Page 144 of One Good Puck
I turn to Jason. “Can you take over for me? I need to go look for Emma.”
“Yeah, of course,” he says.
I dart out of the bench and jog through the tunnel. I dig my phone out of my pocket and call Abby.
“Hello?” Her voice is watery from crying.
“Abby, I just heard about Emma. Tell me everything that happened.”
“I took her to the concession stand to get a snack. She walked over to the condiments to put ketchup on her hot dog. I took my eyes off of her for one minute, and she was gone.”
Her voice breaks as she sobs. A lump lodges in my throat.
“I should have been watching her. If I had just been more careful…”
“Abby, listen to me. This isn’t your fault. It’s Levi’s fault.”
She sniffles and lets out another cry.
“We’re going to find her, Abby. I promise. The entire arena is working together to look for Emma. No one’s getting in or out until we find her. Okay?”
My heart thrashes in my chest. Every muscle in my body is tense. Adrenaline is pumping through me like rocket fuel. I won’t rest until I find Emma.
“Okay. Thank you, Gavin.”
“I’m gonna let you go so I can look for her, but keep your phone on, okay?”
“I will. I love you.”
“I love you too.” I shove my phone back into the pocket of my suit pants and jog around the corner.
I bump into a guy and start apologizing.
“Sorry, I?—”
“Gavin? What the hell are you doing out here?” Alan frowns at me. “It’s the middle of the first period. You’re supposed to be coaching your team.”
I step around him. “Jason’s got it under control. My girlfriend’s kid is missing. I need to find her.”
I start to run off, but he runs after me. “Are you kidding me? Gavin, you’re in the middle of a game.”
I don’t respond. I just keep running until I feel Alan clap a hand on my shoulder, stopping me. I jerk out of his hold.
“I don’t give a shit what’s going on,” Alan bites. “Your job is to coach this team. Get back in there and fucking do it.”
I clench my jaw, pissed that Alan doesn’t seem to care that my girlfriend’s daughter is missing.
He wags his finger in my face. “If you want to keep your job, Gavin, you go back down there and coach your players.”
“Screw you, Alan. Fire me if you want. I’m going to look for Emma.”
I run off, ignoring him as he yells at me. I make myway through the arena, weaving through the crowds, ignoring the confused looks people give me.
I look over at the ice and see Emma’s smiling face on the JumboTron. I hear the announcer ask everyone to keep an eye out for her.
For minutes, I look for her face in the crowd, but I don’t see her.
I’m passing the Bashers merchandise store when I see a flash of glittery pink disappear around the corner. I push through the crowd to get over there. When I round the corner, I see Levi pulling Emma by the arm toward a dark hallway that leads to a stairwell.
