Chapter 24
WILLA
Eng didn’t call before the team headed out for their away games on Thursday night. I supposed he was busy wrapping things up in anticipation of two weeks on the road and the team was leaving rather late at night, so I wasn’t bothered by the lack of a call or even a text.
I didn’t hear from him Friday either. I wanted to believe that he’d arrived in Chicago exhausted, fell into bed, and had been going nonstop until the game.
Then the game ended and there still was no call or text.
For two weeks we’d been having sex. Almost a week of dating and connecting.
I’d expected… I’d expected at least a damned text.
In the two weeks I’d known him I hadn’t asked for his number. I didn’t want to be the one to reach out; I wanted it to be him. I’d meet him halfway, but I just needed to see him take the first step, then I’d take one of my own.
I heard nothing Saturday, or Sunday, or Monday, or Tuesday. A week went by. Jordan and Ozar were talking, having resumed their relationship. It became difficult to hear her gushing about how he’d call her every night, how they were getting spicy on the phone long distance, and how in love she was.
I wanted that. As happy as I was for my friend, I was also jealous because that was what I’d wanted with Eng.
I should have known better. I should have known this wasn’t going to go anywhere.
I wasn’t princess material. I wasn’t what he was looking for.
I was just some great sex and a way to alleviate the boredom.
I meant nothing to him, so there was no reason for him to bother making an effort to even send me a text.
He’d probably found tons of other women to bang.
Puck bunnies who would be thrilled to show a gorgeous orc hockey player a good time, no matter whether he actually participated in the game or not.
Eng wasn’t the only one I didn’t hear from. Escalates Johnson, the owner of the Tusks hadn’t gotten back to me about my proposal. When I’d left his office, I’d held a tiny glimmer of hope that luck would be on my side and he’d decide to take a chance on me.
It seemed no one was going to take a chance on me.
I did my best to appear cheerful and upbeat around Jordan and Abby. I taught as many classes at the gym as I could, kept all my client appointments. It wasn’t easy. All I wanted to do was curl up in bed and sleep for weeks, shut out the world, drown myself in sorrow and self-pity.
For two weeks I watched Eng stand against the wall during the hockey games, his arms folded over his chest as he scowled at the other players. For two weeks I mourned what could have been.
Then I pulled myself together, dusted myself off, and counted my blessings. I had a job I loved. I had my family. I had my friends. Someday I’d find love with a man who put me first, who truly loved me back, who saw me as their princess.
Someday.