Page 6

Chapter Six

I ’ d known my way around the ice since I was old enough to walk. Hell, I wasn’t entirely convinced the skating part hadn’t come first. But today? I looked like a man who’d never played a game of hockey in his life.

A bit odd, considering I was known to be one of the best hockey players of the current season. It wasn’t cocky of me to state that because it was just a fact. Today though? I was on absolute fire. In the sense that my entire game was burning helplessly down around me.

“Brynn!” Coach roared at me from the sidelines. “Pull your head out of your ass and start skating like you mean it!”

I couldn’t believe it. Five years in the NHL, and this was the first time it was me getting yelled at for performance.

But he had a point. I was off my game. Actually, that was an understatement. I had lost it completely. Along with my head, which I’d inconveniently left off the ice, back in that moment this morning when I’d watched Cassie walk out the door, assuring me she wouldn’t be coming back.

I should’ve been relieved. It’s what I’d wanted. And this way, I didn’t even have to feel guilty about it. I had given her every opportunity to stay, but she’d been adamant about figuring something else out anyway. By all accounts, I was in the clear So, why did I feel so crappy about it all?

A puck shot past me, and I swore at my incompetency. It didn’t make sense that my head was so clouded over a girl I hadn’t even known existed twenty-four hours ago. But after everything, I couldn’t help but feel slightly invested. I wasn’t pretending to know her, but I knew enough to realize that she deserved better than that guy.

She was probably fine. She was a big girl, after all. Metaphorically speaking. In reality, she was actually pretty tiny. Fragile. I bit back a smile, remembering how small she looked when she came downstairs in my clothes this morning. She had to keep rolling her sleeves up while she was talking to me. I’m not even sure if she noticed herself doing it, but the image of it stuck with me.

No, I scolded myself. Get your head in the game.

I skated forward, gaining momentum while trying to get possession of the puck again, like the way she’d gone back to get possession of her clothes. Would he give her a hard time about it? Would he try to apologize and win her back? He would be an idiot not to, but God, I hoped that wasn’t the case. For her sake.

Not that I’d ever find out. I’d had my first and last meeting with Cassie, and now I was going to continue on with my life. I’d done my part as a dutiful brother and decent human being when I gave her a place to sleep for the night. Even offered it for longer, but she said no.

Why did she say no?

“Are you kidding me?” Coach hollered, red-faced and furious, as I somehow evaded the puck once more. “That’s it. Everyone off the ice and take ten. But when we come back, just know the next few hours we’re spending here are because Brynn can’t get it together.”

A chorus of groans echoed from my teammates, all aimed at me. To hell with that. There were plenty of nights I’d been stuck here after hours on account of one of them screwing around for all of practice. I’d say one bad session in five years should earn me a bit of leeway.

“You good, man?” Brody skated up behind me, slapping my back as we neared the edge of the rink.

“Fine,” I bit out.

“You haven’t played this bad since… well, never.”

“Thanks.”

“Aw, come on,” he laughed. “I’m just checking in. You’re not all uptight because of the girl you’ve got staying at your place, are you?”

“Nope,” I said shortly. “The problem’s been solved. She’s finding somewhere else.”

We made our way over to the benches, where I had a gallon of water waiting for me. I moved to take off my helmet, feeling the sweat plastering my hair down against my forehead.

Collapsing on the bench, I took my gloves off and downed a drink of water, trying to force my mind to refocus back where it belonged—on the ice.

“Oh, well, that’s great!” Brody looked relieved. “Because, to be honest, I was nervous for you when your sister pitched that idea. But anyway, about your sister—”

“Why were you nervous?” I asked, narrowing my eyes at him.

“Because I know you. And having someone in close quarters with you does not sound like a recipe for success.”

I tensed, realizing that on any other day, I would’ve agreed with him without hesitation. But today, it rubbed me the wrong way.

“What’s that supposed to mean?”

“Nothing,” he said, his expression shifting to one of surprise when he picked up on the edge in my voice. “Just that, you didn’t even want to live with me when I was looking for a roommate, and I’m your best friend. Never mind some random girl.”

“Because we didn’t need to be roommates.” I bristled. “It’s not like we need someone to split rent with.”

“Yeah, but living alone is lonely as hell,” he said before waving away the topic. “It doesn’t matter, I was saying—”

I rubbed a hand over my face, confused by the prick of annoyance I felt at his words. He was right. I didn’t do roommates. Not since college. Not even with him. Hockey was plenty of socialization for me, and after all the noise, rush, and chaos of a game, it was only natural to want to escape home to silence and solitude.

Then why was it that I couldn’t get that damn little blonde out of my mind?

“—and I just thought it would be cool if you could arrange that.” I looked up to see Brody trailing off, apparently at the end of a long-winded sentence I’d completely spaced out for.

“Sorry, what?” I blinked, feeling worse that my distracted state of mind wasn’t solely on the ice but spilling over into normal conversations too.

“I was saying that it would be cool to meet your sister again sometime,” he said. “Maybe the three of us could go grab drinks or something one night.”

“Are you blushing?” I narrowed my eyes at him suspiciously.

“No,” he shot back defensively, cheeks reddening even more. “I just thought she seemed cool, is all.”

“Right,” I said, my voice trailing off as my mind began to wander.

Where was Cassie right now? Did she find a place to stay? Did she get back together with that guy? I needed to know.

“You’re clearly vacant today,” Brody observed, making me feel like an idiot. “I’m gonna give you some space to recharge because I sure as hell don’t want to spend any more time here tonight than we have to. Come back with a clear head, okay?”

I nodded, knowing there was only one way to clear my head for good. And that was to get answers.

Sighing, I gave in to the urge I’d been fighting all day and pulled out my phone. I had to scroll farther down in my message chain than I thought she’d be before I finally found Maggie’s name and shot out a text.

LIAM: How’d Cassie make out today?

Maggie’s response was almost instant, thank God, because I honestly didn’t think I could go another second without knowing.

MAGGIE: Dave’s a dick. That’s all there is to it.

A flash of irritation shot through me as I contemplated all the many ways he might’ve hurt her again today.

LIAM: What happened?

I sent back, trying not to sound too invested.

I wasn’t really. More curious than anything else. At the end of the day, it wasn’t like it affected me one way or the other.

MAGGIE: He had some girl over at their house when she went to get her clothes. Cassie’s devastated.

Okay, that pissed me the hell off. Reading the text, I gripped my phone until my knuckles whitened, thinking I should probably just leave it be.

But what type of asshole hooks up with a girl the night after his six-year relationship ends? Had he been seeing her before he ended things with Cassie?

Without thinking, I texted back the most important question running through my mind.

LIAM: Where is she now?

A minute later, the answer came in the form of a picture. I clicked on it to see a shot of Cassie sitting on Maggie’s couch. Her blond curls were pulled on top of her head while she stared off vacantly at the TV, hugging a pillow to her chest. I zoomed in, like the maniac I am, and noticed her eyes were red. No doubt from a day of crying over that dick.

I felt something shift in me when I saw she was still wearing the clothes I’d given her last night. Before I knew what I was doing, I sent my reply.

LIAM: Bring her back to my place. I’ll be home late.

I watched the three dots appear, disappear, and appear again.

MAGGIE: I don’t know. She said something about how it wasn’t going to work out.

I clenched my jaw, not knowing anything besides the fact that I didn’t want the girl in that photo to worry about where she was going to stay on top of everything else going on in her life.

LIAM: Well, it is. Just bring her over and make her comfortable.

I stared down at my phone intensely, waiting for confirmation from Maggie. A minute passed, then two, and I felt a strange anxiety course through me. It was ridiculous.

Maggie’s reply came through a few minutes later, and I felt my body finally relax.

MAGGIE: If you’re sure

LIAM: I am.

It was settled. Maggie was going to bring Cassie back, she could take her time recovering from that douchebag in peace, and all would be right in the world.

Feeling more in control of my headspace, I downed the rest of my water, put my helmet back on, and took off for the ice.

This time, the cloud that had been over my mind was gone.