Page 143 of The Shot You Missed
“That would be nice.” I try to fight another yawn but don’t succeed, which Bash seems to find funny.
“Night, Indie. I can’t wait to see you tomorrow.”
“Goodnight, Bash. Sweet dreams.”
I fall asleep thinking of him.
forty-eight
SEBASTIAN
My stomach isin knots the entire plane ride home. If something happens to Indie while she’s out at the coffee shop, there’s nothing I can do to help her. I’m thousands of miles away and stuck in a metal tube in the sky. But she doesn’t send an SOS, and the guys swear they haven’t heard anything concerning from their wives and girlfriends.
Still, the ever-growing weight on my shoulders increases.
So many people are counting on me. My teammates, the Rogues organization, my parents, Indie… There are a thousand pucks hurtling toward me at top speed, and if I let a single one through, someone will be disappointed. Someone will be let down.
We’re down three games to one, and if we lose a single one of these final three, we’re out. No Cup. If Indie gets swarmed by reporters or angry fans while I’m not there to protect her, it’s my fault. I should have worked harder to keep her from the public, but the last thing I wanted was for her to feel like I was hiding her. If the press gets bad enough, there’s always the chance itcould affect her relationship with her publisher. I’d never forgive myself for that.
“Dude, you good?” Griffin’s concerned voice drags me out of my spiraling. He leans into the aisle beside me, waving a hand in front of my face.
I hadn’t even noticed.
“Huh?”
His lips twist to the sides. “Guess that answers that question. You look like you’re freaking the fuck out.”
“I’m not.”
“Come on, man. You think you’re the only one who notices when their friends are struggling? Talk to me.”
Of course, Griffin noticed. He may act like a complete idiot sometimes, but spend long enough with him, and you realize that’s all a front. He hides his depth the same way Maddox hides his softness, Ryder hid his loneliness, Logan hides his loyalty, and I hide the growing cracks in my ability to hold it all together.
“Just feeling the pressure,” I tell him. “We should have won yesterday, and we didn’t. That’s on me.”
Griffin shakes his head. “No, man, it’s not. It’s on all of us. The D-lines should have protected you better, the O-lines should have been more aggressive so we could score more and give you a buffer, and you should have had your head in the game, instead of worrying about Indie.”
Guilt floods my body like a rolling tide. “I know. I was worried about her, and it distracted me.”
“And that’s okay. That’s life. This is a game. One we all love, and because of that, it’s important, but it’s still only a game. A job. Sometimes, there will be things that are more important.” Griffin reaches across the aisle and slaps my knee. “So stop beating yourself up. None of this is all on you.”
I know he’s right, but it doesn’t change the fact that I feel like it’s on me. Maybe not all of it, but alotof it.
“You totally don’t believe me.” Griffin shakes his head, the corners of his lips curving in a small smile. “I get it. Don’t worry, bro. I’ll keep saying it until you do.”
“Thanks, Griff. I appreciate it.”
“Don’t mention it. You going to do something fun with your lady love today to take your mind off everything?” He waggles his eyebrows suggestively, and I can’t help laughing, breathing some of my tension out with it.
“Yeah, I have something special planned, actually.” And I’m certain it will help me get my head on straight. Hopefully, Indie loves it as much as I do.
“You gonna fill me in?”
“Nope.” I’m still not ready to tell the guys about my little hobby. Indie deserves to know first, then I’ll consider filling them in. Maybe.
“Okay.” Griffin chuckles, leaning back in his seat as the seat belt light illuminates and the flight crew lets us know they’re preparing to land. “Keep your secrets. Just make sure you get laid too. You need to release some tension.”
He’s not wrong.
