Page 78 of Puck Drop
My eyes snap to his. “What if he’s dead when I get there on the day after tomorrow?”
“Then it wasn’t meant to be,” he says, his tone short and curt.
I am about to fly over this desk and wrap my hands around his neck. I want to squeeze it until he stops breathing just so that he truly understands what my friend is going through.
But I don’t do any of that. Instead, I stand up and clear my throat a few times.
“I will take you up on your offer of the time off after the game tomorrow,” I tell him. “And I hope that one day, you are in the exact situation I am in right now.”
Coach stares at me but doesn’t react. I’m not even sure what he could say in response. It is obvious that I am angry and that I am looking for a fight.
I turn around and walk toward the door.
“Thank you for your time, sir,” I spit out in fake politeness before I walk out.
My bag with all my gear is sitting on the floor outside in the hallway. Since practice is over, I can just leave, so I pick it up and walk out of the arena. My heart becomes heavier the closer I get to my truck as I try my hardest not to glance toward Sebastian’s usual spot. It now sits empty and sad. It’s a depressing metaphor for the state he is currently in.
The heat I always complain about doesn’t even register. I throw the bag in the trunk, then take my seat at the wheel. I turn the engine on, but don’t put it in gear. I just sit here in the parking lot at the Austin Aces arena, wondering what my life has become.
I think back to the day when they made me an offer, and the relief I felt at knowing that I was not out of the pros. Then, I realized that Sebastian Roonie, my former teammate from the Sliders, was already here. I felt instantly better about the whole thing, like that was a good omen.
Now, knowing that he is lying in a hospital bed while being kept alive by machines, I wonder why I fought so hard to hold my position in the league. Why I didn’t fight harder for Elizabeth when her father threatened to ruin me. I wonder what my life would be without her in it, and I don’t like the pathetic images playing in my head.
I also wonder why I am sacrificing saying goodbye to my friend for a career that will be short anyway. Part of my contract guaranteed a certain amount of money, so if I walk, I’ll get that on top of what I already have. If I find a good financial planner, I could live off that money for a long time, especially if I also get a job.
I want my life to be more meaningful than just worrying about my position within the team or the money I could potentially make, especially when there’s literally a matter of lifeor death. What if it was Elizabeth lying in a hospital bed, and Coach told me I couldn’t go to her unless I stayed for another game?
The more I think about everything, the more I realize that maybe this is not the life for me. I want to be happy, and I want to have my priorities straight. I love hockey, but I’m sure that I love Elizabeth more. And I need her to understand that.
With a sigh but enough determination for us both, I put the truck into gear and drive home. I smile while driving, knowing that she is there, waiting for me. I think of her adorable face when she is concerned, and how much she’s babied me since we got the news about Sebastian’s accident.
I get home pretty fast, or that’s the illusion because I am so deeply into my own thoughts. I park in the spot I always do, feeling weary when I get out of the truck. The only thing that keeps me going is knowing that Elizabeth is on the other side of this door.
“I was waiting for you,” I hear as soon as I walk in. Her voice is like a balm to my soul.
I walk straight to her and pick her up, burring my face into her soft hair. She brings her legs up to wrap them around my waist before cupping my head gently until she can see me better.
“Did you talk to your coach?”
I told her that we would leave for New York as soon as Coach gave me the green light. In my mind, there was no doubt he’d agree to my request for my time off, which is why I had instructed Elizabeth to pack us each a bag and be ready.
“Yeah…”
That’s all I can say. By the tone of my voice, she can tell that I don’t have good news.
“He said no,” she guesses correctly.
I let out a shuddering breath. “He said I have to stay for the game tomorrow, but that I can leave after. And I can have a week off.”
She squeezes her legs tighter around my waist. “That’s a good thing, right?”
I nod but don’t meet her eyes. Instead, I pat her gently on the ass and she brings her legs down from around my waist. I drop her to her feet gently, then place a soft kiss on her full lips.
“I need some water,” I tell her and turn around to walk to the kitchen where I grab a bottle of water. I twist the cap off and drink most of it in one go before pausing for a second and finishing the entire thing.
Once done, I put the cap back on and tap the bottle against the counter in a hypnotic move.
“I’m really sorry, Lo,” Elizabeth whispers from behind me. “I can’t imagine how hard this must be for you…”
