“Left, Mack. He’s gone.”
“Gone where? Like home?”
My chest gets tight as I wait for him to answer.
“I don’t know, man. He said something about getting a call. Hockey. Something. I don’t fucking know.” He steps back into his room, letting the door close.
And I stand there staring at Alex’s door, trying to make sense of it all.
Chapter Twenty-Two
Alex
Earlier that morning…
My phone rings incessantly, infiltrating my consciousness as I groan in annoyance. My head is killing me from a long night, but if I’m being honest, I think it’s just the culmination of a long couple weeks.
Vegas, wedding planning, the wedding…
Memories of last night resurface as I stir, the incessant ringing somehow louder. I reach for my phone, cursing whoever has decided to call me at the tender hour of eight am. On a Saturday. When I am hungover as fuck.
These people should burn in hell.
I answer without checking the number.
“Hello,” I grumble.
“Hello, is this Alex Brewer I’m speaking with?” a woman asks.
“In the fucking flesh,” I murmur.
There’s a pause as she clears her throat.
“Hello, Mr. Brewer, this is Caroline Ketchum, the team coordinator for the Reading Rioters—”
My eyes widen and suddenly I’m more awake than I’ve ever been in my fucking life. I jerk up straight, the covers flying off me.
I clear my throat, running one hand through my hair as I suck in a breath and try to focus.
“I’m calling because we’ve sent you several emails over the last week, and we haven’t heard a response from you. We wanted to make sure you were still interested in playing for our team.”
I close my eyes, trying to still my breath.
We wanted to make sure you were still interested in playing for our team.
They fucking want me.
They want me!
I let out a breath, doing my best impression of an adult who has their shit together.
“I’m so sorry, I didn’t get any emails, but… it’s been a busy week. I got back from Vegas Monday and my brother just got married yesterday, so—”
“Oh, congratulations! That’s so exciting!” Caroline says sweetly.
“The answer is yes,” I say firmly. “Yes, I absolutely am still interested in playing for the Rioters.”
“Oh, good!” Caroline says. “I was hoping you’d say yes, so I wouldn’t have to cancel the airline ticket.”
