Kevin, whose eyes had become silver dollars, nodded but didn’t speak.
As I walked toward the door, I heard Tyler’s voice behind me:
“Did our captain kiss his boyfriend in front of everyone?”
And Erik’s response, delivered with the gravity of ancient wisdom:
“Next, he will test hammer. Make iron. All very Viking. Though I don’t think men can make little Vikings. Such a shame.”
I didn’t see Benji double over so much as heard it in real time.
I was still smiling when I reached the media room.
Chapter 35
Jacks
I’d been sitting in my car in Skyler’s apartment parking lot for twenty-three minutes when I saw his headlights appear at the gated entrance.
The February night was unseasonably warm for Tampa, in the mid-seventies with a humidity-free breeze that made sitting with the windows cracked pleasant. I’d gotten here early, partly because I’d been too restless to stay at my place after the game and partly because I’d wanted to make sure I was here when he got home. After everything that happened earlier, Ineededto see him. Moreso, I needed to process what it all meant and where we went from here.
He parked a few spaces away from me, and I watched him through my windshield as he got out, still in his post-game suit, though his tie was now loosened. Something about how he climbed out of his car made my gut clench, like he’d had a longernight than hockey and press conferences.
When he spotted my car, he walked over and tapped on my window.
“Hey,” I said, rolling it down the rest of the way. “You look . . .”
“Happy to see you, but like something happened?” He gave me a half grin that barely reached his eyes and leaned against my car. “Because both of those things are true.”
Well, shit. There it was.
Something had happened after I’d left the arena with Mia, Finn, and Benji.
“Want to talk about it inside? It’s got to be more comfortable—and a lot more private—than this parking lot.”
“In a minute.” He seemed to need the support of my car, which was unlike him. Skyler moved through the world with a carefree confidence, but in that moment, he looked like he was trying to anchor himself to something solid. “First, tell me you’re really here, that you didn’t change your mind about the overnight bag thing.”
“I’m here.” I smiled and gestured toward the passenger seat where my duffel bag sat. “Overnight bag and everything, though I was starting to wonder if you’d forgotten about me.”
“Never.” The word came out intense. “I couldnever forget about you.”
Okay, that wasdefinitelynot his usual tone.
Something had rattled him.
“Sky, what happened?”
“It’s nothing bad,” he said. “Just . . . well, maybe something. I don’t know yet.”
“That’s not reassuring.”
He ran a hand through his still-damp hair, and I could see him trying to organize his thoughts.
“The front office wanted to talk to me after the presser. Coach, several guys on the PR team, and a couple of executives I don’t usually deal with unless someone’s getting traded or suspended pulled me into a conference room.”
My stomach dropped. “About what?”
“About you. And us. About what happened tonight.”
