Page 11 of The Chase

We all groaned and got back down to business. We spent the rest of practice going through our usual drills. I was beat after it, but I couldn’t just take a quick shower and head home. After our showers, Coach had us in the media room watching hours and hours of game tape. Riley probably wanted to bust a nut over all the stats. Weirdo.

Coach released us with a warning to get a good night’s sleep with no funny business. But instead of driving home, I drove to the arena where the offices were. I needed to talk to my twin.

It shocked me last summer when Rox told me she was moving to Philly. It annoyed me she hadn’t told me she was applying for jobs in the States, let alone for the hockey team, but I had to admit I was glad she moved here. Even if she could be a real pain in my ass.

When I walked down to the sales wing, her office door was closed, and I heard the muffled sound of her on the phone.

“She’s in a meeting until four,” a feminine voice cut in.

I turned to spy Max sitting at her cubicle with her eyes on her computer screen. She wouldn’t even look at me.

My gaze roamed down her body, and I saw she was wearing a tight dress that accentuated all her features. My dick jumped against my zipper, remembering how good she looked with her clothes off.

I glanced at the orange flowers on her desk. “What are these?” I asked.

“Tiger lilies,” she said flatly. She didn’t look at me, just kept her eyes glued to her computer screen.

Ookayyy. She definitely had no desire to see me right now. It made it obvious to me that our night together hadn’t been that good for her. I felt like an asshole. It bothered me that instead of telling me, she faked it. I wondered if she was the first woman to do that with me. I always wanted the women I took to my bed to have a good time; I prided myself on that.

“Are you mad at me?” I asked.

She picked up her phone. “Sorry, I’m really busy.”

A part of me wondered if she really needed to make a phone call or if she was trying to get me to leave. With a sigh, I walked back down to the parking lot and got into my Maserati.

My sister chirped me for being flashy in my sports car, but I worked my ass off my entire life to make it to the league. When I inked my first big contract, my Maserati was the first thing I bought. Dad drilled into me that a hockey career could be a gamble. Lots of guys made it to the big leagues and blew all their money on cars, women, sometimes even blow. That wasn’t me, though. I knew better and tried to be smart with my money…but I needed the car.

I stewed in my thoughts on the ride back to my condo complex in Old City. Benny and Noah carpooled to practice this morning, but I had told them to go without me. It probably hadn’t been a good idea because now I was alone with my thoughts.

I wasn’t good at being alone. My thoughts got too loud in my head, and they constantly reminded me I wasn’t good enough. That I would be alone forever. That’s what my ex, Nat, always told me. She played with my heart, so as soon as we cut ties, I became the guy who was never serious, only out for a good time.

But I wasn’t sure I wanted to be that guy anymore.

* * *

“Stop moping!” my sister said as she barged into my room hours later.

I wrenched my head up at the commotion she was making. “Dude! What the fuck?”

She stomped over to my bed and hovered over me. “Don’t ‘dude’ me! Benny told me you needed to see me. And then Max said you came by while I was in a meeting.”

I grimaced.

She narrowed her eyes. “Okay, I don’t like that look. What did you do?”

Did I mention my sister was an asshole? God, I loved her, but she was a pain.

I put my pillow over my head and screamed into it. I pulled it away and glared when I saw my sister was still in the room, giving me an annoyed look.

“Go away, Roxie! What if I was fucking beating off, and you walked in?”

“Wouldn’t I be able to feel it? Since we got that twin-telepathy?” she growled out sarcastically.

I didn’t think that was how it worked. I hoped not. Gross. It was bad enough I found out she was dating Benny by coming home and hearing them going at it. They were loud as fuck. I still think my ears were bleeding from it.

She sat on the bed next to me. “What’s wrong with you?”

“I’m in a bad mood,” I lied.