AllFreeNovel
Share Us
I laugh hard and slap him on the shoulder.
“Not in a million fucking years did any of us see that one coming.”
TJ returns my laugh, then looks at Nandy again, who is joking with Devyn. I have to give TJ some credit for not being at all shy about finding, the force that is Nandy Reyes, so intoxicating. “Are you feeling a bit confused, TJ?”
“Confused?” He looks at me. “Nope. Sexy is sexy, and that man is sexy as fuck.”
I laugh again. “Wow, you are full of surprises!”
TJ is very much a player. He may not take it to the art form level that Travis Gordon once did before he settled down with Brittany. But TJ was the heir to that throne. He has a reputation, and it is well-earned. To my knowledge, though, he has never been with a man. Or even expressed any desire for a man before. And I’ll admit to being more than a little impressed at his openness about it.
Chapter nineteen
I don’t normally check my phone during games. Most people know not to contact me during them, anyway. Not like I have a long list of friends. All of them are here with me.
Hence, it surprised me more than a little when I felt the buzzing begin and continue a few times during the third period.
My stomach flutters and a smile appears on my face when I see Carter’s name attached to the missed calls. A wave of emotions flows through me. Good ones. Feelings of contentment and peace—and with Carter fucking Hughes of all people. I laugh to myself and put the phone back in my suit jacket.
I can’t start this during a game. I’ll check them on the way to the locker room.
If it’s an emergency… well, he wouldn’t be calling me… but wait, shit. We’re in Calgary. Half this team has some tie to Calgary. Nic’s brother, Devyn’s best friend, Levi used to play here. Levi and Devyn are both here… they would be his emergency contacts with Brady out of town. But everyone is on this trip.
Those warm fuzzy feelings rapidly turn to anxiety, and I listen to the first voice mail. No emergency. Not one that requires the authorities anyway, or an ambulance. Something is definitely off, though.
The background noise reveals something that makes my heart absolutely sink. By the third voice mail, the words flowing from his mouth confirmed it all. Three different sentiments. Three little words. Each sentence would have filled me up to overflowing under different circumstances.
“Shit, shit, shit,” I mumble to myself.
“Something wrong?” TJ asks.
I shake my head. “No… just… no.” But that answer isn’t for TJ. I plead with the Universe for him to be okay, for him to not be drunk. Because if Carter is drunk…then something, everything, is potentially very wrong.
I listen to the voicemails again.
I miss you.
I want you.
I love you.
Those words. They should fill me with hope. Alcohol is a truth serum, right? But for Carter… shit, shit, shit. What do I do? How do I help him from here? I guess the one good thing, based on his messages, he is at his hotel and he’s in an excellent mood. I feel confident his actual safety is not an issue.
I stare at the phone helplessly. Then I look down at the ice, the scoreboard, my phone again. Less than five minutes left in the game. Still a couple of hours before we are airborne.
“Davey, man, are you sure everything is okay?”
I look at TJ.
I just shrug at him. “I’m going to head down,” I say.
I make my way out of the box toward the concourse area and the back stairs that will take me to the locker rooms—and, more importantly, give me privacy as I head that way.
My heart is pounding in my head along with oh so many fucking emotions. I’ll admit one of them is anger. He’s been doing so well. What in the hell could have possibly caused this? Did I cause this?
I take a breath and prepare to call him. Act casual, I think, encourage him to go up to his room. Drink some water, get to bed.
Those three little words fill my vision again.
