“Nicole,” I added, like that mattered.
He snorted softly. “I figured. And?”
I pulled the jersey over my head, fabric catching on my pads for a second before settling.
“I said no.”
Mason’s hands resumed their steady rhythm. “So what’s the problem?”
“I said no because Coach told us now was the time to eat, sleep, breathe hockey.” I sat, lacing one skate, fingers moving on autopilot. “Not because I don’t want to take her out.”
Across the room, someone laughed too loud and a bag of backup sticks went clattering to the floor. Everything normal. Everything too loud.
Except I didn’t exactly feel like my usual self.
“I’m thinking I fucked up.”
Mason finally looked at me again. “You were right to say no.”
“Then why do I feel like shit?” I stood up and tested my skate on the mat. My leg bounced once before I forced it still. Mason’s eyes tracked the movement.
“She probably thinks I don’t like her,” I said.
“Which isn’t an issue, since you’re not dating her.”
I shot him a look. “I’m gonna overlook you being a dick for a second and pretend I can talk to you about this.”
“Sorry, go ahead,” he said, and laughed softly. It was the first sign of levity from him all morning.
I exhaled through my nose and grabbed my gloves, flexing the fingers. “It’s a problem because I do like her. A lot. I think. No, I’m pretty sure.”
Mason raised an eyebrow. “How much is a lot?”
I didn’t answer, which was an answer in and of itself.
Behind us, Hunter slammed his mask onto his head and started pacing, muttering to himself about keeping it tight, being a brick wall, the usual. The game was about to start, and Tucker turned the music up another notch. The room felt tighter, hotter, like the building itself was bracing.
“She looked like I’d shut a door in her face,” I added. “And I hate that.”
Mason leaned back against his locker, arms crossed. “I feel for you, man, but we don’t have time for this.”
“I know.”
“Everyone’s out there, foaming at the mouth to see us fuck this up.”
“I said I know.” If I didn’t get my head back in the game and fast, this was all going to be over before it even had the chance to start.
We started filing out, and Mason grabbed my arm, holding me back. “I get it. But if she thinks you’re not interested, maybe that’s not the worst thing.”
I scoffed. “That’s your advice?”
“That’s your reality for now,” he said, as simply as if he were telling me the weather.
I rolled my shoulders, feeling the weight of the pads settle. The worst part was… he wasn’t wrong.
“This team needs us locked in.” He made sure to catch my eye when he said it. “All of us.”
A trainer walked past, calling out a time check. Fifteen minutes.
