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But that’s the act of a desperate man.
And that’s not me.
I’m an NHL center for the Glaciers. I’m a catch. I don’t have to be strung along and hung up on a woman who didn’t even give me the time of day when I poured my heart out to her at the airport.
I purse my lips.
And hit the unfollow button.
A knock on the window of my car jars me from my thoughts. I glance up, seeing Kade and Dylan standing outside. I turn off the engine, shove my phone in my pocket, and climb out to join them.
“We’ve been standing here forever and you didn’t even notice.” Dylan bursts into a fit of laughter.
“Ha ha.” I slam the door shut. “I was just looking at something.”
“Yeah, a picture of Nila and her hot friend,” Dylan muses, waggling his eyebrows. “I bet they’d be real fun. You should invite them.”
“No,” I snap, shoving my hands into the pocket of my jeans and making my way to the sidewalk. “I’m not friends with Nila.”
“Whoa,” Dylan cackles. “That sounds a little charged there.”
“Yeah, charged is a good word for it,” Kade agrees with him as they trot to join me. “Are you still salty that she wasn’t interested in you?”
“Wait, did you two...?” Dylan grabs my arm.
“No, I mean, kind of.” I run my hands over my face before dropping them to my sides dramatically. “Why does everyone want to talk about her? We may have had a little fling or something when we were in Colorado, but she’s made it clear that’s all it was. I’m over it. Mostly. And I’ll be fine. I don’t want to talk about it. I don’t want anything to do with women anymore.”
“Uh...” Kade’s brow furrows. “Don’t say that, man.”
“Why?” I demand, growing sharp with him. “Isn’t hockey supposed to be our life anyway? I mean, look what happened with Lacey. That was a freaking disaster. And then I go and fall hard for Nila, so I think, You know what? Forget the heartbreak. I’m going to go for it. And what happens? I get burned.”
“Yeah, but that doesn’t mean you should give up on love.” Dylan’s voice actually softens. “If Nila turned you down, she was crazy for it. You’re a good guy, and I’m sure she knew that. Maybe she’s going through her own stuff. It’s not your fault.”
“I don’t know,” I mutter, swallowing the growing lump in my throat. “It sorta seems like I’m the problem. Or maybe I just pick the wrong people—but Nila was different. I fell for her in the most unconventional way, and it was all the little things about her that really got me.”
Dylan frowns. “That’s the sappiest thing I’ve ever heard come out of your mouth, and I can’t decide if I’m disgusted or grossly entranced by it.”
I make a face at him. “You’re weird.”
He laughs. “I’m fun. Come on.” He slings an arm around my shoulder. “Let’s go eat enough breadsticks to forget about Nila.”
I laugh.
Impossible.
Chapter Twenty-Seven
Nila
“Welcome to the team.” The room bursts into applause at Garrett’s welcome.
I join in, taking in the new CEO of the start-up company. She’s gorgeous, her blonde hair pulled up in a tight bun on the top of her head. Cierra Compton is all business—and I admire her for it. However, I also see the way she’s eyeing Garrett, a twinkle in her eye.
Yeah, all women look at him that way.
It’s become more than apparent to me after just the first few days here.
But me? I can’t get into the charm.
