Chapter 14 Gabriel
Chapter fourteen
Gabriel
Steam fogs the glass along the boards as practice winds down.
Pucks thud. Sticks clap. The last drill ends with Dex firing one more unnecessary slap shot that clangs off the post just to hear the sound.
Coach blows the whistle. "That’s it. Hit the showers."
Gear scrapes across the floor as we skate toward the tunnel. The locker room smells like sweat, wet equipment, and the sharp bite of fresh stick tape.
Normal day.
Until it isn’t.
I pull off my helmet and drop onto the bench, rolling my shoulders while I untie my skates.
"Good practice," Gregory says, already halfway undressed.
"For you maybe," Dex says. "Some of us were clearly being targeted by hostile defensemen."
"You tripped over the blue line," Bobby says.
"That blue line came out of nowhere," Dex replies.
Laughter ripples through the room.
I finish unlacing my skates and look up.
That’s when I see it.
The big whiteboard at the front of the locker room.
Dex is standing in front of it like a security guard outside a nightclub.
Which means he’s definitely up to something.
Huge black letters.
No missing them.
WHEN WILL SHELLY ADMIT HE LOVES HIS WIFE?
I stare at it.
Then I stand.
"What the hell is that?"
Dex, who is halfway through pulling his jersey over his head, freezes like a raccoon caught in a flashlight beam.
"Oh," he says casually. "You noticed."
Gregory immediately backs away from the whiteboard like it might explode.
Bobby looks delighted.
The board is a mess.
Names everywhere.
Dates circled.
Arrows pointing in directions that make no sense.
Someone has drawn a huge dollar sign in the corner like this is a Vegas sportsbook.
I walk closer.
Dex – Next road trip
Dex – Before Shelly buys matching pajamas
Gregory – All-Star break
Mills – Playoffs after two glasses of champagne
Bobby – Already happened
Colby – At the next team dinner when Shelly accidentally calls Natalie "babe" in front of everyone
Jonah – Following a post-game interview when he forgets the microphone is on
There are more.
A lot more.
Someone has drawn odds next to them like a sportsbook.
I turn slowly.
"You guys are gambling on my marriage?"
Dex brightens instantly.
"Technically," he says, "we’re predicting emotional timelines."
"Twenty dollar buy in," Gregory mutters.
"Dex," I say.
"Yes captain of denial?"
"Explain this."
Dex walks over to the board proudly like a man unveiling a masterpiece.
"Gentlemen," Dex announces, clapping his hands once, "Shelly has discovered the pool. Odds just shifted."
A cheer erupts across the locker room.
"Traitors," I say.
"Investors," Dex corrects.
He taps the board with the marker.
"We’re simply tracking when you will admit you’re in love with your wife."
"You’re insane," I say.
Gregory crosses his arms.
"Statistically," he says calmly, "it’s a strong probability curve."
"A probability curve?" I say. "You idiots doing math now?"
"We adjusted the odds after the club incident," Dex adds.
"What club incident?"
Dex grins.
"The one where you teleported across town like Batman because some guy was trying to show Natalie his dance moves."
The locker room erupts again.
"He did show up pretty fast," Bobby says thoughtfully.
"Ten minutes," Gregory confirms.
"Traffic was light," I mutter.
Dex immediately adds another line on the board.
Dex – When Shelly starts bringing homemade lunches to the rink
He stares at it for a second.
"Actually," he says, crossing it out again, "this one's better."
He rewrites it.
Dex – YESTERDAY
"Odds shifted," he says.
"You people need hobbies," I say.
"This is a hobby," Dex replies proudly.
He starts collecting folded bills from guys across the room.
"Twenty dollar buy in," he reminds them.
"You’re running a gambling ring," I say.
"I prefer the term investment opportunity," Dex says.
I turn back to the board.
My eyes land on Bobby’s line.
Bobby – Already happened
I point at it.
"What’s that supposed to mean?"
Bobby shrugs from his stall, completely calm.
"Just my professional opinion."
"You’re a defenseman," I say.
"Observation is part of the job," he replies.
I stare at him.
"Explain."
He gestures vaguely toward me.
"You drove across the city in ten minutes because someone flirted with her," he says. "You didn't even ask what was going on. You just showed up. That's not neutral behavior."
The room goes quiet.
Not fully quiet.
But quieter.
Gregory stops unlacing his skate.
Dex lowers the marker slightly.
I shake my head.
"That’s not—"
"Love?" Bobby supplies helpfully.
"Correct."
"Sure," Dex says.
He walks over to the board again and writes another line.
Shelly – In denial
The locker room explodes.
"You’re hilarious," I say flatly.
"Thank you," Dex replies.
He steps back and admires the board.
"Gentlemen," he says proudly. "This is the most accurate predictive model we’ve ever built."
"You once bet Gregory would cry during a dog food commercial," Bobby reminds him.
"He did," Dex says.
"That dog was lost," Gregory mutters.
I rub the back of my neck.
"You’re all fucking ridiculous."
"Maybe," Dex says.
"Definitely," Gregory corrects.
Dex spins the marker between his fingers.
"So," he says casually. "You want in the pool?"
"No."
"Come on," he says. "Place your own bet."
"You can all kiss my ass," I say.
"Coward," Dex says.
"Smart," Gregory says.
Dex shrugs and turns back to the board.
He writes another line slowly.
Shelly – Already knows
The room goes quiet again.
Not loud quiet.
But the kind where everyone waits for the reaction.
I stare at the words.
Already knows.
I scoff.
"You guys watch too many chick flicks."
"We watch you," Dex says.
"That’s worse," I say.
"You brought leftover cupcakes to the arena last week," Gregory says.
"Natalie made them for Maddie’s class," I correct.
"And then you brought the extras for us," Bobby says.
"And called them Sparkle Power Cupcakes," Dex adds. "Like it was a brand."
The locker room erupts again.
"That was Maddie," I say.
"Sure," Dex says.
He caps the marker.
"Anyway," he continues, "the pool remains open."
"You’re unbelievable," I say.
"You married the right woman," Bobby says suddenly.
I glance at him.
"What?"
He shrugs again.
"She fits," he says simply.
That quiet sentence lands heavier than the jokes.
Because he’s right.
The image flashes in my head before I can stop it.
Natalie in the kitchen.
Flour on her cheek.
Laughing while Maddie names cupcakes.
Daisy running through the house with pink frosting on her face.
The two of them laughing like it’s the most normal thing in the world.
Like they’ve always been there.
I shake the thought away.
Dex claps his hands loudly.
"Alright boys," he says. "Pool closes at midnight tonight."
I grab my towel.
"I’m taking a shower."
"You should call Natalie," Dex calls after me.
"Why?"
"For research purposes," he says.
"Shut up," I reply.
I head toward the showers.
But before I disappear down the hallway, I glance back once more.
The whiteboard is still there.
Full of bets.
Dates.
Predictions.
Right in the center.
Shelly – Already knows.
I shake my head.
Idiots.
Absolute idiots.
Still.
As the locker room noise fades behind me, one thought sticks in the back of my mind.
Not the jokes.
Not the bets.
Not even Dex running a gambling ring on my emotions.
Just Bobby’s calm voice earlier.
She fits.
And the irritating possibility that every jackass in this locker room might be right.