Page 77 of Puck Love

I pull up Facebook and search for her official fan page. I shoot a message that says, “Call me” with my phone number attached, but I don’t expect her to respond.Why would she? A mistake is something you want to leave in yourpast.

Jesus. I can’t leave because even though I’m suspended, I’ll still be expected to train and sit on the bench during the game tomorrow night.Fuck. I wish I’d never let her leave with that douchebag. If I ever set eyes on him again, I'm kicking his fucking ass, and then I’ll pull his asshole through his goddamnnostrils.

A knock comes from the door, and I stalk toward it, all barely contained fury and annoyance. Sue Lei actually jumps when Ianswer.

“Hey, big boy.” She slides on by me into Eli’scondo.

“Jesus.”

“You want to work out some of that tension you’recarrying?”

“No,” I say. “You’re here forEli.”

“He texted. He wants me to do you,too.”

I give her a bitter grin. “Well, I don’t wanna bedone.”

“But we were so good together.” She steps forward and runs a finger down myabs.

I grab her wrist and squeeze before she can trail her hand any lower. “Can you not touch me,please?”

“Suit yourself.” She yanks free and picks up her portable massage table, sashaying to the other side of theroom.

Eli stands in the doorway. “Ignore him. He’s all broken up about the one that got away. It’ll just be you and me tonight, SueLei.”

“Oh, I heard about her. She’s a piece of work, eh?” Sue Lei says in a blasé tone of voice. “I saw her talk about you like you were nothing. That must havehurt.”

“Yeah, thanks for the reminder.” I grab my phone and wallet off the coffee table and walk back to the door. “I’m gonna takeoff.”

“What? Where the fuck you gonnago?”

“I don’t know?Home?”

“You can’t drive,dude.”

“Been doing it this whole time, haven’tI?”

“No, I mean you can’t go anywhere. Coach texted and asked me to keep an eye onyou.”

I frown. “Why?”

“Because he thinks you're gonna run off toNashville.”

“Why would I go to Nashville? I’m just a mistake, right?” Eli doesn’t need to know that I’ve been seriously entertaining the idea for the last tenminutes.

“Jesus. Do you not know how to fucking Google? There was a report filed lastnight.”

“What kind ofreport?”

“Her boyfriend hither.”

“Fucking son of a bitch.”I’m going to murderhim.

“He backhanded her in the SUV after they left yourplace.”

“How do you knowthis?”

“It’s all over the fucking internet. You know, if you’d just looked her up in the first place you probably could have saved yourself a whole heap of heartache. She’s been dating that guy for two damn years. They’re like country royalty or someshit.”