Page 31 of Collateral Damage
The weight on my heart presses harder.
For years, Cooper had a roster of beautiful women ready and willing to hook up with him. Could Roxanna be one of those? Or maybe he’s dating someone. Finally gotten serious about a relationship.
How much do people really change?I wonder.
He doesn’t bother with goodbye as he strides away to take the call. I can’t help but notice the way his right pant leg looks a little different than the left or how his gait has changed. I don’t know if I’ll ever be able to see Cooper the way I used to. It’s as if he’s become someone else entirely, someone who’s been forever changed by a summer evening that cost us both so much.
Fourteen
Sybil
Present - Age 27
“So, what did you want to talk to me about?”
Benton slides into the backseat of the town car and buckles in. I have a full-time driver to get me around Manhattan; my father insisted on it for all of his children. Dad was above public transport—said it was dangerous and dirty. But I like it. It makes me feel more like a normal New Yorker. If Dad knew how often I ride the Subway, he’d probably find a way to haunt me.
“Hey, you,” I reply, giving Benton my best smile. “It’s been a minute. Sounds like you had a great season. It ended a few weeks ago, right?”
Don’t think I didn’t invite Benton out tonight without first doing my research.
He’s been busy with the New York Storm and honestly, I’m a little amazed I was able to get him to agree to hang out on such short notice. The man is busy.
Nerves race through my belly. I don’t want to spring the show on him, but I also can’t beat around the bush.
“It was an okay season,” Benton says, shaking his head. “At least we ended with a decent winning record, but we could’ve done so much better.” His handsome face drops all professionalism, his grin lifting and eyes following the curve of my neck. “Anyway, yeah, it’s good to see you too, Syb.”
His frown turns to a smile, and I take it in. He’s got two dimples framing his mouth, making his otherwise devilish appearance fucking adorable. He leans in to kiss my cheek.
“What’s the plan for tonight? Your place or mine?”
I elbow him in the ribcage, and he laughs.
If I could blow off this dinner, I would. It’s been a few months since I’ve had anyone in my bed. And while I have a few situationships I could call on, I haven’t been feeling it lately.
I’m pretty sure I’m broken when it comes to loving someone romantically. I haven’t done it since Ethan, and that was years ago.
“What are you up to now that the season has ended?” I ask.
If Benton is committed to something great, I won’t bring up the show. I’ll have the driver make a left at the next light and take Benton to my place, rescheduling a time to meet with the politician’s kids.
Benton sighs, the bridge of his nose scrunching. “The playoffs sucked. We barely made it, and we got eliminated in the first game. The fans were assholes about it.”
“I’m sorry to hear that.”
He nods. “And the paps were fucking vultures, too, but you know what that’s like.”
I onlykind ofknow. We had a lot of press right after Dad’s passing. Benton and I had quite a few heart-to-hearts when all that was going on. He had really good advice on how to avoid the paparazzi, which was helpful, but eventually the news cycle moved on, and so did everybody else.
“Are you still enjoying hockey?” I question, eyeing him carefully.
Might be too intrusive to ask that of a starting NHL center, but Benton is my friend, and I care about him.
His smile is guarded. “I’ll always love hockey, and I’ll play as long as my body will let me and a team wants to pay me.”
“But…?”
He sinks into his seat, staring into nothing for a long second. “Listen, I know how lucky I am to be doing what I love most for a career and getting paid a shit ton to do it. Hockey isn’t the issue. It’s everything else that comes alone with it that’s been hard lately.”
