Page 146 of Make the Play

Reid:yet

Logan: ok but real question. if she leaves you, do we get her in the breakup

Jake: we’ve already agreed we’re keeping Zoe. Chase gets weekend custody and that’s it

Me: fuck all of you

I shake my head, but I’m smiling like an idiot. These guys are dicks, but they’re my dicks. Which is… not a sentence I’ll ever say out loud.

I back out of the chat and open the one I actually want. Zoe. She’s probably asleep or working late. Or purposefully making me suffer. All are equally likely.

But then, right as I start to close out, her name pops up.

I open it, heart rate kicking up, which is ridiculous because I only saw her two days ago before we left for these away games. Spent the weekend making her come so hard she threatened to cancel hockey season entirely. But it’s been radio silence since morning, and I’ve been pathetically waiting to see her name pop up like some lovesick fool.

Zoe: Congrats on the goal. Looked real aggressive when you slammed that guy into the boards for no good reason

Me: you love it when I get violent. don’t lie.

Zoe: Debatable. But the celly was hot.

Me: you wanna see it again, sweetheart? i can give you a private version

Zoe: go to sleep, Walton

Me:say it nicer.

Zoe:goodnight, Chase ?? Don’t let the man-eating PR reps bite.

Me:only letting one of those in my bed, and she’s three states away right now so my night’s pretty bleak.

Zoe:what a shame for your dick. Tell him to write a sad poem about it

Me:he’s thinking about your red lipstick

Zoe:Go. To. Sleep.

Me:can’t. hard as fuck

Zoe:I have a 9am meeting tomorrow

Me:bet you’d sleep better if you came first.

Zoe:bet you’d sleep better if I told you to fuck off.

Me:mmm, I love it when you talk dirty

Zoe:??eye roll

Me:dream of me

Zoe:unlikely

Me:liar

Zoe:goodnight, Chase

I stare at the screen, thumb hovering. And then I type out three words. Delete them. Then type out four. No jokes or winks, just one truthful message, shielding an even bigger one.

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