Chapter 9
NINE
CALLUM
- Present Day -
“ I thought when you asked me to come rescue you, that meant that you were actually there and needed rescuing .” My words grind out in annoyance.
It’s been almost a week since the fiasco of a dinner where I bailed on hanging out with the guys to go help Lena.
What she failed to mention at the time, was that she wasn’t, in fact, stuck at dinner with Mom.
No, she just wanted to avoid having to go herself.
And since she knows I would bend over backwards for her, no questions asked, of course I didn’t hesitate when she asked me to come.
That was my own fucking fault. Next time, ask questions first.
Aside from one very tense phone call, Lena hasn’t reached out to me this past week.
She knows I’m still pissed, and like the smart little brat of a sister that she is, she has been avoiding our normal text thread so she wouldn’t have to deal with explaining herself to me.
Which makes this latest out-of-the-blue phone call all the more suspicious .
“Look, Len. I’m not doing any more favors for you. That stunt you pulled last weekend was below the belt, even by your standards. You know how I feel about being left alone with Mom.”
I can almost feel the weight of her sigh and I cut her off before she has a chance to respond.
“No, Len. I’m serious. Just leave it alone.
I know you think Mom and I have some shit to work through, but I don’t have the fucking time or energy to deal with that shit right now.
So just drop it, please? No more playing therapist to try and repair whatever perceived damage there is in our mother-son relationship, okay? ”
“Fine.” I can hear the pout in her tone and it almost makes me smile. Almost. “But one day, you and Mom are going to have to sit down and figure this out. It’s ridiculous.”
Yeah, well. We wouldn’t have shit to figure out if she hadn’t left in the first place, taking Lena with her. She literally ripped our family in half, and left the broken pieces behind without a second glance. That’s not a conversation I’m ready to have. Not today. Not ever. No fucking thank you.
“Anyway. . .”
I stiffen at Lena’s tone. She wants another ‘favor.’ I love my little sister, and under normal circumstances would do almost anything for her, but is she fucking for real, right now? After the stunt she pulled last weekend, I think not.
“Lena, listen. I can’t talk right now. I have to finish getting ready for tonight’s game.”
“Well, fine. But I was just going to tell you to say hi to-”
“Love you, bye.”
I interrupt whatever the fuck she was about to say as I hang up.
She probably wanted me to say hi to Danica again, knowing she was going to be at tonight’s game for Theo.
I introduced them earlier this summer, and I have to say, Lena’s level of fan-girling was not so far from my own.
That woman is a fucking legend, and even after removing myself from the world of gymnastics for the years while my sister had been living out of state, I can still appreciate the amount of talent and dedication Danica has put into her years in the sport.
My blood is thrumming through my veins as I race after the puck as it flies across the blue line.
A body slams into me as I reach to take control of the biscuit, throwing me to the left and slamming me into the boards.
With an angry jerk, I shove the player off, just as Theo reaches us, yanking the asshole by his collar, and their wingman falls to the ice.
With a quick nod of thanks, I skirt around the player before he can get back up, and I’m chasing down the puck again. My heart stops as it goes flying towards our goal, but I blink and Davies is there, blocking it and shooting it off towards the far end of the ice.
“Yeah! Nice one, Newbie!” Bash is yelling, fist in the air before skating off in the opposite direction. I point over to him with my stick, a silent thanks on my lips but he isn’t looking at the ice, his gaze has drifted off to the crowd, eyes searching.
Huh. Wonder if he has someone here at the game today?
Cheers and shouts of encouragement fill my ears and I’m pulled back into the game.
Hustling forward, I focus back on the ice, watching how Theo earned his nickname as “Slick” effortlessly slides the puck between two of the opposing team, passing it over to Bash.
Players are chasing him down now, blocking his view of the goal, and like a well-oiled machine, “Tricky” Adamare slides the puck backwards between his legs, causing the players to crash into each other as they move to block a puck that is no longer there .
It’s no longer there because I have it, and pressing forward, with a skilled backhand and no hesitation, I shoot.
My shot sends the puck flying, and their goalie makes a desperate dive, just missing it as it passes through his legs and sends the buzzer off, signaling our goal.
But I don’t have time to soak in the goal.
I line up for the face-off, loud cheers still ringing in my ears.
My stick clashes with another player as we vie for control of the puck.
Crashing into his side, I shove hard, twisting my torso and send the puck over to Nate. As I try to move away from the other team, I watch from the corner of my eye as their d-man steals the puck from Mikhail and I curse under my breath.
With an abrupt jerk, I shift my weight and rush to change directions, chasing once more after the puck as it flies down the ice towards our goal. Seconds left in the game and I laugh in relief as Davies stretches out a hand, blocking the goal right as the final bell sounds.
“Yeah! That’s my fucking goalie!”
Bash and Nate fly past me as they crash into Newbie, hugging him and slapping him on the helmet as the crowd cheers wildly.
I skate up to their sides, slapping him on the back in congratulations as he yanks off his helmet, shaking out his sweaty dreads from where they stick to the side of his neck.
Newbie grins, nodding in acknowledgement of our celebrations before turning to face the stands.
With a smug smirk on his face, he points into the crowd and I shift, trying to see who he’s pointing at.
My eyes scan the crowd before my world comes crashing to a halt. The cheering crowd settles into a dull roar in the background as my eyes zero in on something never expected to see. Someone I never expected to see.
Holy. Shit.