This is why I have such issues with hockey players. Any athletes, really. Kyle loved this attention. He fed off it. Ate up every ounce of it.
He couldn’t have cared less about me by the time we broke up.
After that, I never went out with a player again. I didn’t want to deal with this.
Seeing Troy walk out of the locker room is bringing back a lot of bad memories for me. Instead of him reveling in it, his eyes spot me and he makes a beeline my way.
“Hey. You came.” He sounds surprised. “I didn’t think you would.”
“You looked really good out there,” I tell him.
Marcus comes over to us and whisks Harper up into his arms. Those two are oblivious to everyone around them.
“Yeah? You think so?”
I smile at him, wide and bright. “You know you are.”
“Doesn’t hurt to hear it from you.”
There goes my heart again. Does he know he’s doing this to me? Pulling me in a hundred different directions?
It’d be so much easier if he was your typical college athlete and slept with anything on two legs.
“Maybe the best I’ve ever seen.”
“Now I know you’re lying.” Troy’s laugh is big and bright.
“Hey!” I punch him in the shoulder. He barely flinches while I shake my fingers out from the connection with his rock-solid muscle. “I don’t like hockey, but I liked watching you play. You should know that counts for something.”
“I guess it should.”
“You’ll have your pick of teams when the draft comes around. I can say I knew you when.”
“Oh yeah? You’ll be watching when I’m drafted?”
I shrug a shoulder. “Maybe. As long as you keep playing like you are.”
“What better motivation does a guy need than that?” Troy hefts his bag higher up on his shoulder.
“I would think an NHL paycheck would be pretty good motivation for you.”
“Nah.” He waves me off. “It’s not about the money for me. I love this game more than anything.”
“I know you do.”
It’s why he’s so dedicated to his studies. He wants something to fall back on after his career is over.
“Hey.” Harper inserts herself into the conversation. “Marcus and I are going to head out. Grab a bite to eat.”
“I’ll see you at home?” I give Harper a quick hug.
“Don’t do anything I wouldn’t do,” she whispers in my ear.
The two of them head out, leaving Troy and me alone.
“Listen, I know it’s still early, but I was wondering if maybe you, uh, would like to, uh, go out tonight?”
“What do you have in mind?”
