Chapter 4
Zane
“Can you believe we won?” Blake asks, still trying to catch his breath. “We won,” he repeats, like it hasn’t quite landed yet, as we pack up our things.
I think the entire team was convinced we were going to lose, which made us fight even harder than usual.
“Honestly, I thought we lost. They got pretty close,” I say.
The rest of the team is a bit more aggressive about winning than we are. Blake and I used to be like that. Maybe, in the world of hockey, we’re getting old. Coach says we still have a couple of good years ahead of us if we want to keep playing, but who knows when that changes.
“The look on Perth’s face when the whistle blew was incredible. I wish I could frame it,” Blake grins.
Perth has been his rival for a while, and this game meant a lot to him. They play the same position, and they used to be on the same team. Their history goes back far.
“Yeah, the Hawks aren’t too happy,” I say with a laugh.
“I hope we play them again in this league,” Blake sighs, already thinking about another win.
“Chances are we will,” I say.
“Any plans tonight?” Blake asks as I throw my bag over my shoulder. It’s stiff from the game. Somehow, opponents always crash into my right shoulder like it’s a universal weak spot every coach knows about.
“Not really. I think I’m going to watch a movie. At least we don’t have practice tomorrow. What about you?”
“I have a date with this influencer girl. She kept sending me DMs, so I figured I’d give her a shot. She’s cute,” Blake says with a grin.
He always dates girls who are trying to be someone. They use him for attention, and he enjoys whatever they have to offer. Blake doesn’t care if he ends up in a magazine or on some gossip channel.
“Can’t wait to see it on the news tomorrow,” I joke. “Think C-News will report on it?”
“Maybe. If they do, I’ll make sure they get the right angle.”
“Goodnight, Blake.”
“Later, Zane.”
I leave the locker room through the back hallways, slipping into the arena’s quieter corridors where staff and security move like shadows.
My phone buzzes with notifications I don’t want to look at. Someone tagging me. Someone asking me to show up somewhere. Someone wanting a piece of me.
I ignore it. I’m not in the mood to deal with people, business, or sponsorships tonight.
When I step out into the players’ exit, the cold air hits my face like a reset. I breathe it in and scan the parking lot for my car.
Then I see Leo.
He’s leaning against a pillar like he owns the place, hands in his pockets, watching the crowd disperse with the satisfied look of someone who got exactly what he wanted.
He spots me and straightens.
“Zane!” he calls, like he’s been waiting.
I walk toward him. “What are you doing here? You didn’t come in for the game?”
“I was in the area. How are you?” Leo asks, and something about it feels… off. Like he has an ulterior motive.
“I’m good. Just another day at the office. You?”
“Oh, I’m great. My girl’s good, my company is good, my job at the bakery is good, can’t complain.”
I can’t help but smile at that. I never thought Tess would forgive him after everything that went down, but here we are.
“I’m happy for you, man. You want to hang out? Grab a beer or something?”
“I can’t. Tess is waiting for me at the bakery so I can pick her up. But maybe you can stop by tomorrow after practice? We can grab coffee.”
The offer feels casual, but there’s something intentional underneath it.
Going to the bakery means I might see Gwen again.
That thought lands heavier than it should.
“Sure,” I say. “How’s three?”
Leo agrees immediately and starts toward his car.
“Hey, have you heard from Julian lately?” he asks before getting in.
“Can’t say I have. Last time was at your place,” I tell him.
“He must be busy,” Leo shrugs.
We say goodbye, and he shuts the car door.
I get into my car and shut the door, the quiet interior sealing me off from the world. For a moment, I just sit there, hands resting on the steering wheel, breathing.
As the noise from the arena fades, Gwen’s face flashes in my mind again.
What is going on with me?
The radio hums to life with a track by Ryan Jesse, and I’m halfway through it when an incoming call cuts in. I sigh. When Lisa calls, it usually means something is up.
“Hey, sis,” I say, pressing the button. We’ve gotten a lot closer over the years, no more arguments over toys or who got the bigger slice of cake.
“How is my favorite brother doing?” Lisa asks in her usual bright tone.
“I am your only brother.”
“So? I still like you,” she replies, and I can’t help but smile.
“I’m good. How are you? How are things out West?”
There’s a pause.
It puts me on edge immediately.
Lisa is my little sister. Worrying about her is practically instinct.
“It’s not what I expected,” she says finally.
“Are you ok?” I ask, my grip tightening slightly on the wheel.
“I’m alright. I just… don’t think things are working out here. I miss you. I miss my old job. I even miss freaking Chicago. Can you believe that?”
Lisa had moved out West chasing something bigger. A fresh start. She said she wanted to become a Hollywood agent, but I always suspected part of it was a need for distance, space from everything, from everyone.
A part of me still feels responsible.
Back in Chicago, people didn’t just see her. They saw “Zane’s sister.” The Grizzlies’ Zane. Not just her older brother from Minnesota.
“Well, then why don’t you come back?” I ask, like it’s the simplest solution in the world.
Her tone shifts to a softer, more careful one now.
“That’s why I’m calling you… My favorite brother.”
I exhale slowly.
There it is.
“What do you need?” I ask, keeping my voice light.
“I need a place to stay. Just for a little while,” she says. “I’ve already booked my flight, but I don’t want to stay in a hotel. My budget’s a little… tight right now.”
“So this is why I’m your favorite brother?” I tease.
“Among other things,” she fires back.
I laugh.
Lisa has never asked me for money. Not once. Even when I offered after she first moved out West, she refused. She wanted to make it on her own. I know how much it must have taken for her to call me like this.
“Let me know when you land,” I say. “I’ll get your room ready.”
I hear the relief in her breath, and it hits me harder than I expect.
“Thanks, Zane,” she says, her voice wavering slightly.
“You sure you’re ok?” I ask again.
A pause.
“I will be.”
That’s Lisa. Always strong. Always optimistic.
Every game I’ve ever played, she believed I was going to win even when the odds said otherwise.
For an annoying little sister, she’s pretty great.
“Text me when you get to the airport,” I say. “If I can’t pick you up, I’ll send someone.”
“I will. I’ll be there on Friday. I’ll send you the details later.”
We hang up, but her voice lingers in my head.
I’m worried about her.
And if I’m being honest, a little relieved she’s coming back. It’ll be easier to look out for her when she’s here.
When I pull into my building’s parking lot, I spot Julian stepping out of a car I don’t recognize.
“Speak of the devil,” I mutter, rolling down my window.
Julian looks up, surprised, just as the car pulls away.
“Leo was just asking about you,” I add.
“Zane! What’s up?” he says, glancing over his shoulder at the disappearing car.
“I’m back from a game. Did you do something fun?” I ask, watching him closely. There’s something off; he seems distracted. Almost… nervous.
“Something like that,” he replies with a shrug.
After I park, we head toward the elevator.
Julian lives two floors below me. We’d been friends for over a year before realizing we were basically neighbors.
We only figured it out after sharing an Uber home from Blake’s housewarming party.
Julian thought I was trying to go home with him.
I was too drunk to understand what was happening.
“You doing alright?” I ask as we step inside.
“All good. Just busy with work,” he says, offering a quick smile.
“Let me know if there’s anything I can do.”
He nods politely.
As if I have any idea what he actually does for a living.
Julian has always been a little mysterious like that.
“See you soon,” he says, quieter now, stepping off the elevator a floor early.
He moves quickly down the hallway.
I frown slightly.
Why is everyone acting strange tonight?
The moment I step into my apartment, I kick off my shoes. I like being home probably more than I should. My friends prefer noise, crowds, and constant movement. Me? I’ll take my couch and a decent movie any day.
The only time I go to parties is when my agent insists or when the team expects it. The Grizzlies shape a lot of my life, but I wouldn’t change it.
I love hockey too much.
I change into sweatpants and drop onto the couch, letting the quiet settle around me.
For a moment, I close my eyes.
Lisa moving back.
Julian acting off.
Leo inviting me to the bakery.
Gwen.
Her name lingers a second longer than the rest.
Ever since Leo started working at Sunrise & Salt, I’ve wondered what it’s like there. He talks about the place like it’s something more than just a job. Of course, part of that is Tess. He was hooked on her from the moment she started bossing him around.
I huff out a quiet breath.
I’m still irritated with Rex Chen for putting everything at risk, not just Leo’s happiness, but Tess’s entire business. Her life.
And, by extension, Gwen’s.
That thought sits heavier than it should.
I grab the remote and turn on the TV. My head’s too full to focus on anything new, so I put on Pulp Fiction for what has to be the hundredth time.
I know every line.
Still, it never gets old.