Whatever It Takes (Bold As Love 3)

Punching in the numbers, I call Mike. She made it there, but is currently over at my house with Drake. Okay. She must need to simply get away from me. I’ll have to let her be and trust that when she wants to talk, she’ll call. The rest of the day I spend finishing my homework that I have been avoiding.

For the past six months, I have made so many little, stupid mistakes and now they are all coming back to bite me in the ass. I can’t help but feel as if these mistakes are going to cost me Emily. She is the sole thing in my life that I can’t afford to lose. I would rather give up my beloved hockey than to lose my Sweetness.

These thoughts rattle my brain all through the night and all through the following day. Still no word from Emily. Desperately, I push those these thoughts out of my mind. Drake calls and I answer to discover that he's having trouble in school. His voice is desperate as he asks if I can come home like Emily. It hurts to tell the little man no. With a s

igh, I realize that I have to focus.

Our game against the rival school starts in thirty minutes and focus was required. The arena would be full of kids from both colleges and I want to do my team justice.

I take a deep breath to allow the cool air to enter my system. Listening to my skates cut into the ice as I skid to a stop calms my nerves. As soon as the puck hits the ice, the world falls away.

It’s intense, to say the least. Adrenaline surges through my bloodstream as a player from the opposing team slams into me and I am pushed into the glass, which I use to bounce back to steal the puck. Skating as fast as I can, I rush to the other side. Two guys come up on my side and try to block me. I take a chance. Just like I did the day I met Emily. I push the puck forward just as I slide past the net.

I shoot.

I score.

We won 5-4. It was a close one, but we got it. There is going to be a huge after party somewhere, but I am exhausted. My energy is gone and all I want to do is climb into bed next to Emily. My shoulders droop as I realize that I’m returning to an empty bed.

Hell, I’m going to the party.

Girls were grinding against guys and my eyes easily found Eve. Making my way over, she asks me to dance. So we do. A drink is always in my hand and empties way too fast. No problem. There is plenty of alcohol and I consumed a good chunk of it.

“Why drinking so much,” Eve yells over the music.

“Girlfriend troubles. Life troubles.”

She leans forward to talk into my ear. “Life is good. Were you not there while you were playing? You did awesome,”

“Thanks. How about you? Where's the boyfriend?”

“No boyfriend.”

“You're hot enough for one. Sure you aren't playin' me?”

Eve laughs. “I'm sure.”

***

Little rays of fucking sunshine peek through the blinds and right into my eyes. My head is pounding and I swear I can hear my heart beating in my head. I’m pretty sure I can feel it slamming against my forehead as well. My eyes fall heavily but pop open again quickly at the realization that I have practice this morning. There’s no telling what the punishment is for showing up late and hung over. I’ll probably find out though. I toss the covers aside and begin my morning routine.

With half the team suffering a hangover, Coach is twice as loud as usual and runs us to death. I can’t even count how many times I skate up and down the ice in the two very long hours. Tempted to skip class, I walk over to Coffee Beans for a coffee. Hopefully, it’ll wake me up. If it wasn’t for hockey, I would skip today but. Coach requires us to attend every class unless we are dead.

What if I feel like I am dead? After buying my coffee, I turn around and there stands Eve. Her smile is too bright and too friendly for seven in the morning. I nod in greeting as I take a sip of my coffee. It burns a hot streak down my throat and into my stomach.

“I was just thinking about you,” Eve comments as she moves in to give her order.

“Oh really? What about me?”

“I was wondering if you knew that your girlfriend was out with that guy again.”

Impossible. “She’s out of town at the moment. You probably got her confused with someone else.”

Eve begins to describe Emily’s features and I nod in affirmation with a sinking feeling in my stomach.

“That’s her then. She was at the breakfast restaurant a few blocks down the road.”

I checked my watch. There wasn’t any time to go check. “Thanks.”