Bob’s stupid accusations swirled in my head as I broke into the cool rush of air outside. I was adamant that this thing was nothing but professional, same as I always was with every other one of my clients.
But I had gone from power suit to blushing maiden so fast, I wasn’t sure how true that statement was.
14
Hunter
I swiped my phone one last time, fingers hovering over my mom’s number before finally putting it down with a frustrated snap.
“No,” her voice had been flat, like she’d been expecting me to ask and had already decided. “We’re not coming. Don’t make this about us. You know how it is.”
I stared at the ceiling above my bed for a long while, letting the disappointment sink in. That old familiar twist in my gut. The one I thought I’d broken free of years ago.
I sat up with a start and pulled on my sweats. It was a stupid idea to begin with. I knew better, but I let Holly and her stupid ideals get in my head. I knew better. My family was never interested in me or my hockey, and that wasn’t going to change.
I grabbed my gear bag and left for practice, determined to sweat it out and have it over with.
“Hunter, come on!” Theo barked from the blue line. “You’re acting like the puck owes you money.”
I let out a short, irritated laugh, but it sounded hollow even to me. “Yeah, thanks for the pep talk, Quebec.”
“Don’t thank me yet,” he shot back. “You’re on the verge of embarrassing yourself out there.”
Grayson skated up, stick low. “Dude, what’s wrong with you today?”
“Nothing,” I muttered, adjusting my helmet. The words tasted like lies, but I didn’t want to explain. Didn’t want to deal with pity, with questions I didn’t have the patience or answers for.
“Nothing?” Grayson raised an eyebrow. “Because missing five shots in a row isn’t nothing. You’re off. Big time. And it’s not just me noticing.”
I ground my teeth. “I don’t care what anyone notices. I just need a minute, and then I’ll be fine.”
“You better be,” he said, backing up slowly. “Because you’ll care about Coach chewing you out after practice if you don’t pick it up.”
I pushed it out of my head and lined up for another drill. The puck hit my stick, then my knee, then bounced away in an arc that seemed to take forever. Perfect. Just what I needed.
Coach’s whistle pierced the air. “Callahan! Stop pantomiming hockey and actually play!”
“Yes, Coach,” I yelled back, but the irritation in my voice probably registered louder than my words.
“Seriously, man,” Theo muttered as we reset for another drill, “what the hell is going on with you today?”
“Just leave me alone, okay? Focus on your shit, and I’ll focus on mine.”
We went on like that for a few more minutes, Coach calling out drills and me fumbling my way through them all. Eventually, it was Mason’s turn to come skating over to me. But I wasn’t interested in him. I wasn’t interested in Theo’s digs or Grayson’s advice either.
So, when I dragged myself off the ice after practice, there was only one place I wanted to be.
The hallway leading to her office smelled like sweat and bleach. Echoes of laughter and clattering skates followed me as I walked, but for once I didn’t feel like I was missing out on anything.
I replayed the conversation with my mom in my head. The disappointment, the coldness, the casual dismissal of the years I’d worked to make something of myself. I couldn’t change her mind, not today, not ever probably. I didn’t see what help Holly would be, because it wasn’t like she could change any of it. But even so, I already started feeling better when I lifted my hand to knock on her door.
Three seconds passed and when I got no answer, I opened it and poked my head in. Empty.
“That’s weird.”
She was usually watching me like a hawk, or in here typing furiously away at her next grand scheme. Since I didn’t see her at practice, I figured this would be the place.
Unless.
