Page 287 of Cross Check

“I will,” he murmurs, giving me one more kiss. This one is soft, right on my mouth. Our last goodbye. “I promise I will.”

“I’m going to… I’m going to leave. I don’t want to, but I have to.”

“I know, baby.”

I step back, keeping my eyes on the floor. I make it to the door before his voice echoes down the hall.

“Hey, Lia?” Grant calls out, and my hand shakes on the doorknob.

“Yeah?” I answer.

“I’m counting down the seconds until I can see you again,” he says, and when I close the door behind me, I feel like I descend into hell.

NINETY

GRANT

“Are you ready?” Coach asks in the conference room at the arena, and I groan.

“No. Do we have to have this conversation?” I ask.

“It’s with the commissioner, and he’s unfortunately not on the list of people I’m allowed to tell to fuck off.” His lips twitch. “One day I will, and it’ll be worth it.”

“Thanks for being here with me. I know it probably goes outside the scope of your duties, but I’m glad I don’t have to face this alone.”

“It’s going to be fine.” Coach pauses. “They suspended Green eight games.”

“Eight games?” I drop the water bottle I’m holding. “That’s more than they’ve suspended guys who were arrested. How does that make any sense?”

“I’m not the one who makes those calls, so I can’t say what their spectrum of morality and ethics looks like. But let’s hear what the commissioner wants to talk about.”

Coach opens his laptop and taps a link that projects on the screen in front of us. I’m vibrating in my chair, literally shaking with nerves, and I can’t believe I have to try to explain to someone why I fell in love with Amelia.

Watching her walk out of the house was the lowest I’ve ever felt.

I stayed in the same spot for a good hour and a half after she shut the front door, stupidly thinking she’d turn around. I waited and waited and fucking waited, but she never came back.

It’s not because she doesn’t love me. It’s because she can’t, and that’s the shittiest part of this whole situation.

She didn’t fall out of love with me. She didn’t find someone else. She wasn’t unhappy. Everything was good until it wasn’t, and the only reason she wasn’t in my bed when I woke up this morning is because someone in charge of the league thinks they’re allowed to dictate what I do in my free time.

The commissioner has no idea the asshole he unlocked when he ripped her away from me. I’ve been fighting from the minute I was drafted, and that’s not changing anytime soon.

The call connects. An older guy with salt and pepper hair and a three-piece suit waves to from a big leather office chair. Behind him is the New York skyline, and I scowl when he grins.

“Brody! Good to see you. Congratulations on the gold medal victory. That was remarkable coaching from a remarkable man. We knew we made the right pick when we selected you to lead the team.” Brad Hollis chuckles. “Hope we can do it again in four years.”

“I had a great team that made coaching easy.” Coach doesn’t offer him the same pleasantry, and I’m not sure he’s blinked since the camera started rolling. “You wanted to speak to Grant Everett?”

“Right. Hello, Mr. Everett. Congratulations to you as well on the gold medal. That overtime goal has cemented you as hockey royalty. Welcome to an elite club.”

“Not sure that’s a club I want to be a part of.” My hand flexes at my side. “What is this conversation in regards to?”

We all know exactly what this conversation is about, but if he’s going to make me sweat while I wait to hear what’s going to happen to me, the least he can do is speak the words instead of being aloof about it.

“Your relationship with Ms. Green,” Brad says, and I swear my eye twitches.

“Coach Green would probably be her more appropriate title, no?” I toss back. “Given she also won a gold medal in Italy.”