Page 15 of Tripped Up

Another invitation to a team event would probably be a good way to hang out. She could meet the other wives and partners. There’s a reality TV show filming the team right now and there are always a bunch of staffers hanging around.

I don’t know why I’m so invested in spending time with Elsy. It’s more than Bex asking me to look out for her. I want to. I want to protect her, to make sure she’s okay.

When she said we were enemies the other night, it was like something in me broke. As much as I enjoy needling her, I thought we were having fun. It was all a game. I didn’t think she actually hated me…

Throughout training camp, she’s on my mind, and I’m not playing well. It’s a good thing I’ve been doing this for nine years and can operate on muscle memory, because no matter how much I try to compartmentalize and focus on hockey, she keeps creeping in.

Viggy pulls me aside in the locker room. “Want to talk about it?” he asks. He’s not my friend, he’s my captain, and I know it’s not a conversation I can opt out of.

Still, I’ll try.

“Talk about what?”

He sighs. “Whatever has you so twisted up, you’re playing like a rookie again.”

Frustration twists my stomach, centered in a heavy knot behind my ribs, and I drag my hand down my face. “Is it that obvious?”

“Yeah, man.” His laugh is short and forced. “Is it the reality show thing? Do I need to go to Coach?”

Shaking my head, I push my hair off my forehead. “Nah. They’re not bothering me.” The cameras aren’t allowed in here when we’re changing, and I don’t have any juicy gossip to interest them. Mostly, they leave me alone. I’m nothing but another nameless, faceless blob to them—which is exactly how I want it.

Being the focus of a reality TV show? Kill me now. Make it swift.

“So what is it?” Viggy asks.

“It’s nothing.”

Understanding dawns, and his expression clears. “So it’s a chick.”

My face twists into a scowl. “She’s not a chick.” She’s a fully grown woman who deserves to be treated with respect.

“It’s serious, then.”

I swallow my hesitation and confide in my captain. “She called us enemies.”

“And you don’t hate her?”

“She’s—I—” I sigh. “No, I don’t hate her.” Not in the slightest.

I’m not saying I’m in love with her. I wouldn’t go that far. She’s a cool person with an even cooler vibe. I’ve been able to catch glimpses of her—the real her—from a distance over the years. When she lets her guard down, she’s…

“She has this way of drawing everyone in,” I tell him. “Elsy cares about people, like, genuinely cares about them and not just for show. She goes out of her way to help her friends. She’ll drop everything for them.” I sigh. “But I’m not one of her friends.”

“That’s tough, man.” His hand lands heavy on my shoulder, the sympathy I didn’t know I was looking for.

“Any advice?” Holding my breath, I lean closer to him.

Viggy snorts. “Fuck, you think I know what to do? There’s a reason I stay single. Easier that way.”

Everything in me deflates. “Thanks, man. Really appreciate it.”

He shrugs. “Invite her to a game. Maybe with her in the stands, you won’t suck so much.”

Flipping him off, I turn back to my locker to strip off my sweaty gear. As unhelpful as he was, inviting her to a game probably isn’t a bad idea. She’s a hockey fan, right? Her best friend plays. She probably knows other guys in the league, too, guys she’s met through him. She can catch up with them.

Wait. I do not want her to get cozy with any of them. Maybe I shouldn’t invite her after all…

Can’t believe I’m even thinking this, but I wish my sister was here. She’d know what to do.