Page 37 of Doc Defence

Hel put her head in her hands. “It’s stupid. I’ve only just met him. But I really like him, and I don’t know why.”

“Because he’s hot?” Sadie supplied.

Hel’s voice was muffled by her hands. “Yes. No. I don’t know. His girlfriend is young, stunning, and well put together. I don’t even know why I’m thinking about him.”

“And he kissed you as well. It takes two to tango,” Gloria supplied with more eyebrow waggling.

“He was so high, he was practically on the ceiling.”

“He does drugs?” Gloria didn’t sound so entertained now.

“No, he’s an ice hockey player. He broke his leg. I gave him drugs for the pain,” Hel explained.

“Ahhhh. Now I understand. And then he wanted to play doctors and patient?” Gloria was waggling her eyebrows again.

Hel flushed so red her face matched her flaming hair. “Gloria, please stop.”

“See what I have to put up with.” Clara pointed at her soon-to-be mother-in-law.

“Yeah. But it’s so much funnier when it’s happening to you, not me.” Hel fanned at her flaming cheeks.

“What are you going to do?” Sadie asked.

“What can I do? I’ve got a crush, and he’s got a girlfriend. It’s pretty simple: I do nothing.”

“Is the relationship between them strong?” Gloria had a thoughtful look on her face.

“No. He said, when he was drugged to the eyeballs, that he was trying to break up with her.”

“Well, there we go then. It’s totally fine.” Gloria waved her hand.

“You say that, but he hasn’t broken up with her yet, and maybe he won’t.”

“And maybe he will,” Clara said.

Hel tried not to examine the little flutter she felt in her chest when Clara said maybe he will.

CHAPTER 14

HEL

Helstoodoutsidethedoor of Frost’s house. What was she doing here? Well, she knew what she was doing here. Coach Morgan had asked if she could go and check on Frost, as he was being released from the hospital, and the team were at an away game, so he couldn’t go himself.

She wished she was travelling with the team as she would rather be anywhere else instead of standing on Frost’s doorstep.

She took a few more deep breaths before she rang the bell. Maybe he wouldn’t answer. Then she could leave and have done her duty.

Reliving the feeling of his lips brushing over hers, she shivered despite the warmth of the evening. What would she say to him? Would he mention it? Actually, there was a chance with the injury and the drugs, he wouldn’t remember. Did she want him to remember or not? She wasn’t sure.

After what felt like a lifetime, while her brain whirled at a million miles an hour, Frost finally answered the door. One of his crutches clutched under his arm to help him walk. He stood and stared at her, not saying anything.

Hel shifted around uncomfortably. She shouldn’t have come. She should have made an excuse and told Coach Morgan no. But once he texted her Frost’s address, she hadn’t been able to help herself.

This was insanity, brought on by the last few days of stress trying to sort out everything after the house fire. Insurance claims for her things, talking to the fire service—who were pretty sure the ignition source was a cigarette butt on their front porch—and explaining to the landlord none of the registered tenants smoked. She told Emma it was her boyfriend who smoked, and it was up to her to tell the landlord that. Hel wanted nothing to do with it.

The silence stretched, and still he stared until Hel said, “I should go.”

She turned around and began to walk off the porch. This was stupid. He thought she was a desperate woman stalking him in his own home. Her ears started to ring, and the noises around her were muffled.

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