Page 112 of Mr. Swoony

The two of them laugh, but Henry stops, watching me cross the ice to the net. “What’s going on?”

Rowan skates around the net, stopping at the side of it as I throw my water bottle on top and get ready to put on my helmet.

“Whoa, wait.” Tweetie skates to Rowan’s side. “I’m not shooting pucks at you when it looks like you might just slap them back at us with double the force.”

I toss my helmet on the net. “It’s all fucked up. I’m gonna lose her.”

I finally let them see the hell I’ve been living in since Lila found me again. The only people who knew about Lila in Florida were Kane and Jana Burrows, the coach and team owner, because they deserved to know.

“What are you talking about?” Rowan asks.

I glance around to make sure Coach isn’t out here yet. “Let’s just pretend to do stretches. I don’t need to lose my job and my girl in the same week.”

They all drop to their hands and knees and stretch. They really are the best friends and teammates a guy can ask for.

“Back in Florida, there was this woman I slept with. She got… attached.”

“Fuck, I hate that,” Tweetie says, but I’m pretty sure he has no idea the level I’m talking about.

“She got it in her head that we were more than we were. We had one night after a crazy game we won. I slept with her. I’m not denying that. And I stupidly gave her my number.”

Rowan nods. “That’s why when you called to tell me you were getting traded?—”

“It was from a different number. I changed my number because she texted me day and night. Then she started leaving shit outside my place and sending packages to the arena. I eventually had to file a restraining order against her in Florida.”

“Shit, man, you’re making me scared to have a one-night stand now.” Tweetie, unable to stay in one spot for long, gets up and skates in front of us, pretending to practice his stick work.

“Well, the worst part is that she found me here. She sent me a nude picture in the mail, and she’s messaging from anonymous numbers over and over and over again. Now she’s leaving bitchy comments on Eloise’s social media posts.”

Henry blows out a breath. “Shit, man, that sucks. You gotta go back to the police and file a report.”

“He’s right,” Rowan chimes in.

“I don’t want Eloise involved in this. She shouldn’t have to deal with this kinda shit.” I don’t want her anywhere near Lila or this situation.

“You have to involve her.” Henry glances at Rowan, and he nods.

“Trust me, you want to be truthful with Eloise. You have to trust that she’ll understand and be able to handle it,” Rowan says.

“Which I’m sure she will,” Henry adds.

“Fuck that. Handle it yourself and keep it clear of Eloise.” Tweetie skates to a stop. “It’s way too early for her to get mixed up in you having a stalker. You’ll scare her off.”

I’m on Tweetie’s side this time. Sure, Eloise and I are great, and every day I find out more stuff that I love about her, but to throw this at her in the first week of the season? She’d run, and I wouldn’t blame her.

“Don’t listen to him.” Henry nods toward Tweetie. “He’s the single one.”

“The single one who learned his lesson. The single one who is single because of this fucking job.” Tweetie raises his voice. It’s the first time I’ve ever heard him so adamant and angry.

I know what Tweetie told me at the campfire, but I don’t think the others do, so I’m sure they’re thrown by his outburst.

“Relationships crumble under lies.” Henry continues because that’s his role in our friendship—he’s the rational one.

“His survived after my sister lied.” I point at Rowan, and they both shake their heads.

“The Nilsen Liars.” Tweetie laughs and skates to the net, circles it, and taps in the puck.

“Fuck off. She was going to tell me who she was,” Rowan sticks up for my sister, but we all know she could have handled it better.

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