Page 153 of Off The Ice

Can I come to your game tomorrow?

Why was she even asking? She could go anywhere I was, anytime, no questions asked.

My fingers wanted to type a hundred messages that I couldn’t send:

Can you come home tonight? Can I come pick you up right now? Can I be wherever you are?

But I didn’t know where the hell her mind was at, so all I typed back was a simple,Yes.

She didn’t answer, but a while later, Maggie texted, saying,“I fixed all your problems. You’re welcome.”

That couldn’t be true because Cassie and all of her stuff were still at Maggie’s house instead of where they belonged.

I spent the rest of the night tossing and turning on Brody’s couch, trying to figure out how to convince her that she was supposed to be with me. Because I knew she was. Even if she didn’t.

By the time morning came, I was ragged and weary and wasn’t sure how the hell I was supposed to play another game tonight with all the chaos in my head.

I stayed with Brody all day, obsessively checking my phone for messages that never came and going through my usual game day routine with him by my side to keep me in check.

When it came time to get ready to go to the game, I realized I’d screwed myself. I didn’t have a clean suit with me, and Brody’s would’ve fit me like a second layer of skin the absolute worst way.

The logical thing would’ve been to run home and grab one of the many I already owned, but I couldn’t fucking do it. I couldn’t go there alone.

Instead, we left early and bought one on the way. It might’ve created some mayhem in the local Hugo Boss, but the employees were good about getting me in and out of there in record time.

“Now, remember,” Brody said in the locker room as we changed into our gear. “Everything with blondie is going to be fine, but everything with Coach willnotbe if you don’t keep your head in the game tonight.”

I knew he had a point, but suddenly, hockey wasn’t the biggest deal in my life anymore. It wasn’t real. It was my career, and I loved it. But if I lost it? It wouldn’t destroy me. Not the way it would destroy me to lose someone I loved.

Cassie was real.

This? It was a game.

I’d used it as a distraction from real life for so long that I’d stopped building a world outside of here. But now I had, and I was scared like hell to lose it.

The crowds were seated, and even from here the volume of the Garden was thunderous, but it had nothing on the noise in my head.

“I’ll be right back,” I told Brody, beelining for the tunnel.

Brody called after me, but I knew I had time before my absence would be noticed. At least a few minutes’ worth of it.

I shot Maggie a text, telling her where to meet me away from the eyes of the rest of the stadium. She answered immediately, telling me she’d be there.

Cassie. Cassie. Cassie.

My thoughts screamed her name on a loop as I raced to meet Maggie. Would she be there with her? Would I get to talk to her before I went on the ice?

Every question was answered when I saw Maggie standing there alone, looking breathless and a lot more anxious than I was comfortable with.

“Liam, I—” she started, looking behind her quickly.

“Is she here?” I asked. “I thought she was coming.” I couldn’t hide the way my voice cracked at the question. “What happened?”

“She is here, but I have to tell you something.”

“Are you sure?” I looked around, relief flooding my chest. “Where is she?”

“She’s in the bathroom, but Liam, I really need to—”

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