“Thanks for the reminder. I had completely forgotten the total number of losses until now,” I say sarcastically, causing a few chuckles around the room. “Every team goes through a rough patch, and we hit ours. I have full confidence in our team that we will break our losing streak with a win against the Ravens on Saturday night.”
“Rumor has it that your head hasn’t been in the game since you moved out of yourfriend’shouse.” Scott’s voice filters out, putting emphasis on the word friend. “Can you confirm them tobe true?” I feel my blood begin to boil as Hayes rushes to take the mic before I can speak.
“Whether or not he moved is none of anyone’s business. I can tell you that Stone is a professional athlete. What happens off the ice stays off the ice. Like he said, we hit a rough patch, and this next game will end it.” Hayes says, trying to keep me from tearing Scott apart.
“Rumor also has it that she was spotted having dinner with someone named Tristan Williams. That’s got to sting and be hard to forget on the ice.” Scott’s smirk sets me off as I rip the mic out of Hayes’s hands.
“You can take your fucking rumors and shove them up your ass,” I snarl at him. “I warned you, Scott, what would happen if you didn’t keep my personal business out of your mouth. Good luck finding another job after I’m done with you.”
I tune out the few chuckles and gasps among the crowd as I pry my fingers from the microphone and lean back.
“Does anyone have any questions related to hockey? That is what we are here for, right? Or did I step onto an episode of Jerry Springer that I didn’t know about?”
Hayes gets the reporters laughing and breaks the ice as more questions come in about the upcoming game. They fall on deaf ears as Scott’s statement burns bright in my veins.
She had dinner with fucking Tristan?
After I left my old house, I ended up getting a hotel room, needing some time to figure things out. I knew if I went back there, I would find myself crawling right back in her bed, and that would solve nothing.
I tossed and turned all night, and when I woke up the next morning, I texted her letting her know I was sorry for leaving the way I did and mentioned that I got a hotel room for the night to think.
She made it very clear with her response to stay at the hotel until‘I have my shit together.’She doesn’t want me anywhere near her unless I’ve decided to‘grow some balls’and figure out what the hell it is that I want.
She said a lot of other not-so-nice things, and damn if it didn’t give me blue balls for the rest of the night. Savi and her fire are like a drug to me.
Even though I was very tempted to drive over there and hash out this argument in person, I know she’s right. I’ve put her through enough, and I need to be certain I can give her what she needs before I play with her heart anymore, or mine for that matter.
After our first loss at home and not seeing her in the stands with her family, I knew I needed to continue to keep my distance. I’m bringing her onto the ice with me, and not in a good way.
As much as I miss her, she’s a distraction right now. If I go to her and she doesn’t give me another chance, I know I’ll never be able to get my head back in the game. I can’t afford to take that chance right now when I’m already feeling like I can’t keep my head above water for very much longer.
Hockey has always been able to make me forget everything, and no matter how hard I’ve tried to throw myself into the sport these last few away games, it’s only gotten worse. I force myself to eat, I can’t sleep, and I sure as hell can’t focus on the game like I need to, and it shows with our last three losses.
I’m letting the team down, and I need to find a way to push through this and get my head on straight. I need this next win to pull me out of this slump before I can even think about what my future with her looks like, or if there even is one.
Hayes pulls me out of my thoughts as he thanks the reporters and taps my arm to get my attention that it’s time to go.
I follow him out, and he immediately turns to me.
“Is it true? Is Savi the reason you’ve been playing so shitty?” He asks, furrowing his brows and clearly upset with me.
“No…yes…I don’t know,” I sigh. “I’m fucking trying, okay? I’m doing everything I can. I’ve moved back to a hotel so I can focus on the games. We both needed…space, and I’m staying away from her until I’m back on track and she won’t be a distraction.”
“That’s your plan?” He asks, chuckling softly. “Out of sight, out of mind is clearly not working for you.”
“It’ll work,” I say, determined to will it into existence. “You’ve got all of me this Saturday. I won’t let you guys down again.”
“I don’t know,” he says, rubbing the scruff on his face. “Maybe I need to come up with another plan.”
“God, I’m afraid to even ask what a plan of yours would even look like.”
“Luckily for you, I’m not telling,” he grins. “I’ll keep it in my back pocket just in case.”
“Not going to need it,” I say, shaking my head as we walk back to get our things before catching our flight back home.
“We’ll see about that,” he grins before entering the locker rooms.
Something tells me I’m not going to like his plan one bit, but it doesn’t matter. I’ve got two days to get my shit together and get this win. Once I do this for my team, I think it’s time that Savi and I have a little chat. Tristan has another thing coming if he thinks for one second I’m going to roll over and watch him try to win her back. Nothing could be further from the truth.
