Delayed Penalty (Crossing the Line, #1)(35)

Then my life was turned upside down again. My mom always told me to make the best of the situation you were handed. Well, I was handed a really shitty situation and then shit on again. Now I was looking for less shit and maybe some water to wash away the other shit.

Evan was the water.



Game 63 – Edmonton Oilers

Wednesday, March 5, 2010



I got a text from him first thing the next morning before his morning skate. They were back in Chicago and set to play the Edmonton Oilers, a team he wasn't sure how they'd fair against. I distracted him by telling him that his sheets smelled like me now.



So you're still in my bed?



I had to laugh. He couldn't let it go.



Nope. In your shower.



There was no reply for a good forty-five minutes.

Eventually, I did get a response but he avoided the topic of the shower and his bed after that. I only gathered it was because he had a game that night and was trying to stay focused.

He continued to send me texts the rest of the day. Apparently, Leo had caught on to his texting and sent me a picture of Evan scowling, his arm stretched out like he was trying to get his phone back. It was adorable.

Leo got my number out of the phone and started with his own text messages, all thoroughly amusing because they were pictures of Evan with captions. In one of them he was hunched over on the plane reading a message on his phone.

Leo's caption read: Look at him all happy. He has no idea what's going on. Stupid f*ck is clueless.

I couldn't wait to meet Leo. He seemed really cool and was already giving me loads of information about hockey and terms to use. The next text was: Your boy had a nice pole drag in the third period and stuffed the puck in the net to win it for us. I love him. Seriously, I think I'm in love with him.

Leo was a crack up. I had no idea what pole drag meant. I assumed it was a trick or something.

Evan ended up calling me before the game when they were in the locker room, laughter and loud catcalls rang throughout the room as the boys teased Evan about calling me. He didn't seem to mind at all and played along.

I never felt pressured around him. I felt comfortable, like I had known him my entire life. He seemed to know exactly what to say before I even knew I needed to hear it. His whole family was like that.

We were just sitting down to watch the game when Evan's grandmother came in. I only knew it was his grandmother because his dad told me. "Watch out for Granny B," he warned, giving me a soft smile. "The lady is off her f*cking rocker."

I had to bite back a laugh by covering my mouth as his dad watched this feeble old woman scoot across the room to sit in the rocking chair near the window, her foamy Chicago Blackhawks finger in her hand and wearing her Masen #5 jersey. Before she sat down, she looked at me. "It's a great day for a ball game!"

Sam looked at me. "See what I mean?"

Again, I had to bite back a laugh.

It was nice seeing his family all gathered around the television watching him. Even a few of their neighbors came over.

Evan was more aggressive this game than he was the last. He was in a fight within the first two minutes of the game and then sat the rest of the first period in the penalty box all because one of the Oilers players checked Leo into the boards pretty hard.

"Evan is powerful, both physically and emotionally. You'll never meet another guy like him. He has a huge heart, always has." Judy laughed, explaining Evan's actions as to why he was defending Leo. "I always tell him he's that way because I had him on Valentine's Day."

I gave Judy a smile. "My brother was born on Valentine's Day, too. They were the same age."

She gave me a tender smile of her own, as if to apologize for bringing it up. "I'm sorry, dear."

"Don't be."

"You gotta make those catches!" Granny B yelled at the television, tossing her foamy finger.

Granny B was Judy's mom, and she lived in their basement. She was…interesting, to say the least. I understood completely why she was living with them because if not for them, someone would have had that woman committed to a mental hospital. She was entertaining.

Evan sent me a text that night after the game. They lost to the Oilers, but his mood seemed upbeat, all things considered. He said he had a game Friday night and wanted to know if I wanted to come to it. That meant I would be leaving first thing in the morning to get back to Chicago in time to see the game. I wasn't flying. I wasn't sure I ever would. When I had left Oregon, I just got on a bus and went with it. Chicago was where I decided to stay. My reason for staying? The dance studio was there, but also because the Chicago Cubs were Andrew's favorite baseball team.

I sent Evan a text telling him I would love to see a home game, so he agreed to come get me in the morning and drive me back to Chicago. When he left me here a few days ago, he had left his car at the airport, so that made traveling a little easier.

Lying there in his bed again that night, I thought about asking Evan if I could stay with him at his apartment. I liked it here, but it felt weird. I missed Evan.

I wasn't sure what I wanted to do now that I was out of the hospital. I didn't have to worry about all those medical bills because Evan graciously took care of them, but honestly, I kind of felt like I was his charity case.

I knew I wouldn't be able to be on my own just yet; just the thought of being alone right now gave me anxiety.