Page 21

"We’re not supposed to flirt, remember?"

James Adler

Once we’re home and Elizabeth takes a shower—even though she smelled heavenly, like cookies and cinnamon rolls—we meet with Marissa and Aaron in our residence parking lot.

Together, we drive to Monsieur Leon, a restaurant we often frequent together.

It’s a French restaurant Beaumont discovered earlier this year and declared it to be our new food headquarters.

I can’t believe Elizabeth isn ’t a typical part of these dinners. Usually, it’s just Miles, Hawthorne, Beaumont, Marissa, Hayley, and me. Wally, if we’re lucky.

Having her with us tonight feels right, like I’m one step closer to getting everything I’ve ever wanted.

But I know I shouldn’t get my hopes up. I need to accept the fact that we might only ever be friends.

I’d be lying if I said it was easy for me, but if friendship is all I can get, that’s what I’ll settle for.

Still, I’m hoping that with time she’ll heal and see that I can be good for her.

We arrive at the restaurant and sit down at our usual table.

It’s tucked away in a secluded part of the restaurant, which allows us to eat in peace.

Because, yes, even when we’re eating, fans interrupt us to ask for selfies.

While most of the time we’re happy to oblige, dinner isn’t the best time.

We’re hockey players. You don’t mess with our food.

The waitress hands us our menus, and Beaumont shows off by pronouncing every word à la francaise.

“It’s Quiche Lorraine ,” he says with that French flair, and everyone laughs.

“Qweesh lorraine,” I say, trying to articulate.

He chuckles. “Nope. Quiche .”

“Pretty sure it’ll taste the same,” I shoot back, shaking my head.

“Um, definitely not,” he says , and I swat the air in dismissal. The French sure are weird with their food.

“So,” Hawthorne begins with his deep captain’s voice, “did you enjoy your day off, Adler?”

I grin. “You bet! Right up until I had to see your sorry faces,” I joke. “I wasn’t yelled at by Coach, didn’t have to share the smelly locker room with you guys, and I ran some errands—it was a dream come true.”

“And don’t forget getting your butt kicked at NHL Master,” Miles chimes in, flashing a smile.

I roll my eyes. “Only because of my head injury.” I cast a glance at Elizabeth, who’s watching with amusement. “Oh, and I helped out with the end-of-day cleaning at Rise & Grind.”

Beaumont claps his hands loudly. “Great. Now you have a back-up plan in case your injuries never heal.”

“You wish. You think I’d let you have the winger spotlight all to yourself? Don’t count on it. No matter the number of games I’m out, I’ll still beat all your stats. Just like I did last year.”

Everyone laughs.

“So, you helped Beth clean tonight?” Marissa says, twirling the end of her strawberry-blond hair. “That’s interesting.”

Elizabeth tenses next to me. I do n’t know if I’m hallucinating because of the meds I’m taking but I’m pretty sure, she just kicked Marissa under the table.

I don’t have time to figure out what this is about because the waitress comes to take our drink order.

Once she leaves again, Hawthorne leans forward. “When will you know exactly how long you’re out for?” he asks, true to his duty as captain.

“Honestly, I’m still not sure. Coach called me today.

Apparently, he set up a meeting with the team docs next week for a checkup, but their initial guess was four to eight weeks, so we’ll see.

I can’t exercise for the next two weeks, but after that, I’ll build an off-ice routine and take it from there.

” I don’t know if it’s because I’m speaking about it, but my face suddenly hurts like the dickens.

“Crap, that’s a long time,” Miles breathes out.

“We’ll miss you on the road, for sure,” Hawthorne adds. “It won’t be the same without you.”

“Yeah,” Beaumont says, wrapping his arm around Hayley. “But probably not as much as the female population will miss you.”

Everyone chuckles, and I just roll my eyes. “Guess we’ll see if you’re still able to fill an entire arena without me in the lineup.”

Miles slaps my back, and I hold b ack a wince at the shooting pain it triggers. “I don’t think you’ve ever been injured this badly before, bro. Have you?”

“Nope.” I force a big smile. “First time. Hopefully, you’ll manage without me. I know, it’s going to be tough to win and have fun out there, but I have faith in you.”

“Did we say we were going to miss him?” Beaumont cocks his head playfully, looking around. “I don’t think that’s what we meant.”

I know they’re just kidding around, but it does sting that I won’t be there for the away games.

Though as an NHL player with almost ten years under my belt, it’s a miracle I’ve never been out this long before.

Sure, I’ve had sprained wrists and knocked-out teeth, but I was never out for more than a game or two, and I never missed an away trip.

Unfortunately, when you’re not playing, you have no reason to hit the road.

So it’s going to be weird to sit this one out.

“I’ll miss your energy on the ice, for sure,” Marissa says with a wink.

“Yeah,” Hayley adds. “You know how to make the fans laugh, and your upbeat attitude is contagious.”

“Thanks, ladies,” I grin, then look to Elizabeth, who offers a soft smile.

“We should kick LA’s ass, no problem,” Miles says. “Even without you, Adler.”

“Vegas is going to be tougher, though,” Hawthorne adds, taking a sip of his drink. “Their goalie is really good.”

“And their D is strong,” Miles adds. “Breaking into it is going to be a challenge.”

They start talking hockey, and I find myself drifting from the conversation, listening instead to what the girls are discussing.

Their quieter voices make it easier to focus with my head throbbing.

It’s weird, but I really don’t want to talk hockey tonight.

It just feels like it’s not my world anymore, and that sucks.

I meet Elizabeth’s gaze, and she frowns, a hint of a question in her eyes, as if she’s wondering if I’m okay.

I ignore the pounding in my head and flash her my signature smile. After a moment, she nods, looking back at the girls.

The rest of the night passes pretty fast, and despite how bittersweet our time together is, I enjoy being with my friends.

I appreciate it even more since I won’t be seeing them for an entire week.

The only problem is, my head feels like a pressure cooker, and I chide myself again for not bringing my meds.

Finally, the night comes to an end, and I hug each of them in turn in the restaurant parking lot.

I’m both sad to see them go and ea ger to get home at the same time.

“Later, man,” Hawthorne says, wrapping me in a tight bear hug. “Take care of yourself, okay?”

“Watch us on TV,” Beaumont adds before slapping my back.

I force myself to smile, but this goodbye hurts as much as my face does. These guys are my family. They’re all I’ve got. It may sound cheesy as heck, and I’m never going to admit it to them, but it’s the truth. And it sucks to see them go.

Marissa, Miles, Elizabeth, and I drive back together, and when the elevator stops at their place, Miles gives me a hug too.

“Kick some butt out there, okay, bro?” I say, tapping his back.

He nods. “And you get well.”

I offer a tight smile. “I will.”

Marissa waves at us as the elevator closes, and I suck in a small intake of breath.

“Are you okay?” Elizabeth asks, glancing at me with concern in her eyes.

I frown, staring at the floor of the elevator. “Yeah, of course. Why wouldn’t I be?”

“I don’t know. Saying goodbye, missing out on your first road games . . . I’m guessing it’s not easy for you.”

I run a hand through my hair. “ It’s fine. I’m glad for the time off. I’ve been working since I was eighteen years old, so it’s a nice change of pace.”

She studies me for a second as the elevator stops. “Okay. Just wanted to check. If you need to talk, I’m here.”

“Thanks,” I say, touched by the sincerity in her voice. No one has had my back in a long time, at least not in my personal life. This is a nice change of pace.

“Don’t forget to take your meds,” she says as we enter my apartment.

I chuckle. “Yes, Nurse Elizabeth.”

She spins to face me. “James!”

“Sexy Nurse Elizabeth?” I suggest, arching an eyebrow.

She sighs. “You’ve got to stop saying stuff like that. If we want this living situation to work, you have to tone down the flirting.”

I crease my forehead. “What? That’s hardly flirting. It’s teasing at best.”

She pins me with a stare. “James, I mean it.”

My shoulders fall. “Fine. I won’t flirt with you anymore.”

“Great,” she says, flashing a big smile before taking off her shoes.

I follow suit, then stretch my arms. As I do, a shooting pain radiates through my face, and I wince before stumbling slightly. I hold the wall for support, steadying myself before she catches my reaction. Last thing I want is to be a burden or a Debbie Downer.

“James, you’re not okay,” she says, her voice laced with panic.

Too late.

She rushes to me, then takes me by the arm, guiding me to the kitchen stool. “What’s going on? Should I call the doctor?” She studies me, her face tense with worry. “I knew you were doing way too much today. I read online that concussions, even mild ones, require a lot of rest and supervision.”

I take her hand, touched that she took the time to research my injury, even if all this fretting is totally unnecessary. “I’m okay. Just maybe grab me an ice pack along with those meds? I feel like my head is going to explode.”

She stares at me for a second, probably debating whether or not to call the doctor.

“I promise I’m fine. I just skipped my last round of meds, and the guys really like to slap my back.” I wince at the reminder.

Her face twitches. “Right. Hopefully, it’ll take some of that swelling down. You look like an eleph—”

“What! Why didn’t you say anything earlier?” My eyes fly wide.

I push the chair back, eager to c heck the mirror, but Elizabeth’s giggles mix with the scrape of the chair.

“Are you pulling my leg again? You’re mean. How did I not notice that about you before?”

She only laughs harder, clutching her stomach.

“You look so sweet, with your blonde hair, pretty eyes, and perfect smile, but underneath that, you’re a meany.”

She bubbles another laugh. “Sorry, I couldn’t help myself. You’re fine. You’re great. You look—yeah, I’ll grab the ice pack.”

She hands me my meds before pulling the ice pack from the freezer. As she passes it to me, our fingers brush. I swear, the heat coursing through me right now could melt the pack in seconds. Our eyes meet, and the intensity in her gaze tells me she felt the same sensation.

I open my mouth to speak, then close it right away.

She frowns. “What is it?”

“Nothing,” I say, my eyes flitting away before returning to hers.

The intensity in her gaze deepens. “Tell me.”

“We’re not supposed to flirt, remember?”

Her face flushes a deep red, and she clears her throat. “Well, I’m off to bed. I’ll check on you a few times throughout the night to make sure you’re okay, if that’s all right with you.”

I nod, a small smile pulling at m y lips. “That’s perfectly reasonable.”

Her eyes linger for a moment. “Have a good night.”

“See you tomorrow, Elizabeth. Sleep tight.”