Mr. Swoony (The Nest #3)

Chapter 45

Forty-Five

Conor

My phone vibrates with another fucking text from an anonymous number. I’ve blocked every damn number Lila’s been sending them from, but they keep coming. This is why I changed my number back in Florida.

All her messages go on and on about how we’re so good together. How we’re meant to be. The ones where she bashed Eloise pissed me off the most, saying that Eloise doesn’t know what I need.

We’re at our first out-of-town game, but thankfully we fly back tonight, so although Eloise will be asleep when I get home, I can still cuddle up to her.

I toss my phone in my bag and head out onto the ice for practice before going back to the hotel to nap before our game tonight. Tweetie, Rowan, and Henry are all messing around, doing tricks with their puck handling rather than practicing their shots.

“About time,” Tweetie says.

“Did any of you have to pose for pictures with that new social media hype person the league sent to us?” Rowan asks.

Rather than joining the conversation, Tweetie skates away.

“I heard every team was assigned a person.” Henry shoots his puck into the empty net.

“I’m not sure ours is going to do much for us. He didn’t even have me in my jersey, and he acted like I was getting a headshot.” Rowan shakes his head. “I look like the mail room manager for some big corporation.”

The two of them laugh, but Henry stops, watching me cross the ice to the net. “What’s going on?”

Rowan skates around the net, stopping at the side of it as I throw my water bottle on top and get ready to put on my helmet.

“Whoa, wait.” Tweetie skates to Rowan’s side. “I’m not shooting pucks at you when it looks like you might just slap them back at us with double the force.”

I toss my helmet on the net. “It’s all fucked up. I’m gonna lose her.”

I finally let them see the hell I’ve been living in since Lila found me again. The only people who knew about Lila in Florida were Kane and Jana Burrows, the coach and team owner, because they deserved to know.

“What are you talking about?” Rowan asks.

I glance around to make sure Coach isn’t out here yet. “Let’s just pretend to do stretches. I don’t need to lose my job and my girl in the same week.”

They all drop to their hands and knees and stretch. They really are the best friends and teammates a guy can ask for.

“Back in Florida, there was this woman I slept with. She got… attached.”

“Fuck, I hate that,” Tweetie says, but I’m pretty sure he has no idea the level I’m talking about.

“She got it in her head that we were more than we were. We had one night after a crazy game we won. I slept with her. I’m not denying that. And I stupidly gave her my number.”

Rowan nods. “That’s why when you called to tell me you were getting traded?—”

“It was from a different number. I changed my number because she texted me day and night. Then she started leaving shit outside my place and sending packages to the arena. I eventually had to file a restraining order against her in Florida.”

“Shit, man, you’re making me scared to have a one-night stand now.” Tweetie, unable to stay in one spot for long, gets up and skates in front of us, pretending to practice his stick work.

“Well, the worst part is that she found me here. She sent me a nude picture in the mail, and she’s messaging from anonymous numbers over and over and over again. Now she’s leaving bitchy comments on Eloise’s social media posts.”

Henry blows out a breath. “Shit, man, that sucks. You gotta go back to the police and file a report.”

“He’s right,” Rowan chimes in.

“I don’t want Eloise involved in this. She shouldn’t have to deal with this kinda shit.” I don’t want her anywhere near Lila or this situation.

“You have to involve her.” Henry glances at Rowan, and he nods.

“Trust me, you want to be truthful with Eloise. You have to trust that she’ll understand and be able to handle it,” Rowan says.

“Which I’m sure she will,” Henry adds.

“Fuck that. Handle it yourself and keep it clear of Eloise.” Tweetie skates to a stop. “It’s way too early for her to get mixed up in you having a stalker. You’ll scare her off.”

I’m on Tweetie’s side this time. Sure, Eloise and I are great, and every day I find out more stuff that I love about her, but to throw this at her in the first week of the season? She’d run, and I wouldn’t blame her.

“Don’t listen to him.” Henry nods toward Tweetie. “He’s the single one.”

“The single one who learned his lesson. The single one who is single because of this fucking job.” Tweetie raises his voice. It’s the first time I’ve ever heard him so adamant and angry.

I know what Tweetie told me at the campfire, but I don’t think the others do, so I’m sure they’re thrown by his outburst.

“Relationships crumble under lies.” Henry continues because that’s his role in our friendship—he’s the rational one.

“His survived after my sister lied.” I point at Rowan, and they both shake their heads.

“The Nilsen Liars.” Tweetie laughs and skates to the net, circles it, and taps in the puck.

“Fuck off. She was going to tell me who she was,” Rowan sticks up for my sister, but we all know she could have handled it better.

“You’re gonna be the one to ruin it,” Henry says. “If you keep this from her and handle it on your own, she’s going to find out eventually. She’ll know something is amiss, then she’ll grow suspicious, and it won’t end how you want it to. Trust me.” Henry gets up on his skates and practices his stick work.

“Think about it,” Rowan says. “I know you’re a fixer, but this time, you can’t just be Prince Charming on your white horse.” Rowan pats my shoulder and joins the other three.

“Now put on your helmet. We have to beat Buffalo tonight.” Tweetie passes the puck to Henry.

I put my helmet on and do a few exercises before telling them I’m ready for them to shoot at me.

After the practice, we head back into the locker room.

I understand where Henry and Rowan are coming from, but I’m going with Tweetie on this one. He’s had a relationship fail because of this bullshit, and he’s right, I need to keep this as far from Eloise as I can. So, I hammer a message to the last anonymous text I received.

Meet me eleven tomorrow at Beans.

The three dots appear immediately. It’s as if she sits by her phone and waits to hear from me even though I haven’t responded once.

I knew you’d come around.

Then I send a message to Eloise.

I miss you.

I miss you too, but I’ll be naked in your bed when you get home. Feel free to wake me up. ;)

Send me a picture of you right now.

She sends it to me, and I think she’s at a department store based on the mannequins behind her. Her blonde hair is pulled into a ponytail I’d love to have wrapped around my fist right now, and her smile is wide and happy.

Fuck Henry and Rowan. She’s been through enough shit. She doesn’t need my drama.