Page 13 of Wild Obsession
“Your coach hasn’t told you?”
“He gave me a line about teamwork and penalty stats, but I have a feeling there’s something more he’s not saying.Know what I mean?”
That had to be rough.I’d seen him play enough to know he loved it.He played with passion—a lot of it.Maybe a bit too much, since he had a reputation as a bruiser.
But that’s what happened when you loved something, wasn’t it?You did stupid things for it.
“It’s only two months into the season,” I offered.
“Don’t sugarcoat it.”He shook his head slowly.“This is probably my last year.Nobody’s going to want me unless it’s a package trade.I’ve made my peace with it.”
He said it like he meant it, but I wasn’t convinced.
“You’re calm for someone who thinks they’re losing their job.How do you manage it?”
“Well, how are you managing?”A bite of annoyance sharpened his tone.“You’re standing across the room from the love of your life while she’s kissing the love of hers.And it isn’t you.”
My eyes drifted back to Jamie and Eric, still tangled up in each other across the room.Heat crawled up the back of my neck, and my jaw went tight.
Fuck, it wasn’t right that guys like Sean, guys like me, could pour our hearts and souls into loving something only to have it stolen away.To have all our passion, our effort, our blind devotion, tossed aside like it meant nothing.
“Do you see my son anywhere?”
“Not sure.”His head turned as he scanned the room.“Everything okay?”
“Yeah.”I set my drink down.“Just need to talk to him about the ball drop.”
No fucking way was Hunter going to miss midnight.Not on my watch.
