Chapter 8 Parker
PARKER
“Move in with us,” Casey begs after listening to me relay the horrifying events of the night and my bleak reality.
“I can’t, Case. You and Kodie are just starting your life together. It’s not fair. He’s already on the road half the time.”
“You will be, too,” she points out.
“Yes, but we’ll be together at the same time. If I were with a different team and on a different game schedule, then maybe. I’m not putting myself in the middle of your relationship like that.”
She stares at me, silently begging for me to cave. Deep down, though, she knows I’m right.
“What will you do?”
Anxiety twists up my stomach. “I don’t know. But I’ll figure it out. Someone out there must need a temporary roommate while I get on my feet again.”
“I can ask Hailee,” Casey says, referring to the Vipers’ PR Director. “She always knows everything about everyone.”
“Maybe,” I muse, hating the idea of already needing help from my new employer before I’ve even started.
I wanted to walk into the arena on day one in my new uniform with my head held high, like I could take on the world.
Right now, I don’t even have a uniform to fucking wear, let alone be able to hold my head up high.
“I need to do something, though, I can’t stay here.”
“I’m sure Linc won’t mind you staying for a bit. You’re both going to be on the road as much as you’re here over the next few months.”
“Even more reason to get out of his hair. He doesn’t need me cramping his style.”
“He’ll just have to take his conquests elsewhere for a while. He’ll cope.”
“But he shouldn’t have to. This is his home,” I reason.
“If he didn’t want you here, he wouldn’t have brought you here last night.”
“Linc’s a decent person,” I say. He might annoy the shit out of me most of the time, but I can’t deny this. “He was doing what he thought was right.”
“And making sure you had clothes first thing this morning?”
“Okay, so that went a little above just being nice. It’s New Year’s Day. How did he even manage it?”
Casey shrugs. “It’s probably for the best we don’t know. But talk to him about you staying. He might surprise you.”
“And what if I don’t want to stay here?”
“Parker, I love you, but right now, you don’t have much of a choice.”
Tears burn my eyes again.
“Talk to Linc and then take things one day at a time. You’ll soon be sucked into the excitement of the season, and before you know it, you’ll be out apartment hunting and starting over. By the time the boys win the cup, you’ll have a whole new life.
“You’re already making a name for yourself. Do you know how many female athletic trainers there are in the NHL?”
She doesn’t need to ask that question. Of course I know. It’s why I thought I had as much chance of securing this job as finding unicorn shit.
But I did it.
And not only that, I can get through this, too.
Rolling my shoulders back, I push to my feet and march toward the kitchen.
“More coffee?”
“I thought you’d never ask.”
As much as I know I need to go out to replace things, when Casey offers to call an Uber, I turn her down.
The thought of stepping outside and pretending everything is okay is just too much.
Tomorrow. I’ll do it tomorrow.
She’ll be back at work, Linc will be at the rink, and I can start rebuilding before my first shift the day after.
I just need today to wallow.
Casey stays with me, chatting about everything and nothing for hours. We order lunch, and she keeps me distracted from reality until voices filter down to us a few hours later.
Light footsteps race our way, and I smile.
“Parker,” Sutton cries before jumping into my lap and wrapping her arms around my shoulders.
The sound of paper crinkling hits my ears as she holds me, and my chest tightens.
“What have you got there?” I ask as she pulls back.
“I made you a new one,” Sutton says with a wide, proud smile as she holds her replacement drawing between us. “And I think this one is better.”
I stare at it, tears blurring my vision.
“It’s beautiful, Sutton,” Casey says.
“I love it,” I force past the lump in my throat. “Thank you so much.”
“Linc said you can put it on the fridge,” Sutton informs me.
“Oh, is that right?” I ask, twisting to look over my shoulder just as the man in question places some bags on the kitchen island. “What’s all that?”
Linc spins around, his eyes locking on mine.
“I’ll show you later,” he says, and I swear his cheeks get a little pink.
I hold his gaze for a beat before focusing on the bags.
“Did you go to Sephora?”
“Umm…” Linc hesitates, rubbing the back of his neck.
“We should go,” Kodie says to Casey.
“Ow,” Sutton complains. “I like Linc’s place. Can I see your gym?”
Linc looks from her to Kodie before promising, “Next time you come over, you can totally check out my gym.”
Sutton looks a little disappointed, but she doesn’t argue.
“I’ll call you tomorrow,” Casey says as she pulls me in for a hug. “But if you need anything, if you change your mind about moving in with us, call me, yes?”
“Yes, Mom,” I tease.
“Oh, and call your parents. It’ll only get worse the longer you leave it.”
“I know, I will,” I promise. The prospect of confessing my failings to my parents fills me with dread.
They’re going to be so disappointed. They raised me to be more responsible.
I know they’ll help me out if I ask. Dad’s hockey career might have been cut short due to injury, but my parents have never struggled for money.
He coached after retiring, but two years ago, he decided he was done for good.
They downsized their house, and they’ve pretty much been travelling the world ever since, enjoying the time they have left and the money Dad worked so hard to earn.
I’m beyond happy for them, and I love getting postcards from each place they visit. I need to tell them I’m no longer at my apartment if I want to receive any more.
Casey walks away while I’m deep in thought, and it’s not until she speaks again that I come back to myself.
“Look after my girl.”
I turn around to see Casey giving Linc the look. She’s known him just as long as I have, but they don’t have the love-hate relationship we have. I guess it helps that Linc didn’t used to team up with her big brother with the sole intention of tormenting her.
I shake my head, refusing to think about those times.
We’re not kids anymore. A lot has changed.
Like the fact that you’re currently living with him.
There was a time when he showed me another side of himself. A time I’ve fought so fucking hard to forget. But in only a few hours, it’s becoming painfully obvious that it’s still there.
Lincoln Storm might be an egotistical, self-absorbed asshole. But he’s not just those things. He can also be sweet, supportive, and…as much as I hate to admit it, a good friend.
After another round of goodbyes, Casey, Kodie, and Sutton leave.
The silence that descends is deafening.
“What?” Linc asks, and it’s only when his voice hits me that I realize I’m staring at him. “You’re looking at me like I’m a stranger.”
I think you might be.
“S-sorry. Everything is just…a lot, you know?”
“Yeah,” he muses, rubbing the back of his neck again.
It’s a move he’s done when nervous for as long as I can remember. I also remember thinking it was incredibly hot once upon a time.
Not now, though.
Nope. Not hot at all…
“Did hanging out with Casey help?”
I smile. “Hanging out with Casey always helps. Thank you for calling her. She tried to convince me to move in with them.”
“Are you?” Linc asks a little too quickly.
I knew he didn’t want me here, but seeing that reaction, that hope that I might be leaving, is like a slap to the face.
“Not if I can help it. Casey suggested talking to Hailee to see if she knows of anyone who needs a roommate.”
“If anyone will know, it’ll be her. Maybe one of the girls in the front office is looking.”
“Yeah, maybe,” I muse, hating how much I hate the idea of living with a stranger. What if they have really annoying habits or a dog that barks at night or—
I cut my own thoughts off. I shouldn’t be talking myself out of this.
“I can ask around as well, if you want. The sooner you get your own space, the better, right?”
“Uh-huh. Yep. So, what’s in the bags?”
“Umm…” He starts rubbing his neck again, and my curiosity builds. “If any of it is wrong, tell me and I can exchange it. Casey gave me a list, but honestly, I had no idea what the fuck I was looking at. Sutton helped a bit, but…” He trails off as I peer into the first bag.
“Linc,” I breathe as shock rocks through me.
“Are they right?” he asks nervously as I stare at the bottles.
Bottles of my favorite hair products.
“Yes, they’re perfect. Thank you,” I say, praying I don’t sound like I’m moments away from breaking down.
“There’s more,” he says, sliding another bag closer.
Inside that one are my face care products and a selection of makeup in my favorite brands.
“The color Casey gave me for the lipstick didn’t exist. We spoke to a lady who works there, and she said—”
“That it’s been discontinued.”
“Y-yeah. She suggested that one as the closest alternative.”
A laugh bubbles out of me.
Before I know what I’m doing, I launch myself at him, jumping so I can properly wrap my arms around his shoulders.
“Whoa.” He grunts, catching me before I slide down his body and no doubt crumple into an emotional heap on the floor.
“Who are you and what have you done with Lincoln Storm?” I ask brokenly as I cling to him, my tears embarrassingly soaking into his T-shirt.
He holds me tighter as his chest rumbles with laughter. “I’m pretty sure you’re the only one who knows this side of me exists, babe. No other woman has seen it, that’s for sure.”
His words and the reminder of the past they drag up are like a bucket of ice-cold water thrown over me.
I release him and drop to the floor as if I’ve been burned.
“Parker?” he asks, confused by the sudden change.
“Thank you so much for this. You don’t know how much I appreciate it.”
“I’ve got practice and a strength and conditioning session tomorrow, but I can be done early afternoon if you need company for anything else,” he offers.
“I think I’ll be fine. I’m just gonna…” I gather up the bags, needing to get as far away from him as I possibly can while inside his apartment. “Hang out in the guest room, get out of your hair. Forget I’m even here. Just…you do you, yeah?”