I’d have to pull my shit together for the game tonight. No way did I want to get traded down now that I knew what it was like to play up here in the NHL… Instead of uncomfortable road trips on shitty buses that drove through the night, I was flying on private jets and staying in Ritz-Carltons… and don’t even get me started on the pay difference…
Maybe all I needed was to call up Savannah and make things right? But I was scared shitless to do that. I laid my heart at her feet. She knew my secret now. Well… maybe not. She pretty much flat-out denied my feelings for her…
But they were true… I fell in love with her at 17… How could she not see that?
And if she didn’t love me back or even want to give me a chance… then what?
My thoughts were cut off by Duke running off the ice past me and I shot Coach a questioning look.
He snapped his gum and nodded for me to follow after him.
In the locker room, Duke was ripping off his equipment.
“Duke, what’s goin on?”
“Savannah…”
I felt my heart drop.
No.
“What happened?” I grinded out.
He didn’t answer me. He just kept taking offequipment.
In a second, I shoved him back against the back cinderblock wall and held him there.
“Answer me. What the fuck happened?” I seethed between clenched teeth.
He looked in my eyes, probably seeing how freaked out I was, and disarmed.
“She fell down the steps in front of her place. She thinks everything is okay, but she was a nervous wreck on the phone. A neighbor called the hospital and she’s going in.”
“What’s goin’ on in here?!” Coach hollered at us as he walked in the room with his arms crossed over his chest.
I let go of Duke and he rubbed his chest where I shoved him.
“I need to go home for the night, Coach. It’s my sister. She’s pregnant and she fell,” Duke explained.
“No,” I shook my head. “I’m going.”
Duke looked caught in indecision, and he puffed his chest out like he was going to yell at me, but Coach cut him off.
“Griff, get going. Duke, you’re stayin.”
“What?” He started to argue, but Coach threw him an intense glare.
“Griffiths is getting his ass back to Michigan or he’s cut off my team!” His voice boomed through the room. “If you leave here, Callahan, you’re off my fuckin teamtoo!”
I immediately started ripping off my gear and trying to keep my shaking hands steady.
Duke stalked out of the room without saying another word to me.
That was fine. We could clear it up later. I had a feeling if Sav explained things to him, he’d get off my back in a second anyway.
“Your spot is open for you when you get back…Ifyou’re not snakebitten,” Coach said from the doorway of the locker room.
I threw him a quick nod.
