I’m not Dax. I wouldn’t have freaked out.”
“Oh, so you would have been happy if I’d told you that I’ve been sleeping with Lucas almost every week for a long time?”
Jack looked like she’d just thrown a raw fish at him. “First, no details. Please, have mercy. Second, I thinkhappyis a strong word, but only because I know how hockey players tick. Most of us are categorically bad at maintaining relationships.”
“Lucas isn’tmost of you,” she mumbled, mechanically pulling out the files of the players she had an appointment with later that day.
Jack sighed heavily. “Anna, can you stop for a minute and...talk to me?”
“No.”
“Please. You don’t look...well.”
“You know how to brighten any woman’s day.”
“You seem sad. That’s what I mean,” he said, frowning.
“Iamsad, Jack,” she said wearily. “But it’s okay to be sad. Neither you nor Dax are obligated to...”
The door flew open and brother number one appeared in the doorway, panting. “Ha! Found you,” he exclaimed triumphantly.
“I work here,” she said incredulously. “I’m not hard to find.”
“Yeah, but you’re avoiding us. Which, for the record, I find truly shitty.”
“Dax, stop criticizing her,” Jack said, displeased.
“What? Honesty is important!” he replied, irritated. “Even though Anna obviously doesn’t know that.”
“Oh God,” she murmured, tilting her head back. “What are you doing here, Dax? You’re supposed to be entertaining kids.”
Dax clenched his jaw. “A...colleaguetold me all the ways I’m an asshole, and I couldn’t wait to straighten it out.”
She blinked. “Why are you pronouncingcolleagueso oddly?”
“Why the hell didn’t you answer any of our calls?” he countered. “We had no idea where you were. We even called fucking Moreau to see if you were with him, but...”
She swallowed and turned her back on him. Even hearing the name Moreau hurt.
“I went...for a walk. Cleared my head.”
“So, did it help?”
“No.”
“I thought so. That only works in movies,” Dax said contentedly. “Okay, listen, I’m actually here to apologize, but...”
