Page 31 of The Break Out (Denver Dragons #3)

31

W e board the plane to head out to our first stop on this weeklong road trip. I’m refusing to think about the fact that one of the stops we have is in Calgary. My mom might try to get me to see her if she bothers to look at the schedule.

Though she probably doesn’t even know I’ve been traded to another team and thinks I still play in California. I do have one thing to do during that stop. The one thing I do every time we have a stop in Calgary. It can be hard when we have a quick turnaround, but I’ll always figure out a way to make sure it happens.

I go see my brother.

After I’m settled in my seat on the team plane, I close my eyes and listen to the music blasting in my ears. No one will try to talk to me, but then I think about Brynn. I glance around briefly to make sure her brother isn’t breathing down my neck before pulling out my phone.

Colton: You better be following directions like the good girl I know you want to be.

Baby Collee: You’ll never know either way.

Colton: Oh, I’ll know. I hope when I come back in a week it’ll be to reward you, not punish you again.

Baby Collee: Guess we will see.

“What’re you grinning about?” A voice says next to me, and I look up to see Colver looking at me from across the aisle.

“Nothing,” I mumble as I go to start my music again because I didn’t even notice it stopped playing.

After starting it up again, I lock my phone and raise my head to find Colver still looking at me. I take an earbud out, “What?”

“Just curious about something.”

I swear all these guys are so chatty on the team plane it’s like a fucking gossip session on here half the time when I’m just trying to tune them all out.

“What are you curious about?” I ask with a sigh, so he knows how annoyed I am.

“Are you still friends with Richardson?” Referring to Kenneth Richardson from my old team and I just scoff.

“No, I was never friends with him, he's a prick.”

He nods. “Yeah, I don’t know what Spencer ever saw in him.”

“Same,” I agree because it’s true. Spencer was always way too good for him, and I think he knew that which is why he used her the way he did. I’ve heard rumors about shit he would do on the road, but never paid attention to him to know if it was true.

“I know you don’t like being on this team, but at least you don’t have to deal with him anymore.”

“Just another group of assholes,” I gesture toward McQuaid in particular.

“He’s not that bad if you get to know him.”

“I’ll pass, thanks Colver.” I put my headphones back in because I’m done with social hour.

Though, being friendly with Brynn’s best friend’s boyfriend may come in handy. I’ll have to keep that in mind, but for now he doesn’t seem to completely hate me and that may be good enough.

We manage a win against Vancouver, and then head to our next stop, Calgary. I was surprised when I went to plug my phone in at the hotel last night that it lit up with a text.

Baby Collee: Congrats on the win.

Colton: Thanks, Princess. What do I get?

Baby Collee: That text and a virtual high five.

Colton: How about you tell me if you figured out you need me yet?

Baby Collee: You’ll figure it out when you get back.

Colton: Can’t wait.

Now, we’re landing close to my hometown, and I look out at the scenery as the plane hits the ground. The bus takes us to the hotel, and I stare out the window the whole time as the memories come back like they always do when I’m here. The good, the bad, and the worse.

At the hotel, we all go up to our rooms and I’m quick to change and leave because we’re heading out right after the game tomorrow afternoon, so this is the only chance I have. I get a ride-share to come pick me up and take me to the cemetery a town over. Pulling my hood up over my head as I walk the familiar path to my brother.

His headstone is simple.

Joshua Wheeler

Son and brother

Forever loved

I threw a fit about it at the time. That didn’t encompass who he was as a person. He was only ten when he died, but those ten years were so full and that’s all they could come up with. Of course, it wasn’t up to me, and my parents did what they wanted anyway.

Sitting down in front of the grave, I wipe away the dirt and grime that is covering the stone.

“Hey bro,” I say, resting my arms on my bent knees. “Sorry I can’t come see you that often, you know how I used to play in L.A.? Well, I got traded to Denver, our biggest rivals. It’s been rough, but I’m sure you would love to give me shit. ”

I chuckle remembering the dumb little fights we would get into.

“I miss you every day, you know?”

The inevitable tears start to well in my eyes when I really think about how much I miss him. There’s not a day that goes by where I don’t think about him.

“I met a girl. You’d like her. I bet you and her would gang up on me and she’d probably like you more than me anyway.” I smile, but it only makes the sadness worse knowing Brynn will never get the chance to meet him.

I can picture it so vividly, though. The way they would have exchanged embarrassing stories about me and probably plotted some pranks to play on me together. I can almost imagine the conversation I would’ve had with Josh about her.

“Pretty sure you’ve met my dream woman,” he’d tell me.

“Back off and get in line, this one is mine.”

“She likes me better; you’re too mean for her.”

I’d laugh. “She likes me mean.”

“Fuck, man, I wish you were still here.” The tears come down and I can’t stop them. I just want him to say something. Anything. Just give me one more minute with him. To hug him, say goodbye.

Doesn’t matter how long he’s been gone I always wish we had more time. Time I’ll never get back. Which is when I have to remember the last thing he said to me and it’s when I pull myself together enough to say goodbye. His last words to me play back like he’s saying them in real time.

“Live for me.”

The same words I have tattooed on my chest over my heart.

“Bye, Josh. Love ya.”

By the time I get back to the hotel I’m emotionally exhausted. All I can do is collapse on the bed and go to sleep. The weirdest part, though, is at this moment when I usually want to be alone, I’m wishing a certain blonde woman was here with me. Because all I want right now is to have her wrapped in my arms and that’s the image I have as I fall asleep.