Fuck. I rushed over to the door and yanked it open, startled to find my brother on the other side of it. I blinked at him. We’d just been on the phone. He was at his shop. What the fuck?
“What are you doing here?”
“Relieving you. I know you have things to do.”
“It’s not that important, and Noah already?—”
“Go,” Nikos interrupted, shoving me toward the hallway. “It was going to be dead tonight anyway. Trust me, I’m saving money closing early.”
He was lying, but it didn’t matter. I’d never let him lose his shop. Leaning over, I kissed his cheek. As much as I wanted to fight him, I was still worked up over Jonah’s family, and Iwanted to give the fucker another piece of my damn mind. Not that I would.
No. I would take this opportunity to go home and get a little extra sleep. Maybe I’d feel better about it tomorrow after some shut-eye.
“Thank you.”
He waved me off with a sigh. “When you see Jonah, be nicer. I think he’s going through it.”
My heart did a funny little twist in my chest, and I had no idea what for, so I quickly shoved it aside. Flipping my brother off, I shut the door behind me, then hoofed it to my car. I wasn’t sure why the mention of Jonah’s name got me all hot and bothered. Yes, he was good-looking. And yes, I tended to gravitate toward a smart mouth.
But I’d never dated a guy like him, and I wasn’t about to attempt something that ridiculous now.
I should have gone home.
Fuck, why didn’t I just go home. My building had a very nice gym on the first floor with a café and a smoothie shop. I could have gotten my run in and then taken an acai bowl upstairs and rotted in front of ESPN-H, watching the sportscasters talk shit about our first line.
Instead, I was leaning over the railing above the nosebleeds, listening to the crowd shout for their team. The Boston Legend were down by six, and with only ten minutes left in the game, unless they had a miracle up their sleeve, Jersey was going to take this.
I found myself leaning over, eyes squinting down at the man in the mask sitting in front of the net. The puck they used wasbigger and easier to track from this far up. I could also hear it rattling across the ice as the players in their bright colors went after it.
My breath caught in my chest as number seventeen had a shot on goal.
The crowd erupted when Jonah made another save. Fuck. I couldn’t help but wonder how he did it. Yeah, the puck was larger, but not by that much. Not enough that I could have done it without sight.
Not that I’d tell anyone that.
I wasn’t good at being between the pipes though, so he had an advantage on me there, but the thought of skating blind did make me feel…I wasn’t going to say scared. Very little scared me. But it was unsettling.
I had to admit, while no one was listening, I didn’t understand how they did it. How they could skate around and follow the puck by what? Sound alone?
The arena let out a collective groan, and booing erupted as Jersey made another goal. I glanced at the scoreboard and felt my heart sink. The Legends were now down by seven, and there were six minutes left in the game.
Boston wasn’t taking this back.
Turning away from the stands, I headed for the tunnels, making my way past the double takes I always got when I was at the arena when we weren’t playing. I yanked my beanie down lower over my forehead, then grabbed my wallet and smacked the side where my badge was against the black box by the doors.
It clicked open, and I slipped inside before anyone got the balls to stop me.
I didn’t mind that much. Almost anywhere I traveled, no one recognized me. It was only here and maybe a twenty-mile radius around the arena that people seemed aware of who I was. ButI also wasn’t a star player. I was…fine. Better than mediocre. I had a couple of awards and three cups under my belt.
It wasn’t nothing.
But it wasn’t something either.
I wasn’t going down as a legend in the game. I would retire comfortably and take care of my family, and it was hard to ask more than that. Fifteen years ago, I couldn’t have imagined a life like this. Fifteen years ago, I was living in Brighton with my brother and mum, young and pissed off and convinced that the universe was out punish without ever rewarding.
And then I was drafted.
And then I got my first NHL paycheck.
