Page 74 of Roughing
This whole thing sucked.
Someone rapped on my hotel room door. I hadn’t ordered room service. Puzzled, I wondered who would be so bold as to ignore the Do Not Disturb sign. The only possibility would be a teammate, but which one?
The person knocked louder and louder. Shit, if he kept it up, he’d wake up the entire floor, including the coaches. Nobody wanted to deal with a cranky Coach Jeffs in the morning.
With a sigh, I heaved myself off the king bed and opened the door.
Dash stood in the hallway with a sheepish grin on his face. He held out a six-pack and pushed past me. I wasn’t in the mood for drinking. Only then did I realize he’d brought nonalcoholic beer. That was even worse.
I stared pointedly at the beer, and he shrugged. “Got a big game tomorrow. Can’t be hungover.”
I started to point out that I doubted the two of us would be hungover after sharing a six-pack. Dash popped the top off two bottles and handed one to me. I took a long pull. This crap wasn’t half-bad.
“What’s up?” I couldn’t imagine why he intruded on my solitude. Some of the younger guys, maybe, but not a seasoned veteran like Dash.
“I was going to ask the same thing. I heard Michella and you were taking a break from each other.”
“You just heard that? It’s been two weeks.”
“I know, but I wanted to give you some space first before I gave you some brotherly advice on women and relationships.”
Brotherly? I’d never had a brother. In my younger days, I’d wished for one, but family was a hassle I didn’t need. After my sister died, I’d basically cut ties with all my relatives.
I leaned back against the pillows and clasped my hands over my stomach, waiting for him to get on with it. I’d have to hear him out before he left me in peace.
“I’ve been through something similar with Everly. I was going to ask for a trade and take the coward’s way out.”
“But you stayed.”
“I did. This team needed me more than my old team did. We’re making history here, Briggs. Every single first goes down for all eternity in the Portland hockey history books.”
“All eternity?” I had to chuckle at his dramatics.
“You know what I mean. You could be a leader on this team. The younger guys watch you and emulate you. I’m grateful you’re choosing the positive route, but we need more during this last stretch of games.”
“I thought you came here to talk to me about Michella?”
“I did. Sorry, I got sidetracked. How long is this break supposed to last?”
“Two weeks. It’s been that long as of today. Then we’ll reevaluate where we go from there.”
“My suggestion if you want to hear it—”
“I’m going to anyway, so get it over with.”
Dash wasn’t insulted; instead, he chuckled. He was a genuinely nice guy, but his work ethic and his try couldn’t be faulted. The guy played with the energy of a twenty-year-old.
“When Everly and I broke up, I was within minutes of a trade when she rushed in and stopped me.”
“I can’t see Michella doing that.”
“Maybe not.”
“If I’m near a trade deal, I’m going through with it.”
Dash nodded and narrowed his gaze, studying me closely. “You don’t want a trade. You love her.”
I shrugged, not interested in discussing my feelings with anyone, let alone a teammate.
