Good Boy (WAGs #1)(52)

My mouth slams shut. I wish I could unhear what she just said, but it’s already branded into my brain. And the pain it brings freaks me out a little, because it’s been a long, long time since my gut has clenched like this, since it felt like someone had stabbed me in the heart with a skate.

O’Connor’s face splits into a grin. “Hey, if you’re feeling stupid again later, I’m available.”

The strangled sound I’ve been holding back breaks free, emerging from my throat like a twisted gasp.

Sensing trouble, Jess eases backward until she’s pressed against my chest. Her hands find mine, which are clenched into fists. “Move along, Will,” she says quietly. “Nothing to see here.”

He gives a final smirk, and I feel like punching it off his face. It takes all my willpower to let him walk away.

When he’s gone, Jess lets out a breath. “Whew. What an asshole, right?” She turns to me with a smile.

I try to return it, but it’s hard. Because Jess just said in no uncertain terms that fooling around with me was stupid. Whatever I’m feeling for her, it’s obvious she’s not feeling it back. My good mood has been punctured as quickly and completely as a balloon with a needle.

“The coat-check lady is back,” Jess says. “Shall we?”

I take her hand. And then I take her home. But there’s no joy in it.





21 Once More With Feeling





Blake


The puck comes whizzing toward me—it’s a pass from Wesley. I put my stick in position, pluck it out of its trajectory and snap it into the goal.

Or that’s what should have happened.

For the third time today I shoot wide, sending the puck into the waiting arms of my scrimmage opponent, Will O’Connor. And that asshole laughs. I don’t pay attention to him, though, because I’m glancing at Coach instead.

His face goes slack, and he shakes his head.

I’m so fucking frustrated I could spit. My neck aches, too. The pain radiates down my shoulder, wreaking havoc with my concentration.

We position ourselves for another face-off. I catch Wesley watching me with nervous eyes. Then the puck drops and Eriksson passes to Wes. I put on a burst of speed as he lines up to send it over to me.

Once more with feeling! I get my stick on that puppy and…

Lemming steals it with a poke check that I never saw coming.

Coach Hal blows the whistle. “Let’s change a few things up,” he says.

Wes groans. He knows what’s coming. Hal is going to make a line change before our game tomorrow night. Goddamn it.

And then it’s worse than I thought, because Coach puts Wes with O’Connor, who’s a glory hog. Wesley spends the rest of practice looking sour. And when the final whistle blows I leave the ice so fast there’s probably a contrail behind me. I’m in the showers before anyone else has even unlaced his skates.

Under the spray, I knead my shoulder while the hot water pelts me. My teammates shuffle in. They leave me alone, but I can feel eyes on my back. So I cut the shower shorter than the ideal length—eternity—and get dressed.

While I’m changing, the head trainer hovers, asking me what’s the matter. “Is it something we should evaluate?”

“Just a stiff neck,” I insist, because it is. There is nothing really wrong with me except a little pain and the horrible sense of doom that’s descended like a dark cloud. I just can’t shake the feeling that something is switched off inside me.

Last night I lay awake worrying about it. That’s so unlike me it’s not even funny. But it’s as if my carefully calibrated sensory balance has gone haywire. Last year when I had that sprain, I bounced right back. But this time? My bounce has bounced elsewhere.

I hightail it out of there and drive to the one place that will never let me down.

The bar, of course.

It’s only five o’clock, and at this hour Sticks & Stones is empty. The other players will all drift in here eventually, but for now I have the place to myself. Except for Lisa, of course. She hustles over and plunks a mug of beer in front of me.

“I didn’t order yet,” I mumble.

She shakes her head. The mohawk is green today. “I can always tell what my customers need. And what you needed was speed, man. You need a beer, like, yesterday.”

“That obvious, huh?” Good ol’ Lisa.

Her smile is patient. “What’s her name?”

“Who?”

Lisa gives me an eye roll. “Whoever has you twisted up in knots. And she must be somebody special, because you’re never the one who’s sitting here with a mopey face.”

“Her name is Jess.” I take a big gulp of the beer she’s brought me.

“Wait…” Lisa puts her elbows on the bar. “She drank the Velvet Fog, right?”

“Prolly.”

She nods like a sage. “Nice girl. Not everyone jives with a wheat ale. I’d do her. But I thought you weren’t ever dating again after whatsername.”

“Molly.”

“I didn’t forget, Blake. I just don’t like saying it out loud.”

Right. Lisa is awfully protective of the players. I never told her what Molly did to me, but during my rookie season Molly used to come into Sticks & Stones and guard me like a Doberman. She never liked this place, and she used to complain that her beer was served too warm.