Page 55 of Hooked
“I doubt that. What's your life like outside hockey?”
“Shit,” I mumbled. “I don't really have one, I guess. It's just—hockey, honestly.”
Amused, she laughed. “Don't you have friends you like to do things with?”
“You mean the boys? Sure. We go out when we have off days, yeah. It's hard to make friends with people that aren't in hockey, though.”
“So …” Honor trailed off. I could tell from the look in her eyes: she felt like she was running face-first into a brick wall over and over again. “What was your life like, growing up in New York?”
“Well, I was pretty serious about hockey from a young age. So … y'know. A lot of hockey camps, 6 AM practices before school, parents driving me all over for tournaments and stuff.”
I was desperate to escape the heat of the spotlight for a while. “How about you, Honor? What was it like growing up in Minnesota?”
“Fun. It's so beautiful up there. In the summers at least—the winters are awful. But, you get used to it, I suppose.”
“And you always wanted to be a figure skater?”
“I loved figure skating. But actually? I always wanted to be a hockey player like my big brothers.”
“No kidding.”
“Yup. My parents wouldn't let me, though. They said it was too …un-lady-like,and besides that, they were already spending a fortune on my brothers' hockey careers. That's why they pushed me into figure skating instead. Performing on the ice was a blast, but I always wanted to be part of a team, like my brothers. I guess, that's what I hoped to get with the ice girls, but …” Honor trailed off. “Well, nevermind all that.”
“Do your brothers still play?”
“No. Just for fun, in beer league. They're not nearly as good as you or anything.”
I flexed my bicep. “Well, I think that goes without saying.”
Her eyelids fluttered sarcastically. “Oh, yes, of course.”
“I always admired you figure skaters, though.”
“Why's that?”
“Well, shit, you heard me complain about the 6 AM practices before school … but you girls hadyourice time before us hockey players.”
Honor smiled. “Yup, 5 AM, three times a week.”
“I liked watching the figure skaters come off the ice when we arrived. We'd always try to flirt with 'em, too. A pretty girl like you? I bet the hockey players wouldn't leave you alone.”
She threw her head back and laughed. “Trust me—no.My brothers would beat up anyone wholookedat me the wrong way. I was off limits, and everyone knew it. If someone wanted to date me, they had to stand up to my brothers first and prove their worth. No one ever did, though.”
“Hah! Good for your brothers!”
So that's where she gets it from,I thought.
“Easy for you to say. It made datingimpossible.” She sighed. “How about you? I bet girls were falling all over themselves for a chance to be with a future hockey star.”
I cracked a smile—but one I could justfeelhinted at the pain underneath. “Nah … not really. I was pretty focused on hockey, like I said. Too busy for girls, mostly.”
“No? You weren't always a heart-breaker?”
I frowned. “No.”
“When's the last time you had a girlfriend?”
“Uh.” I took a quick breath. “Three years ago.”
