6. Chapter Six
Chapter Six
Blaze
“Dude, I got a girl’s number from the ice skating rink,” Dylan brags as he wipes the sweat from his face. “She’s a figure skater.”
“Wow. Another girl for you to make cry?” I bench press my final six reps and set the bar on the rack.
He huffs, peering down at me with a perplexed expression on his face. “I don’t always make them cry. I just don’t keep them around long if they’re not the one . I mean, I’m looking to settle down now.”
I explode in laughter as I push myself up into a sitting position on the exercise bench. The sound of clinking weights fills the room as our teammates continue their workouts. “You’re kidding, right? Because the only thing I ever see you settling is scores with angry boyfriends.”
“No,” he insists. “Not true. Also, how is it my fault if some girl’s boyfriend gets mad that she flirted with me? It’s not like I can tell if a girl has a boyfriend just by looking at her. You don’t even know the struggle. You don’t date.”
I frown as I grab my towel from where it hangs and wipe the sweat from my face.
“I mean, when’s the last time you even took a girl out?” Dylan hovers as I stand to my feet.
“I don’t know. I haven’t really dated anyone since college.” I hate to admit it, but it’s the truth. I just haven’t had the time, and the few dates I’ve gone on have been total train wrecks.
“Which I don’t even get,” Dylan continues. “Don’t you want a family?”
“I have Addy,” I tell him with a shrug. “I don’t really need anyone else.”
Dylan’s dark brows raise. “You might. Because one of these days, Addy’s going to end up finding someone to settle down with.”
“Nothing—and no one— is going to come between us.”
“Are you sure about that? Because I doubt her significant other will be hunky-dory with a buff NHL player hanging around his woman all the time—and you won’t be running her errands anymore for her, either. There’ll be no more showing up and being her hero.”
I shake my head. “Addy’s been my best friend for over ten years, and she’s the closest thing I have to family. You know how I grew up.”
“Sure.” Dylan places a hand on my shoulder. “But don’t you eventually want a wife and kids of your own and stuff?”
I make a face at him. “No offense, but this seems a little off-kilter coming from you. Talking about marriage and kids and stuff. You’re usually only concerned if a woman is blonde or brunette.”
Dylan lets out a ragged sigh. “Yeah, I know. I don’t know what’s up with me lately. I guess I’m just tired of playing the field.”
“So, then stop?” I head toward the locker room and check my watch. It’s nearly seven o’clock.
“Are Kade and Cam around?” Dylan asks as he follows me.
“I’m not sure. Why?”
“I don’t know. I just need to vent.”
“About wanting to settle down?” I peer back at him.
He shakes his head. “I just … I have someone in my head that I can’t get out—and she shouldn’t be there. I hate it.”
“Who is it?”
“Not telling,” he says quickly. “But it’s not good.”
I spin around to face him as I bristle. “It’s not Addy, is it?”
“Woah, calm your jets, bud.” Dylan breaks into a massive, cocky grin. “So what if it is Addy? Huh? What would you do?” He challenges me in his usual way, and I can’t tell if he’s messing with me—or if he’s actually into Addy.
But either way, it’s a no from me.
“I’ll kill you,” I tell him, my voice growing defensive.
His eyes narrow. “Maybe this is why you can’t find a girl to settle down with. You’re too worried about the one you already have. Why don’t you just wife her up already?”
“Shut up,” I snap, rolling my eyes. It’s not the first time that someone has tried to say that Addy and I should be together. It comes with the territory of being best friends, especially given that neither of us has ever had a long-term or serious relationship.
“You run off every single one of her boyfriends,” Dylan adds, grating my nerves even further. He’s on a roll today, and I’m not enjoying it.
“I don’t.”
“You do. Come on, none of the guys she’s dated have lasted more than what? A few months? And can you blame them? I mean, who wouldn’t be threatened by you? You’re a rough and tough self-made hockey player. And you don’t even date because of her.”
“What do you mean, because of her?” I demand, once again growing defensive.
“Oh, come on.” Dylan shakes his head and walks past me. “It’s not hard to see that you’re so focused on her that you can’t focus on anyone else. But also, no , Addy isn’t the one stuck in my head. She’s cute, though—just not my type.”
“Good to know,” I mutter under my breath as I enter the locker room behind Dylan. “I was worried I might have to punch you in the face.”
He bursts into laughter. “Exactly my point.”
“About what?” Kade pops out from the showers, dressed in a pair of sweats with no shirt, towel-drying his hair. “What could Dylan possibly be making a good point about?”
“The fact that Blaze doesn’t date anyone because of Addy,” Dylan answers before I can.
Kade shrugs. “Oh, yeah, duh.”
My jaw drops. “What? That’s not true.”
“Yeah, yeah cause she’s your family or whatever.” Dylan waves me off.
Kade tilts his head, the droplets of water dripping from his hair glistening across his olive skin. “So, you look at her like a sister?”
I hesitate. “No.”
Dylan chuckles. “That’s what I thought. See? You have the hots for her.”
“Addy’s been around forever,” I huff. “Why are you so fixated on this all of the sudden?”
“Because you literally dropped everything at the gym the other day just to go to her house and get her a fresh pair of clothes,” Dylan retorts. “Who does that?”
“A husband,” Kade answers, shooting me a wicked grin. “That’s who does it.”
“No way,” I object. I mean … maybe that is what husbands do… But I wouldn’t know, I’ve never had that kind of insight into a marriage. “She needed to change. I was just being a good friend.”
“Uh-huh.” Kade laughs. “It’s all good if you like her, too. She’s awesome.”
I roll my eyes. “I’ve never looked at her like that.”
Well, that’s a lie.
She was all I thought about in college. But … I buried those feelings a long time ago. And I’m not about to bring up that fact right now.
“Yeah, right,” Dylan huffs, peeling his shirt over the top of his head. “But I guess I’ll let it go. It’s not like you’re gonna do anything about it anytime soon.”
I ignore the comment.
“Just leave him alone,” Kade says as I gather up my gym bag, choosing to shower at home instead of here.
“Dude, I was just giving him a hard time.” Dylan holds up his hands in surrender.
“It’s just typical Dylan antics.” I wave him off.
“Are you coming with us to Florida next weekend?” Kade changes the subject, his eyes on me. “I figured since Addy will be at her sister’s wedding, you could use some bro time.”
I shrug. “Sure, why not?”
“Great!” Dylan wiggles his eyebrows. “We’re gonna snag the ladies left and right with these muscles.” He flexes.
I shake my head. I have no desire to snag the ladies . I have enough on my plate as it is with hockey.
“I’ll see y’all tomorrow,” I tell them as I slip out of the exit, heading toward the parking lot. The sound of laughter catches my attention, and I tilt my head in the direction, spotting Cam and Nila in the parking lot.
The newly engaged couple doesn’t notice me because they’re so wrapped up in each other. I’m happy for them. And in a way, I’m partly responsible for bringing them together—because they never would’ve met if Cam hadn’t stupidly punched that fan in my defense. Nila was the social media manager who cleaned up the mess, and those two have been inseparable ever since.
But I don’t know why I have this little pang of jealousy in my chest every time I see them fawning over each other.
I wouldn’t even know how to make a relationship work.
I frown at the thought and climb into my Jeep, the black leather sticking to my sweat-drenched skin. It’s moments like this that make me miss my motorcycle … but I had to sell it when I joined the NHL because my body is “too valuable to risk the injury.” It’s against my contract to even ride one.
I sigh and start the engine, startling at the radio that’s suddenly blaring classic rock.
The me three hours ago was harder of hearing, apparently.
I begin the short drive home, which is just a few blocks away, in the same neighborhood as Cam and Kade.
Ten minutes later, I’m climbing out of the car and making my way through the interior garage door. My phone buzzes from somewhere inside my gym bag, but I ignore it.
Whatever it is can wait until I’m done showering.
I clamber up the spiral stairs, ignoring my sparse home decor. Addy has been on me since the day I moved in to make it homier . But I don’t know how to do that. I’ve never stayed in one place long enough to get attached to it. Not since my parents chose drugs over me when I was four years old.
I ended up in foster care because there were no other family members to take me in. And I guess I just drew the unlucky number, because nobody in the system ever took me home and kept me there either.
The concept of creating a cozy home seems foreign to me.
But Addy insists that this house is mine now, that I should make it a home instead of just a place to sleep.
Some habits die hard …
I slip into the master bedroom—which is about as bare as the rest of the house—and toss my bag onto the black quilted king-sized bed. I leave it there while I take a quick ten-minute shower. When I step out, I tie the towel around my waist and pause in front of the mirror.
I probably should’ve shaved.
I take in the thick, dark stubble casting across my jaw.
“Oh well.” I shrug before running a brush through my disheveled, but clean, jet-black hair.
Just as I step out of the bathroom to get dressed, my doorbell rings.
“What the heck?” I furrow my brow as the security app pings my phone. I dig into my gym bag and grab my phone, opening up the app as I head downstairs. I see the live video recording of Addy standing on my porch, her arms folded across her chest.
I narrow my gaze, squinting down at her oversized T-shirt and…
Wait, does she even have pants on?
My eyes grow wide, and I pick up my pace, hoping like heck nothing is seriously wrong. I set my phone on the counter on the way to the door and rip it open, a burst of warm air hitting my exposed abdomen.
“Oh my… Oh my gosh! Put some clothes on!” Addy screeches, her hands flying up to cover her face.
“What?” I glance down, realizing all I have on is my bath towel. “You can’t see anything.”
“Uh, it’s the principle,” Addy says, still looking away. However, I don’t miss the redness tinging her cheeks… And something about that makes me feel… weird .
“It’s not like you’re wearing much yourself,” I joke awkwardly.
She glances down at her outfit and then laughs, raising her baggy t-shirt to reveal her running shorts. “Typical man.”
Now my face is red. “That’s… not…” Ugh. I step to the side to let her in. “Just get in here.”
Addy steps inside and immediately starts doing that thing she does when she’s nervous—wringing her hands and staring at her feet. “Um… so…”
“So…?” I tighten the towel around my waist, suddenly feeling very self-conscious. “What’s up? Is there an emergency? Or are you just here to hang out?”
The last time she acted like this, she had accidentally scraped a pole while driving my car. Thankfully, I know my car has nothing to do with whatever this is.
She lets out a sharp breath and meets my gaze. “Will you be my boyfriend?”