Page 59 of Arresting the Hockey Player

Jasper: This is me giving you my middle finger, bro.

Parker: Why was he arrested?

The guys are messaging each other as I stare at the screen and finally add my two cents.

Noah: Because my ex-girlfriend is an idiot.

Kyler: Jasmine?

Jasper: I never did like her.

Parker: Why would Jasmine have you arrested?

I run my fingers frustratingly through my hair. I don’t want to get into it with the guys about what happened, at least not over text, but they don’t let it go.

Owen: Pass the popcorn.

Asher: You’re an ass.

Owen: Me?

Chase: Sorry, girlfriend was giving me a BJ. Noah got arrested?

Asher: Go, Chase!

Jasper: OMG

Kyler: No comment.

Jasper: That is precisely you commenting.

These guys, I swear, will be the death of me. I can’t help but laugh, even after the shitty day that I’ve had, and rub my eyes. They burn from laughing so hard. I swear they’re trying to make me cry.

Noah: Quit blowing up my phone, asses.

Kyler: Quit leaving out the juicy details. Arrestee.

Noah: Fine. Charlotte called the cops. She had me arrested.

Asher: Burn.

Jasper: Holy crap. I need to call Amber.

Noah leaves the chat.

I can’t deal with their antics tonight. Thankfully, none of the guys add me back into the chat, and if they’re discussing my lack of a love life and the arrest, then I don’t have to read about it. I shut off the lights and attempt to get a few hours of sleep.

We play the Wolverines tomorrow at home, and I need to give my best performance, especially if I have to talk to Coach Malone about putting me on press detail after the game.

Half the night, I toss and turn, worried about Zayn. The other half I spend trying to imagine what I’m going to say in front of the press, how to convince them this is all a misunderstanding and that I’m not the abusive brute they think that I am.

* * *

“Noah, come have a seat,” Malone says as he meets me bright and early in his office.

I’m running on about three hours of sleep and two cups of coffee already. I’ve played on less sleep, but there’s more going on that makes my head spin, mainly, that being Zayn.

My lawyer doesn’t have an update yet. He’s contacting Jasmine’s attorney to find out if she did award sole custody to me and if there’s been an order of protection placed against Grant Brass. Doubtful.