Page 3

TWO

declan

Every inch of me is covered in sweat as I continue to push myself to the limit on the treadmill. After the call with Willa last night, I’ve been feeling like more of an asshole than usual. Willa doesn’t cry, yet she did last night. I made her cry. I haven’t been able to stop myself from hearing the sound of her sobs.

A tanned forearm reaches over and slams on the red stop button before I can stop it.

“What the hell, man? I wasn’t done!” I shout at Hank. Well, I try to shout. I can barely catch my breath. He just rolls his eyes and points to a bench on the wall. I follow him and take a seat.

“What’s going on? You ran over ten miles,” he says, his eyes assessing my every move. Hank is our captain and the best defenseman in the league. I tip my head back and rest it on the wall behind me. We’re the only two in the team’s gym right now. Which means I’m not getting out of this interrogation.

“I was sore. I came to stretch out my muscles and felt good enough for a long run,” I say and peek at him. The scowl on his face tells me he doesn’t buy it.

“So the accident yesterday didn’t injure you enough to prevent running?”

“You heard about that, huh?” I ask with a half-hearted laugh. Hank is still scowling. I sigh and sit forward, resting my elbows on my thighs and clenching my hands together. “Willa chewed me out for that last night. I know I fucked up. I’m going to do better. I don’t need to hear it from you too.”

I chance a look at him to see surprise briefly flash across his face before he schools his features back into a scowl. “It’s not the first time she hasn’t been happy with you.”

He’s not wrong. Willa has been less than impressed with some of my antics over the years. Hank has even overheard her yelling at me over the phone more than once. But I hear the question he’s asking. What makes this time any different?

“She cried, man. Willa doesn’t cry,” I admit, shame flooding my body. He nods in understanding.

“Any word on that contract?” he asks. I shake my head. My contract expires before the next season starts in two months. Usually they expire at the end of a season, but mine was different. I’m usually contracted for camps or media appearances for the team in the off-season. They hadn’t wanted me for those much in the past few years.

“I’ve been with this team for nine seasons. Are they really going to make me sweat like this?” I ask him. I don’t like the look of pity he gives me.

“After what happened with Bethany, I’m surprised you’re not out on your ass already.”

I roll my eyes. “Going into this, I told her that it would be one night. It’s not my fault she didn’t understand what that meant,” I argue. Sleep with one wrong person one time and apparently you can tank your whole career.

“What am I going to do? No other team seems to be trying to get me and the one I’ve given everything to is fine throwing me away,” I ask, desperately hoping he has an answer.

“Retire,” he says.

“Thanks, but I’d rather do it on my terms,” I grumble, standing and walking away from the unhelpful bastard.

“Then figure out a way to do it on your own terms,” he calls after me.

Great. Super easy.