Page 138 of Rookie Attraction

Wait, what if he doesn’t feel the same?

“Holy fucking shit!” I shout.

Xavier, my nurse, comes rushing into the room.

“Mr. Baran, are you okay?”

I quickly nod and bite my lower lip. I’m in shock. But this time, there’s no pain involved. I hope.

“Good. Fine. Well, not good, obviously, but I’m okay. Or I will be,” I ramble. “Just checking the stats on the game tonight. I got a little too excited about the win. Sorry.”

Nope, the game is the last thing I’m thinking about.

I’m in love, I’m in love, I’m in love…

“Congratulations, but please try and relax,” he replies calmly and heads for the door. “You need to prioritize rest.”

My phone starts buzzing again, and I finally look at my texts and listen to my voicemails. Two missed calls from my dad. It takes me forever to text with one hand, but I let him know I’m okay and that I’ll call tomorrow. I also have texts from Silas, Will, the rest of my siblings, and my Sutton U friends.

But nothing from Sel. I push down my disappointment. He’s busy, probably in interviews.

After sending replies to everyone, I close my eyes and try to sleep. I drift off but not for long. I’m overloaded, and I need to talk to Sel. Minutes trickle by, and another hour later, sleepy but not sleeping, I hear a soft knock at the door.

“Come in.”

The door opens and Berg appears.

“Are you okay for a few visitors? Or should we come back in the morning?”

I shake my head.

“I’m good. Unfortunately, I didn’t get the strongest drugs, so I’m awake.”

Berg enters the room, followed by Makela, Kuznetsov, and Sorensen. My stomach drops out. I’m pleased to see my teammates, but there’s only one person I want, and he’s missing. I do my best to hide my disappointment. Then I don’t need to.

The door pops open again, and when Sel saunters in, my breath hitches.

He’s here!

But he’s not alone. Stay cool.

Sel stands behind the others, and since they’re giants like him, he cocks his head around to see me. His mouth is swollen, there’s a nasty-looking gash on his lip, and dark bruises appear on his jawline, above his trimmed beard. But it’s his face that gets to me; it’s so pale I think he needs medical assistance.

“We beat those assholes!” Makela proudly announces. “All for you, Finntastic.”

“Thanks,” I grin. “I watched the clips. The rest of the game was brutal.”

I glance at Sel and our eyes lock. I don’t need him to speak, the fear in his eyes says everything.

“So, what’s the verdict, Finn?” Berg asks.

“Grade one shoulder separation, a sling for ten days, and then physio. No concussion.”

“How long’s the healing time?”

“Doctors say about a month. I should return to full function within two weeks, but I’ll need another two or three before I can play again.”

Sorensen smiles. “What a relief, man. That means you’ll be back on the ice in January sometime.”