Page 21

Cian

“Nice flow, Disney Princess,” Colorado’s left defenseman, Aiden Fowler, jeered as he took me into the boards for the third freaking time this period. The asshole was a friend of Chet Doyle, and didn’t that say everything about his character. He’d been at me all game, but since I’d already managed to score a goal and an assist, and Constantine hadn’t let through a single puck, it was easier to keep my cool. I wasn’t aiming for a Gordie Howe hat trick tonight. I had plans with Blair after the game to distract her from thoughts of tomorrow.

“Maybe pay a little less attention to me, and a little more to Parry. He’s a sieve tonight. You may as well warm up the bus.”

Fowler growled, and I used his distraction to send the biscuit down the guts of the ice to Miller. The crowd screamed “It’s Miller Time!” as he lined up his shot, and I shoved Fowler off me with a nasty grin.

“Distraction will cost you.”

I moved to the middle of the ice to intercept the puck as Parry finally managed to block a shot.

Nothing beat the thrill of playing in front of a home crowd. The cheers of the fans echoed through the barn, amping up the adrenaline, and forcing us to skate faster, shoot harder. The cold air bit at my cheeks as I skated across the red line, determined to put another point on the board before we headed to the locker room.

Fowler was hard on my ass as I chased down the puck, and as I stretched my stick out to pull it in, the world fell off kilter. My skate stopped and my body overbalanced. I was moving too fast, and the corner of the rink where the boards met the ice rose to meet my face. A crack shuddered through my body, but there was no time for panic.

Just darkness.

I came to as my body was rolled face up and lifted. Oh, I was on a stretcher. When had that happened?

Oscar’s concerned face hovered over me, but when I tried to turn my head, it wouldn’t move.

“You have a brace on, just chill here, my man. They’re going to get you checked out by the doc.”

He grasped my hand, and I wondered what happened to my gloves.

The crowd screamed their support as I was carted off the ice.

“What happened?”

“Fucking Fowler tripped you, the dirty piece of shit.” Oscar didn’t let much bother him, but he was loyal to a fault. No one messed with his people.

“Go back out there and win this thing. Tell the team no retaliation.”

“You have a concussion. You don’t know what you’re saying.”

“Come on, Caveman. We don’t play dirty. Don’t sink to their level.”

He hummed, a deep frown creasing his brow, but I knew he’d listen. As soon as we got to the medical suite, he peeled off and headed back to the locker room while I was poked and prodded.

Concussion was the diagnosis.

“You’re out for the next three games, then we’ll review. Rest for the next twenty-four hours, then light exercise until you see me. Any concerns, call me immediately,” Dr. Preston said, leaning against the bed with his arms folded. “No, we’re not compromising. No, there’s nothing you can do to speed up the process except rest. Needless to say, you aren’t going back out there tonight, so get comfortable. If you want a shower, it has to be lukewarm and make sure someone is there in case you lose consciousness again.”

I grumbled at the instructions, hating that he was so seasoned he didn’t even pretend to let me argue the facts.

“There’s a very concerned social media manager outside the door. I’ll leave you with her while I restock the Tylenol.”

He ducked out, murmuring to a pale-faced Blair who barely acknowledged him.

“Holy shit, I thought you were dead.” Her voice wavered as she rushed into my arms, body shaking as I held her tightly.

“I’m fine.”

She pulled back and pinned me with a hard look. “You’re not fine. You lost consciousness. God, you hit the boards and just flopped like a rag doll.”

Her eyes shone behind her glasses. I tried to pull her in again, and she punched me in the arm.

“Don’t ever scare me like that again!”

“I’ll try.”

She snuggled back into me, apparently forgiving me for my thoughtless actions.

Her warm body distracted me from the dull thud in my skull, and I breathed a heavy sigh, relaxing into the contact.

She always made me feel better.

“We should call your parents and let them know you’re all right,” she said after a while.

“I don’t think they’ll care,” I said. At her look, I shrugged. “Go ahead, though.”

I recited the number and she put the phone on speaker as it rang.

“Hello?” No matter what my mom was saying, she always sounded rushed to my ears. As though she couldn’t stand to spend time on things she considered beneath her.

“Hello, Mrs. O’Leary?”

“Who’s this?”

“My name’s Blair, I work with the Aces. I wanted to get in touch in case you were watching the game tonight. I have Cian here, and I just wanted to let you know that he’s okay.”

There was silence on the other end of the line. Blair tilted the phone to check the call was still connected, but after a moment, my mother spoke, sounding harried.

“Look, I don’t know why you’re calling us. Cian can get himself out of whatever he’s done. The boy was always needy, but he’s an adult now and we have more important things going on here. Please don’t call again.”

Blair stared in shock as the call dropped. Shame burned through me. I didn’t want her to know about this side of me.

Deep down, I was still the kid who wanted his parents to care, but reality was what it was, and I had managed to keep myself alive this long. It was only when I’d started this thing with Blair that I realized just how much I needed someone there. I’d overcompensated for a lot of years by being that person for everyone else, but Oscar and Mia had been my only support system for a long time.

Now I had Blair.

“I’m sorry, I didn’t realize,” she said quietly, pocketing her phone, as though it could hide the conversation she’d just had.

“It’s okay.”

“No. It’s not. But that’s not on you.”

I gave her a small smile and dragged her into my arms to hold her just a bit longer.

“I’m not allowed to play the rest of the game. Or the rest of the week. Shit, I wonder if he’ll bench me for the Vegas game.”

Blair put a soft hand over my mouth.

“How about we take this one day at a time. Don’t start with the what-ifs or you’ll drive yourself mad.”

“Therapy’s really helping, huh?” I asked against her palm. She replaced it with her lips for a swift kiss, then stood back.

“I have to get back for the last period, but do you need anything?”

I shook my head. “Just you when you’re done. I’ll meet you at my truck.”

She blew a kiss at the door and left me to my pounding head and circling thoughts.