Page 72 of Face Off
I can’t help but smile at her as she stretches her arms above her head. Her back arches off the bed in a beautiful, yet almost seductive way. I reach out to pull her back into me just as my phone pings again with another notification.
Halloway: I bet your ass boned her the moment you landed and arrived at her hotel room. Missing an important game all to get your rocks off.
I laugh aloud as I flash the screen to Hayley letting her read all of Halloway’s messages. “Well, at least he asked how I was.”
Ping.
Halloway: You’re boning her right now, aren’t you?
Ping.
Ping.
Halloway: Brooks. Make sweet love too me. (Insert Hayley voice)
Halloway: Never let me go. (Again, insert Hayley voice) *Kiss Face emoji*
“Better respond to him before he catches a plane and flies down here.” She giggles as she climbs out of bed and walks toward the bathroom.
Her hips sway side to side seductively as she glances back over her shoulder. My hands itch to reach out and touch her. With a quick wink she throws my way, she quietly shuts the door. The sound of running water echoes from behind the closed door as I unlock my phone and pull up Halloway’s contact.
“About damn time you call me, fucker. How dare you leave us in the middle of the night without a note, email, or text,” he says, putting on the dramatics. “I mean, we’re neighbors. And you couldn’t even bother to tell me you had to go.”
I can’t help but laugh at how over the top he sounds right now. Like a scorned women who’s been waiting up all night for her cheating husband to come stumbling in.
“Dramatic, much?”
He lets out a loud snort. “Well, I had to give you some hell,” he says, trying not to laugh. “You did just up and leave in the middle of the night.”
“I just didn’t feel right letting Hayley do this alone,” I say, brushing a hand through my hair.
It takes me a total of 0.5 seconds to realize that I’m in the wrong place. The moment she told me she had to meet with lawyers to put a custody plan in place, I knew I had to go. Meaning Halloway and all the other guys were an afterthought. I don’t mean it in a I don’t give a fuck about hockey anymore kind of way. But I feel like Hayley is rubbing off on me. Showing me that there’s more to life than just hockey.
After Tiffany fucked with my mind, I thought I never wanted to be with another woman again. Yet alone to be a father… well, father figure. Kids just were never in the cards for me after that. I was comfortable with just being the fun uncle. A funcle if you will. But everything changes the moment I got close to Hayley and Camden.
“It’s cool, man. Denizen totally took your cuddle spot on the bus, but I’ll make sure to keep my hands to myself,” he says through a laugh I can’t help but return.
“So, what’s up, man? Why are you blowing up my phone? Shouldn’t you be getting in your pregame nap?” I question, knowing something must be up.
As if on cue, he lets out a loud sigh. “Brooks.”
“Halloway, just spit it out already.”
“Look, man, I like Hayley and all, but I’m just worried with how invested in all this you are. This game is your life and out of nowhere, you decide to hop on a flight to be with her.” He sounds cautious as he says it. Like he knows that I could go off at any moment. And he’s right. My anger boils as I think about what he’s insinuating.
The game is my life, but there’s certainly room in it for more. Half our team has wives and kids. So how does this make me any different from them? Hayley’s baggage? Who doesn’t have baggage.
I release a low growl in warning to let him know he’s on shaky water. “Woah now… I was just stating the obvious. Someone has to look out for you too, man.”
“Thanks for that, but I’m a big boy. I can handle myself.”
“Hey, whatever you gotta tell yourself to sleep at night, Brooks. But man, just think about this shit. I don’t want to see your career end up like it did back in Chicago.”
Chicago.
What a bad reminder.
However, he’s right. But I don’t comment.
