Page 168 of Playing the Pucking Game
My chin drops as fury shoots through my veins.
I’m so stunned that he’s long gone before my brain can conjure up any words.
“Fucking asshole,” I seethe. But it’s too late.
I stare at the mess he’s left behind. There’s a huge part of me that wants to ignore it. To turn my back and walk away.
But I can’t.
I refuse to allow Jarad, or any other member of staff, to walk in here tomorrow and think I was okay to leave it this way.
With trembling hands, I set to work, and not fifteen minutes later, the room is sorted and ready for another day of treatment.
Tiredness pulls at my muscles as I gather up my own things, turn the lights out, and head for the exit.
As I’m walking toward my car, I pull my cell from my pocket and find a notification waiting for me, confirming my appointment for tonight.
“Fuck,” I hiss.
I hadn’t forgotten. This morning, I was fully aware of what my evening consisted of. But today has been so busy, and my desire for a relaxing night happily wiped the thoughts out.
Dread sits heavy in my stomach as I drop into my car and rest my head back. My eyes close automatically, which is dangerous, and I sit there for a few minutes, trying to gather my thoughts and courage to do what needs to be done.
I need to know the full reality of the situation, but also, I really don’t want to.
My cell taunts me from the center console as I drive. The need to call Casey and have her come with me burns through me. But I fight it.
She’s got a life now, a family, a man who’s spent most of this week away traveling; she doesn’t need me to be constantly calling on her for support. Things have changed, and I need to accept that.
Hoping that I’m going to need it, I stop by Linc’s apartment for the suitcase I bought to travel with and a couple of tote bags. It might be wishful thinking, but a girl can hope. What’s that saying about planning for the outcome you want?
With my head held high, my shoulders thrown back, and hope in my head, I tug my empty suitcase from my room and toward the elevator.
It was empty when I passed through a couple of minutes ago, but I suspected Linc wasn’t far away, considering I just parked beside his car. But I soon discover that is no longer the case when his voice booms around me.
“What are you doing?” There’s something in his tone that instantly makes me spin around.
Panic, maybe?
“W-what?” I stutter, finding him standing in the middle of his kitchen, wearing only a pair of sweatpants and a deep frown.
He rubs the back of his neck as his eyes bounce from my face to the suitcase.
“Are you moving out?”
I continue to stare at him in surprise. He looks…devastated.
It has to be his own exhaustion peeking through, because there is no way that can be true.
“I’m…uh… going to my old apartment. They’ve said that the building has been secured and that we can?—”
“Alone?”
“Y-yeah.” Do I want to do this alone? No, not really. But I’m also aware that I need to pull up my big-girl panties and just get it done.
“No, you’re fucking not,” he states, surging forward. “Let me get dressed. I’ll take you.”
He marches away, leaving me watching the muscles of his back pulling as he moves.
