Edge(19)

It was early in the morning, a weird time to pop out of bed and play video games. I’d just been out on a run, and I went into my bedroom to escape the filth. I scrolled through my phone, smiling at Facebook posts from my teammates back home. I missed those assholes bad.

We had a game that night, and by mid-morning, I had to get the hell away from V. Aggravation wasn’t good for my concentration. I went across the hall to Niko’s apartment and walked in.

“He’s watching Braveheart again,” I muttered, flopping onto the couch.

“Yeah, he watches it before every game,” Niko said.

“Every game?”

“Yep. He’s been doing it since college.”

“That’s fucked up, man.”

He laughed. “V’s a different kind of cat.”

“You guys give him shit over the Braveheart thing, don’t you?”

“Hell yeah, we do. When he scores, we’re all bent over showing him our asses when he walks into the locker room.”

“I had a roommate in college who was OCD about his rituals,” I said, shaking my head at the memory. “He had to leave for the game exactly two hours before start time and drive the same route every time. He laced up his skates 32 minutes before ice time.”

“You have any rituals?”

I thought about it. “I avoid getting off less than 24 hours before a game. And I like to zone out with my headphones and some music before ice time.”

“The fuck?” Niko wrinkled his face with dismay. “What’s that about?”

I shrugged. “It’s too relaxing. I need to be tense and wound up because I play better that way.”

“Makes sense, I guess. But man, I brought two chicks home last night and they drained me dry.”

“Right on.”

“I got their numbers, if you want to come over some night. They’re both fucking hot, so you can’t go wrong.”

I wasn’t even temped to say yes. That was some weird shit. No interest in hot, willing chicks after a really long dry spell?

“You want a ride to the rink?” I asked, getting up from the couch.

“Yeah.”

“Meet me in my car in five minutes. I have to go grab my shit. Hopefully V’s face won’t be painted blue when I get in there.”

***



Dell





Sadie eyed me from head to toe as I slipped into my dark wool coat. I was leaving for a late-night practice with Luke and she was settling in with her laptop to write an article.

“You look good,” she said. “New pants?”

I glanced at my snug-fitting charcoal yoga pants. “Oh, my old practice clothes were getting worn out so I bought some new stuff.”

“Mmm-hmm.” She said it skeptically.

“What?”

“It’s me, Dell. Just admit it – you like Luke Hudson. Why else would you be wearing perfume just to shoot pucks with a player?”

“Is it too much? Can you smell it from all the way over there?”

She rolled her eyes. “No, I saw you putting it on after you checked on Kyler.”

“I’m trying to be less frumpy, yes, but who says it’s because of Luke?”

“Your very observant roommate. You’re supposed to be helping him get back on top so he can get on top of me.”

I looked down at the floor.

“You really do like him.” Sadie got up from the couch and stepped toward me, and I could hear the smile in her tone. “You do, don’t you?”

I shook my head. “I don’t know. No.” I covered my burning face with my hand. “I don’t know. Just … I don’t like the idea of you trying to get with him.”

“Because you like him.”

I looked up and she was grinning at me.

“I don’t want to like him, Sade.”

“It’s too late. Does he like you back?”

“No. He’s just a flirt.”

“So he flirts with you?”

“Christ, are we teenagers?” I glared at her.

She folded her arms across her chest. “Just admit you like him.”

I sighed, thoughts of Luke making my heart pound. “I feel something. But I don’t know what it is. It’s been so long since I found any guy crush-worthy.”

Sadie’s bemused expression just frustrated me. I sank into a chair and closed my eyes.

“We can break it down,” she offered. It was something we’d done in college when one of us liked a guy.

“I have to go meet him.”

She wrapped an arm around my shoulders and I smelled the familiar scent of the apple shampoo she’d been using since college. “Just have fun. You never let go and have fun.”

“Do you know what my dad would do if he found out I’d messed with a player?”