“Hecan hear you, andheis getting pretty damn tired of being your punching bag, you fucking dick.”
Even my eyes widen at his words, because I’ve never heard him sound so serious or hurt before.
Fuck, Callum, what are you doing? He’s your teammate. Apologize, you ass.
But I don’t. I just let him skate away to the other end of the ice.
“Hey.” Hutch grabs me by my practice jersey, pulling me so close our noses are almost touching. “I don’t know what the fuck your problem is, but whatever it is, leave it at home. Don’t bring that shit to the ice and don’t treat your fucking teammates—especiallythe ones who give a shit about you—like trash. That Cup is within reach, and the last thing we need is to be at each other’s throats. We need to be a unit right now. Think you can manage that,Callum?”
Callum.Just hearing my name drop from his lips has me clenching my hands at my sides because all I can think of is Chloe. Chloe, who hid a job offer from me for weeks. Chloe, who fell asleep in my arms. Chloe, who walked away from me again.
“Everything okay over here, Cap?” Locke says, his eyes flitting between Hutch and me.
The captain drops me back to my skates. “Yeah, all good.” Then, without another glance backward, he skates away.
Locke doesn’t. He looks at me, his lips pulling down in a frown.
“What?” I bark, and from the corner of my eye, I see several people look our way.
“Nothing, man. Nothing at all.”
He skates away too, leaving me all alone, just as Chloe did. We finish practice with no other incidents, and I speed through my shower and meetings. Being on the ice is usually my solace, but I need out of here, and I need outnow.
When I slip behind the wheel of my R8, I don’t steer toward my apartment building. I take a detour, heading toward TopShelf. It’s been a long fucking week, and a drink sounds like exactly what I need right now. I wave to the bartender when I walk in, then slide onto a stool.
“Hey, Keller. Your usual?”
I shake my head. “Shots. Tequila. Six of them.”
I can tell he wants to say something, maybe try to talk me out of it, but I raise a brow, and he thinks better of it. As he moves to ready my shots, I pull my phone out and call Stefan. I need to talk to someone, anyone at this point, but I really want to talk to my brother.
When he doesn’t answer, I assume he’s in class. That would make the most sense, considering the time of day. That’s fine. I’ll just drink alone.
The bartender drops a tray in front of me, then takes the black card I slide his way. I nod at him before grabbing the tray and carrying it over to the booth the Serpents Singles usually occupy. I stare at the shot glasses for a while, debating whether it’s really a good idea to take them.
Hutch was right—the Cup is right within reach. We have just a few more weeks of the regular season, and we need to be ready for a deep run. Everything is on the line. We can’t slip up. None of us.
I flip my phone over and open my texts, clicking on Chloe’s name. I read through the last messages she sent me, which are from before she left this second time.
Clover: I didn’t forget to take the chicken out. YAY!
Clover: I’d better get a reward for that tonight.
I did reward her. Over and over with my tongue lashing against her clit, if my memory serves me well, and it does. I want that again, and I don’t mean the sex. I want simple. I want domestic. I want flirty texts and fun nights.
I just want my fucking wife.
I pick up the first shot of tequila, toss it back, and swallow. Then I do it again. And again. The booze hits me quick, and I suspect it has to do with the fact that I can’t remember the last time I ate. Maybe it was last night? Who knows? Better yet, who cares?
I sure as hell don’t. My wife is gone.Again.
“Well, aren’t you just a fucking sight for sore eyes.”
I close my eyes, hoping if I don’t see him, he’s not really here. But the bench across from me squeaks under his weight as he slides into the booth, and I know he’s not just a figment of my imagination.
When I open my eyes, Lawson sits across from me looking like…well, how I usually look: grumpy.
“What the hell are you doing here, Lawsy?”
