Page 22 of Much Ado About Hockey

“Hello?”

“Hey, sorry, just got to the car and…”

“So?” It came out badly, came out of her mouth with an attitude that she even heard it – and he reacted just like anyone else would.

“Whaddya mean ‘so’? I told you that I’d call – so this is me calling to check in. And why do you pop off saying ‘so’ like I’ve done something wrong? I’m trying to be nice – you should try it.”

Well, that phrase was like throwing gasoline on a fire.

“Obviously, this is your first relationship in the entire universe,” she snarled angrily. “Because you don’t tell a woman to try to be nice and suggest otherwise. What is wrong with you?”

“What’s wrong with you?!”

“You are what is wrong with me!”

“What’d I do now?”

“You’re breathing – and you called.”

“Fine. I’ll just stop breathing and hang up,” he retorted, nearly yelling into the phone – and they both froze, the silence hanging between the two of them before he let out a loud gasp. “I couldn’t hold my breath that long, and I didn’t hang up because I wanted you to hear me trying.”

Karen closed her eyes and sighed.

The charming dork!

“Were you holding your breath too – because I would never ask you to,” Jett said quietly. “I prefer you breathing. In fact, you are welcome to breathe all over me and…”

“Stop,” she said quietly in a strange resignation mixed with dismay. “I don’t know how to handle you, and I cannot figure you out. You make my brain hurt – so just stop, Jett.”

“Stop braining?”

“No. You stopped that a while ago… just stop all of it.”

“I’ve stopped.”

“Good.”

“Which apartment is yours?” Jett asked quietly – and Karen opened a single eyelid almost like a deer sensing danger would lift its head and freeze, waiting and looking around.

“What?”

“I’m in front of the building where your blue dot is on the ‘Find My Phone,’ but I don’t know which apartment is yours,” Jett said quietly. “I could go knockin’ and see who answers, but that is usually how people end up on the news, and I don’t need any help. I’ve already been fired once this week. I’d prefer to start my careerover, notsink itbefore I get a chance.”

“You’re… here?” she yelped, running for a bathrobe and yanking a hairbrush through her hair quickly. “Why are youhere?”

“Food.”

Karen heard the single word just tossed there and knew deep within her soul that Jett just shrugged. He always shrugged.

“I thought you just ate?”

“I broughtyousome food so that you could eat something. Your man is providing.”

Karen made a noise deep in her throat as a lump threatened to choke her. Why was this infernal man being so sweet to her, tending to her most basic of needs without being asked to? “I’m in apartment 4C.”

“I’ll be right there…” – and he hung up again.

Karen stared at her phone, blinking in disbelief, and let out a breathy laugh. That was the second time he’d ended a call like that—justpoof, gone—without even a proper goodbye. The corner of her mouth tugged upward despite herself. She was definitely going to have to tell him how much she hated that. It felt unfinished somehow, like a story without a final page. A soft sigh slipped from her lips as she lowered the phone, the air heavy with unspoken emotions and a flicker of something she didn’t want to name yet.

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