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Over the years, I’ve seen Aurora cry a handful of times—once when she took a rogue puck to the chest as a teenager during a pickup game, which scared the shit out of me and Roman. Hell, last year, the little shit she was dating broke it off right before Valentine’s Day, so I consoled her, and we ended up hanging out and watching Batman movies. The team was away, and I was stuck at home nursing my injury. I had all the makings for brownie sundaes delivered, and she nearly made herself sick on top of being sad. But being the cause of her tears—that’s a gut punch.
“Uh, she was on her way out when I was on my way in.” Lying to Roman’s face is a new low on top of my epic betrayal.
“She looked okay when you saw her? She didn’t seem upset?” he asks.
“Maybe a little on edge.” Because I kissed her and told her it was a mistake.
If ever I wished for a do-over, it’s that fucking kiss. I know Aurora. I know exactly how she’ll react to my reaction. She’ll pick herself apart over it.
Tristan, Flip, Dallas, and Ash meet us at the gym for a morning workout.
“Everything okay with Hammer?” Tristan asks Roman once we’ve set up our routine and everyone is at their designated station.
Roman frowns. “Why are you asking?”
Tristan continues his biceps curl-overhead press combo as he speaks. “Bea is supposed to stay over tonight. We were planning to make a new recipe she was working on together and I was really looking forward to spending time with her, but she said she might have to cancel because Hammer is going through some things. She wouldn’t elaborate, though.”
Roman’s concerned gaze flicks to me. “I thought you said she seemed fine when you saw her at the pool last night. I wonder what she’s been going through.”
I shrug, my gut churning. “Like you said, she’s been off lately. Maybe it’s school related.”
I glance at Tristan out of the corner of my eye. He’s frowning in my direction. What if Rix knows about the kiss? Would Aurora tell her? Would Rix tell Tristan? One mistake could blow up nearly a decade of friendship.
The fact that I’m worried about myself in this makes me even more of an asshole. Because not only am I lying to my best friend, Aurora’s lying to her dad, too. They have a great relationship. Sure, he can be overbearing and overprotective, but they’re close. And now I’m coming between them. She deserves so much better than this. Than me.
“Hemi really misses having her and Tally around,” Ash says.
“She hasn’t even taken the extra desks out of her office.” Dallas grunts through a squat.
“Shilps sometimes does her paperwork at Hammer’s old desk to keep Hemi company,” Ash adds.
“I didn’t realize that.” I add ten pounds for the next set of lunges.
“Hemi went from having two assistants to no assistants. And Hammer was incredible, especially with the way she took Tally under her wing and helped manage the endorsement campaigns,” Flip says. “Hammer is a scheduling wizard. I bet Hemi’s feeling the pressure without her, and those girls are together all the time outside of work, so I’m sure they’re missing each other.”
“Shilpa says the office feels empty without them,” Ash agrees.
Roman adds plates to a barbell. “Maybe that’s what’s going on with Peggy. She’s been distant lately. She’s missing dinners more often.” He turns to me. “You’ve noticed it too, right?”
I keep my eyes on my weights. “I chalked it up to coursework.” The problem with a web of lies is that eventually, I’m bound to get trapped in it. And then what will happen?
“It’s too bad her internship wasn’t this semester. Especially with the gala coming up in April,” Dallas says.
“Hemi wrangle you into the auction again this year?” Flip asks.
“Last year she didn’t even ask,” Dallas gripes. “But she put Hammer up to it this year, and I wasn’t going to say no.”
“I’m glad I get a pass this year,” Tristan mutters. “And hopefully for the rest of my life.”
“I had fun last year,” Flip says dryly.
The “night with a hockey player” auction is usually pretty family friendly. Often it’s meant to be an opportunity for the winner to hang out with their favorite player. Sometimes it consists of some ice time, giving back to the community in a meaningful way, and a private dinner with a small group, but last year Flip’s date went in a less PG direction.
Dallas shoots him a look. “I’m putting it out in the universe that I’d like to have an evening with someone less than three times my age this time.”
Last year I opted out because of my injury. This year I didn’t have a reason to say no. I still don’t. But I wish I did. It’s a lot of being personable, which I’m not always good at.
After our workout, we go for lunch. We have practice early this afternoon, so I have an hour of downtime. I debate my options. Part of me wants to call my younger sister for advice. She met her husband when she was working on her master’s. He’s a professor and fifteen years her senior. At the time it was scandalous, and we were a little wary of Mike, but it was clear after we met him that they were meant for each other. This isn’t the same, though. Roman’s my best friend and teammate. Aurora’s not even done with university. It doesn’t matter how perfect that kiss was. She’s not for me. I can’t fix this, but I can apologize.
