Page 16 of Bar Down

Ash

By the timewe get to the hotel, Eli still hasn’t said another word to me. I even tried to make small talk in the ride share but he just nodded along to what I was saying and continued to look at his phone, all but dismissing me.

I know I love to be the center of attention and fill the silence by talking all the time, but the fact that he’s trying so hard to avoid me is starting to piss me off.

“Are you gonna avoid me all weekend?” I ask as I catch up to him by the front desk.

“I’m not avoiding you, I just have nothing else to say,” Eli tells me without even looking in my direction, and honestly, that really fucking stings.

“I can check in the next person in line,” the concierge says, and Eli moves up to the counter, leaving me behind.

I blow out a frustrated breath and rub my temples with one hand. My headache never really went away and I definitely needa nap soon. Maybe I can skip some of the afternoon activities in favor of a nice comfy bed.

“Sir, I can help you over here,” says another concierge. I move up to the right of Eli and give her my ID and let her know I’m here for the all-star weekend.

After she types in my name, she gets a really confused look on her face and she starts asking her colleague questions about the reservation system.

Eli is still waiting for his room keys when one of the ladies says, “I think there’s been some kind of misunderstanding with the reservation.”

“Which one?” Eli asks.

“Well, both, really. It seems there was only supposed to be one person checking in, and then a change was made to the reservation to add a second person.”

“Okay, that’s not a big deal. We’ve shared rooms before on the road, we’ll be fine,” I say, smiling to myself. I get to annoy Eli all weekend when he’s trying to avoid me? This is the best case scenario. Maybe I can get under his skin.

“Well, since the initial reservation was made for one person, that means we assigned you to a room that only has one bed. Normally we’d be able to swap rooms, but we are extremely busy this weekend with the event and won’t be able to accommodate that change.”

My smile falls and when I look back at Eli, I can see he’s frustrated with the news.

Well, fuck me sideways, this is not what I expected. Not when I know exactly what Eli’s body feels like next to mine and how much I crave us being together like that again.

Eli

Of coursethere’s only one bed. Could this day get any worse? My phone dings and I look down to see a reminder that we’re supposed to be at the arena in an hour. Ash and I ride the elevator in silence and I use my key to unlock the door toourhotel room. The place is nice, fancier than I expected.

The room is clean and modern with muted beiges and grays, but it’s also smaller than I expected, and the bed is not a king size as the concierge said, but definitely a queen.

I’ll be fine.

Totally fine.

I think.

I drop my duffle and backpack on one side of the bed and pick out a business casual outfit I brought to change into. “I’m taking a shower before heading to the event,” I say, carrying my small bundle of toiletries to the bathroom. As I walk by him, Ash’s hand reaches out and catches my bicep. I stare down at it for a second before making eye contact for the first time in a few hours. I feel bad for ignoring him, but I’m just so fed up with his attitude. If he doesn’t want me to help or be his friend, then I can’t force him.

“Are you okay with this arrangement?” he asks, nodding towards the bed.

“I’ll be fine.”

He gives me a soft look and says, “I know you like your space, Eli. So if you need me to spend a few nights somewhere else, I’ll figure it out.”

“I appreciate the offer, but I’d rather have you here,” I whisper and then to not make the moment too raw I add, “Besides, someone needs to keep you out of trouble.”

One corner of Ash’s mouth lifts and he says, “Oh, I can get inplentyof trouble in this room.”

What a little shit. I roll my eyes and tell him, “Stop flirting and get ready. We leave in twenty minutes.”

When we getto the arena for the first event, Ash is immediately jumped by two of his friends. Dylan and Max introduce themselves to me, but I remember them from last season. They both play for the Vermont Vortices, one of our biggest rivals.

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