35. Grayson
Grayson
Itighten my skates for the last game of this road trip, and I’m ready to be home. This season is going well for us as a team, as far as wins go. But personally, I’ve never been so distracted. I want to be back in Denver and when I’m not I’m counting down the days until I can be.
Coach Mitchell gives us our pregame pep talk that I’m only half listening to. My teammate, Jackson, reads out who’s playing on what lines. I hear my name, then zone out again. I pull on my jersey, stretching my neck to loosen the tension there.
We all walk through the tunnel leading out to the arena.
Being the away team, we don’t get any sort of big intro like we do at home.
A lot of the guys get more energized by being away.
Like it’s something to prove to win on another team’s ice.
I don’t particularly care where we play; my desire to win is always the same.
Right now my desire to get through this game, hopefully with a win, and then go back home is at an all-time high.
The video call with Rae and Asher plays on repeat in my mind every time I close my eyes.
The way he had her bent over the dining room table.
The way she moaned and watched me while he fucked her.
This whole situation has gotten out of control in the best way.
My skates hit the ice and I skate around our half of the ice as the other team’s intro plays; the music and announcer are loud, but I hardly hear any of it. I’m focused on my breathing as I skate around, slapping a puck toward the goal then continuing to skate.
I glance at the signs as I skate by, not lingering on one for too long.
There’s one that catches my eye because I see my last name and number twenty-three in bright marker.
A kid is holding the sign, and it asks about trading a puck for a snack.
It makes me grin, and I grab one of the pucks with my stick, skating over to the glass and smiling at the kid in a Dragon’s jersey.
Flicking the puck up with my stick, I carefully send it over the glass, making sure the kid gets it and his mom tosses a bag of chips over to me.
I tap the glass with my glove before skating over to the bench to toss the small bag down.
While I’m here I squirt some water into my mouth and Coach Mitchell comes up to me.
“Everything okay with Collins?” he questions gruffly.
“How would I know?” I don’t mean to have an attitude, but I’m not friends with him, and frankly he’s been a dick to me and everyone lately.
“Just seems to be on edge and keeps glaring at you.”
I shrug then skate back onto the ice, my eyes catching on Collins who just checked our other teammate, Rodriguez. See, it’s not just me that he seems to have an issue with. There’s no reason to check a teammate like that especially during warm ups. He’s just a dick.
People like to talk about my dad’s time playing and what an asshole he could be, but I think Collins has him beat.
Other than the one time my dad and McQuaid got in a fight during a game, I’m pretty sure that’s the only time in NHL history teammates were fighting. The video is really funny, and something my dad likes to whip it out on Christmas.
We all skate back toward the tunnel when warm ups are over, and I see Collins say something to another teammate who grimaces while Collins laughs. I shake my head, really trying not to focus too much of my attention on whatever his deal is.
Even back in the locker room he’s being obnoxious to everyone, getting in faces and saying stupid shit.
“Collins!” Coach Mitchell snaps.
“’Sup?”
The locker room goes silent because no one talks to the Coach like that, and either Collins doesn’t care about the sudden tension he caused, or doesn’t notice it.
Coach flexes his jaw. “We’re going to chat after the game.”
Collins puts his hand to his forehead. “Aye aye, Captain.”
I can tell Coach wants to say something to him right now, but holds back because we’re about to start the game.
Our Captain, Theo Dawson, finally speaks up, “Collins, chill the fuck out and save your shit for the game.”
“Ooh, finally piss you off enough, Captain?”
“Seriously, just shut up,” I grumble.
“I forgot the team nepo baby is the one really in charge here, right?”
The room is filled with telling Collins to shut up, and we’re finally free of his outbursts when it’s game time.
I’m grateful for the reprieve as we all get out onto the ice.
I notice the tension from Collins, and I’m sure he’s going to have a shitty night after the game, win or lose, because Coach is going to completely ream him.
But none of that matters right now. All I want is to win.
When we get out onto the ice I realize I was too distracted by the shit going on with my team that I didn’t look at my phone to see a text from Rae she always sends wishing me luck. This sets me on edge. It’s a part of my routine, and as an athlete routines are extremely important.
I try not to let it consume me too much, but my mind is spinning while we line up on the ice, through the national anthem, and then as we get in position for puck drop. It isn’t until the puck hits the ice and everyone starts moving that I snap out of it and get into game mode.
The other team gets possession and I’m skating backwards as they try to bring the puck over to our zone. We’re able to intercept a pass, and quickly skate over to the other side and take advantage of the line change. I hop over the boards as the other line jumps on.
While on the bench I keep a close eye on the game, and by the time Collins is on the ice on the third line, it doesn’t take long before he gets a penalty for high sticking. I shake my head; he tries to argue with the ref, but it doesn’t do anything.
I look across the ice at where the penalty box closes, and Collins is glaring directly at me. I shake my head, looking away because I don’t need to deal with him anymore. Whatever his deal is with me he can get over himself.
We win the game, but just barely. We went into overtime and a shootout where we were able to clinch the winning point.
Back in the locker room, I’m glad Coach Mitchell has seemed to get Collins away from all of us as we get dressed to head back to the bus.
I pull out my phone to see a few texts from Rae and smile.
Even though I didn’t see her good luck text, she sent it anyway.
Along with her usual coaching comments that make me smile. If it was anyone else like my dad, or my uncles, I would roll my eyes at comments like these. But with her, I love it.
I love her.
Rae
Good luck tonight! I can’t wait until you’re back home.
Rae
Jackson was wide open! Why didn’t you pass to him?!
Rae
Damn, what’s Collins’ issue?
Rae
I bet my dad is screaming at the TV that Jordan let that goal through.
Rae
Woo! Another win for the Dragons. Congrats!
Grayson
Thanks, Sunshine. Are you going to be available when I’m back in the hotel?
Rae
Guess you’ll have to find out. *Wink emoji*
Grayson
Are you alone?
Rae
Guess you’ll find that out too. *Wink emoji*
I smile, shaking my head, locking my phone and hoping the bus hurries up so we can get back to the hotel.
I’m looking out the window, letting my mind wander about what it’ll be like when I get back home.
My mind goes back to watching Rae and Asher together and if we do end up fulfilling the fantasy they created. All of us together. Filling her.
Collins is the last to get on the bus, and I expect him to start running his mouth, but he doesn’t. He does keep glaring at me as he walks past my seat. I don’t have the energy to interact with him, and don’t care to anyway. I just want to get back to the hotel and call my girl.
The bus starts, and luckily the drive back to the hotel isn’t a long one. My phone dings with a text from my dad congratulating me on the win like he always does. I swear sometimes I think he thinks he’s still on the team with the way he says, “we won.”
I always wondered why he didn’t get into coaching, but he said he would be too tempted to jump on the ice and do it himself.
Which makes sense actually. Plus, he wouldn’t want to leave Denver, and coaches get moved around and fired all the time.
My uncle Brent would have been a good coach, he used to when I was younger, but never in the pros because he didn’t want to be away from his family as much as he was when he played for the Dragons.
Back at the hotel, I’m glad there’s no more run-ins with my team or coach because I finally get into the room and instantly call Rae. I consider just talking on the phone, but I need to see her face.
She answers, and I recognize the area she’s sitting at her piano, the windows around her that bring in a lot of natural light in the day, but at night with her soft lighting has a gentle aura around her. Because she always shines. My sunshine.
“There you are.” I smile as soon as I see her.
She blushes instantly with a smile of her own.
“Already back to working?” I ask.
“Oh yeah, I’m on a roll with this song. It’s officially going to be a duet with Noah, and I really think it’s going to be amazing,” she beams, already so excited and it’s infectious.
“Asher didn’t seem to like this Noah guy,” I comment. I trust Rae’s judgment, but Asher seemed to have another opinion.
“Does Asher seem to like anyone?” she scoffs.
“He likes you,” I tell her, easily.
She rolls her lips together, then looks down at her hands. “Yeah, I like him too.”
“I know you do, Sunshine. And I like making you happy.”
She looks up at me with a gentle smile. “You always do.”
Suddenly, there’s a loud banging noise, and Rae jumps. I do as well even though I’m not there.
“What was that?” I snap as she looks around quickly.
“I-I don’t know,” she stutters, grabbing her phone and standing from the piano, padding through her house.
“Where’s your security?” I ask urgently, already pulling up Asher’s number to tell him to go over to her and hating myself that I’m across the fucking country from her.
“I have cameras, they’re watching. Maybe it’s a bird or something.”
“At night?” I have a text composed to Asher, but then I hear Rae talking to her security through the intercom.
“All clear, Ms. Colver, but we’ll be walking rounds around the property,” he says.
“Thank you,” she replies, but I can hear how shaky she is.
“I wish I was there with you right now. What do you need?” I ask quickly.
She shakes her head. “I’m okay, just stay on the phone with me.”
“Do you want Asher to come over?” I ask, glad for the option, but also hating that it’s not me.
“I’ll be okay,” she insists. “Just stay on the phone with me tonight.”
I agree easily as she carries her phone up to her room, and I recognize the soft click of the lock once she’s inside. She climbs into her bed, and I want to make sure to distract her enough so she can go to sleep. I’m sure her anxiety is in overdrive, but I know the best thing to calm her down.
“Do you want to sing me your new song?” I ask easily.
“It’s not ready yet.” Her voice is still shaky as she cocoons herself in her blankets.
“You know I don’t mind that. I want to hear it. Or tell me more about this duet.”
“Um, it’s a little edgy for me, but he’s used to that, and I think it’s a good intro to my new music,” she explains.
“Is it a love song?” I ask, not because I’ll necessarily be jealous to hear her singing about love with this Noah guy, but I can’t help but wonder if it’s inspired by recent events in her life.
That question gets a small smile from her. “In a way? It’s pretty sexy.”
“How so?”
She sucks her bottom lip between her teeth. “I may have been inspired by this new…um…life we’re living.”
I smile; I knew it.
“I can’t wait to hear it,” I tell her honestly.
It takes another hour or so for Rae to feel relaxed enough to fall asleep, but I stay on the phone the whole time, and even as my own eyelids feel heavy I can’t bring myself to hang up.
Falling asleep while looking at her peaceful beautiful face, I’m pretty sure I tell her I love her right before I’m asleep.