Page 26 of A Little Too Forward

“You going out tonight with the boys?”

“No. I have that documentary series starting tomorrow. Need to go home and get my beauty sleep,” I jest.

“With that mug? You’d have to sleep a decade to be pretty, Daws.”

I elbow him in the side, causing him to dance away from me and walk at a distance.

“Shut up. I’m gorgeous, and you know it.”

Mason makes a quick gagging sound but chuckles and continues to walk with me.

“Can I grab a ride back to the apartment with you?”

I nod but send him a confused look. “I thought you and Jess were—”

“We broke up,” he says quickly. “Last night, actually. She wasn’t happy with how much I travel, and apparently, I don’t pay enough attention to her when I am around.”

“She is aware you’re a professional hockey player, right? Travel and training are part of the job.”

“Oh, she knows. My credit card statement lets me know she knows. But I guess the money wasn’t enough to keep her around.”

I lose my breath as we step into the cold and bracing night air. I stop walking. My bags are heavy, hanging off both shoulders, and the suit I’m wearing feels tight, but I push that physical discomfort away to address something more serious.

“Would you want to?”

Mason notices I’m not beside him anymore and turns.

“Want to what?”

“Keep her around? Knowing that one of the main reasons you’re together is because she likes your money.”

For a long moment, Mason doesn’t say anything, indecision on his face. Then with a big, long sigh, he shakes his head.

“No,” he says, defeat and a tiredness I can relate to in his voice. “No, I never liked knowing that was the reason she stayed around. It’s just…I thought we could make it work. It was nice to have someone to go home to and escape the pandemonium.”

We start walking again. The city buzzes with activity around us. There are shouts and blasting horns, music from a pub down the street. Yet, Mason and I stay quiet until we’re almost at my SUV.

“I guess I just thought I could save the relationship by moving in, and not even that gesture seemed to make her happy.”

“But were you happy, man?”

Looking over at my friend and teammate, I see the realization hit him. Even in the dim light of the parking lot, I see the blink of acknowledgment.

“No, I guess I wasn’t. Not really.” He yanks open the back passenger-side door and throws his bags in. I do the same on my side. When we’ve both settled in our seats, Mason starts fiddling with the seat warmer. “What about you? Are you happy?”

The question catches me off guard. As I pull out of my spot and maneuver out of the parking lot, I think over his question.

I am a happy guy. Not much gets to me, and if it does, I’m pretty good at communicating my feelings and shit like that. The only black spot on my consciousness was Sabrina, but that’s been resolved now too.

An image of Sabrina the last time I saw her comes to mind. Her legs tucked under her, relaxing on my sofa. She looked good. It was a side of her I so rarely see, and I’m hoping there are more moments like that to come in our future.

“I’m happy with the way the season is going. And I’m happy about the fact I have a pizza waiting back at the apartment with my name on it.”

“Seriously, Max. Do you think you’re happy?”

“Yeah, I am.” I pause, a smile spreading over my face as I picture the days to come. “But I think I’m about to be fucking ecstatic soon.”

CHAPTER FOURTEEN

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