The last thing I want to do is stress her out more or hurt her feelings worse.
Theo levels me with a knowing look. He can read me better than anyone. I trust him. Even though everything in me wants to track her down and hold her.
I lift my hands. “Fine. I’ll wait until tomorrow and give her time to herself. But first thing in the morning, I’m going to find her and make sure she’s okay.”
“You do you, man.”
“I will.”
Not in the mood to party without my girl, I head upstairs. She still won’t answer when I try to call again. Sighing, I start sending texts. I have no idea if she’s reading them or not, but they’re the only thing keeping me from going out of my mind.
Alex
I’m sorry about tonight, sweetheart.
Alex
You freaked me out when you left by yourself. Are you okay?
Alex
Talk to me. Please?
Alex
If you’re mad about me punching Mike, he deserved it. I won’t let anyone say anything like that about you. He’s a fucking douchebag.
Alex
What do you want for breakfast? I’m coming over first thing in the morning.
The urge to go after her doesn’t leave me all night. I toss and turn, waking up more than once to send her another message when a new important thought pops into my head.
In the morning, I stare blearily at the event reminder on my phone I set two weeks ago for Lainey’s benefit dance tonight.
I’ve forgotten all about the deal I proposed right around the minute I kissed her. We’re long past faking it now.
FIFTEEN
LAINEY
My phone remains off.I’m not looking forward to turning it back on.
Ignoring the world, I curl up with Hammy behind the bar in the large cupboard Dad sacrificed storage space for in order to give the dog a comfy bed and a place to chill out. It’s a slow night, thankfully. Not many people are around to witness my bitter tears over Alex.
What we have is fake. It was his idea out of some bullshit sense of pity to protect me. He’s not mine and after tonight, our deal is off. He’ll go back to ignoring my existence. Back to being a player.
I was wrong.
No, I wasright.
Hockey players are all the same.
I never should have forgotten it because I hate facing the truth over and over. They’re unreliable and all they do is mess up my life and let me down or leave me behind.
Hammy’s tail thumps and he presses his full body against me, wiggling to get closer as if he weighs twenty pounds instead of eighty. I hide a sniffle into his neck. With the help of the dogdemanding all the attention I’m willing to give, the tightness in my chest loosens enough for me to breathe easier.
The world doesn’t exist to me for a while. I’m perfectly content for it to continue like that, until someone interrupts my pity party.
