Something So Perfect (Something So 2)

“Yeah, we play Friday and then get three days off. Send me the details so I can set it up.” I smile, thinking about finally seeing my family again. We FaceTime all the time, but it’s not the same. “You guys are going to love her.”

“She makes you happy, that’s all we ask for, son.”

I hang up as soon as I walk up the steps to the house. Opening the door walking in I see that I’m all alone. I walk to the kitchen where I put the flowers in a vase, bringing it up to the bedroom so she can see them. She fixed the bed before she left, so I just fall on the bed, grabbing her pillow so I can smell her, and just like that I nap till my alarm goes off, telling me it’s time to get going.

Walking into the arena by myself is weird. I usually have Karrie with me. I go in search of her, wondering where she is. When I see her talking to Mindy and her father I walk up to them. “Hey.” I nod to them and take in Karrie. I haven’t seen her since I left her in her bed. She is wearing tight black pants that look like they were painted on with a peach shirt and a big scarf around her neck. Her gray jacket hangs open and loose.

“Hey, there he is,” Mindy says. “We were just discussing how happy we are you are attending the kids’ gala with us.”

I put my hands in my pockets to stop from reaching out and yanking Karrie in my arms, even just to have her next to me.

“Now, if you excuse us, Doug, I need you to sign off on the press release.” He kisses Karrie goodbye and they walk away.

I get closer to her, watching her eyes light up. “I missed you,” I say low so no one can hear.

“Did you?” Her hand glazes mine. “Good. You can show me tonight just how much you missed me.” I’m about to grab her and find an empty closet when the rest of the team slowly trickle in. “Go be a star, Grant. I’ll see you after the game.”

I nod at her, walking past her into the room. On the center board are the lines for tonight. I’m paired with Phil, which isn’t a surprise, but we are put on the first line with Brendan. I don’t have time to celebrate before Max comes in and sees the board.

“What the fuck is this?” He looks at the board and then around the room. The players never make eye contact with him. He comes up to me, toe to toe. “You think you can come in here and take my fucking spot, Rookie?”

I shake my head, not even giving him the time of day and planning on moving back, till he grabs the front of my jacket in both his hands. “I’ll make you pay for this.”

I feel some of the guys at my back, but I don’t need them. “Max, on the ice I have your back because I have no choice, but in here, on the street, I don’t. I’m going to give you three seconds to take your fucking hands off me before I break them both and you won’t be able to hold a hockey stick for the next six weeks.” I look down at his hands and then up at him. “Two.” I don’t even start at one when the Luka comes in and takes Max’s hands off me.

“Calm down, Max,” Luka says, but not before the coach, who has been watching this whole thing, finally speaks.

“You want back on that first line, earn it.” He looks around the room. “No one hands anyone anything. Not in my locker room.” And with that he walks out but not before Max storms out of the room.

“He’s a fucking tool,” Brendan says from his seat. “Ignore him.”

The rest of the guys share the same opinion, but I keep my comments to myself. Instead, I get ready to show them on the ice why I belong on the first line.

Chapter Twenty

Matthew

One more period till I’m off for three days. One more period till we can leave and just be us. One more step till she meets my parents. As soon as Karrie found out about the party, she tried to get out of it. She went as far as trying to call her father and asking if it was okay. That made me do one thing, confiscate her phone. She didn’t talk to me for the whole night. She went as far as going into the other room to try and sleep. Well, that only ended in me carrying her back to my bed where I whispered sweet nothings to her, and she vowed to kill me in my sleep.