Monroe is slumped in the back corner of the elevator by the time I join them.
“I love you guys,” he slurs as we climb through the building. “You’re like my brothers.”
Kodie and I share a look.
“We love you too, Marilyn,” I mutter.
“Good. We’re family. I want to stay with you forever.”
Kodie chuckles.
I know Monroe is wasted, but his words cut me to the core. While he might have a family supporting him, these guys literally are mine. A few of them are aware that no one evercomes to watch my games like they do for them. It’s been mentioned once or twice, but I always play it off. The less I have to think about my past, let alone talk about it, the better.
“Help us win the Stanley Cup and maybe they’ll let you stick around for a while longer,” I tease, trying to make light of a heavy subject.
“We’re gonna do it,” Monroe says confidently. “We’re gonna fucking do it.”
“Okay, let’s go,” Kodie says as soon as the doors open on our floor. “Where’s your key?”
“Umm.” Monroe pats down his pockets. “It was right here.”
“Jesus Christ.”
“S’fine. I’ll just wait by the door until the others get back,” Monroe says, stopping at a door I’m not entirely sure is his.
“We’re not leaving you out here,” I state. “We’ve got a couch you can crash on.”
“Aw, you do care,” Monroe sings.
“A little too much, apparently,” I mutter as I dig my own key out and tap it against the panel. “In you go.” I give him a gentle shove, and he stumbles inside.
“Thanks, man,” Kodie says, watching as Monroe runs headfirst for the couch.
“You got it. Wouldn’t want to ruin playtime with your girl.”
Kodie narrows his eyes. He might not tell us any details about what him and Casey get up to while he’s on the road, but we all know they have some kind of game going on. And seeing as we won tonight, Kodie gets to reap the benefits.
“Appreciate it.”
“Wish me luck,” I call as he continues down the hallway.
By the time the door clicks closed behind me, Monroe is snoring, flat on his back on the couch, still fully dressed and with his sneakers on.
“Fucking hell,” I mutter as I stalk over and tug his shoes from his feet. I also grab him a bottle of water and place it on the floor beside him before shutting myself in the bathroom to shower and get ready for bed.
As I slip between the sheets, Monroe’s snores still bouncing around the room, I unlock my cell and open Instagram. It’s already on Casey’s account from earlier, and I quickly discover that she’s posted more photos.
I sit there in the dark, scrolling through every single one. Freya looks happy, relaxed, and unbelievably hot. She’s left her worries at the door, and she’s just enjoying her time with her friend. She’s forgotten the pain and the heartache. She’s just…her. I wish I was there to see it.
Switching to my messages, I read over our exchange from earlier and spend a little longer than I probably should watching the video she sent with her towel-clad body in the mirror. I know Freya well enough to know she didn’t do that on purpose. I can only imagine that she’ll be mortified when she realizes.
I stop it after the fourth repeat and scroll to the bottom of our chat to tap out a message.
Cole: Have you had a good night?
I’m not expecting a reply, so I switch to sports news and begin watching highlights of tonight’s games.
It’s almost thirty minutes later when I get a reply, and I can’t lie, excitement shoots through my veins the second I see her name pop up.
