Page 66 of The Fake Out

Riley pointed at me. “True.”

“I feel like we barely see you outside the locker room,” TJ said and gave me a pointed look.

I grinned and shrugged while taking a drink of my beer. I had been spending a lot of time with Veronica. I wanted to savor every moment I could get with her since I knew we were going to expire soon. No wonder I had developed real feelings for her. All I did was play hockey and hang with her. Shit, I was getting clingy. That was exactly what she didn’t want.

Noah nudged me with his elbow. “Bro, what’s up?”

“Do any of your girls ever ask you not to go when you gotta travel?” I asked.

TJ nodded. “Yeah, Max has before, but I don’t think she means it. I think she just doesn’t want me to leave the bed.”

“Fi’s the only girl that understood what the hockey spouse life was gonna be like. She likes me to leave,” Riley explained.

I raised an eyebrow. “She does?”

Noah nodded. “Yeah. D said she gets a lot of writing done when I’m gone. Doesn’t mean we don’t miss each other.”

“The girls figure it out,” Benny explained. “They have each other to lean on.”

I nodded.

“What’s up, man?” TJ asked.

“Veronica was weird this morning. She was half asleep, though. I think she has abandonment issues.”

“Oh,” Riley breathed. “Shit, I understand that one.”

“You do?” I asked.

“Sure. Fi felt a little abandoned when I left for the league, and then we weren’t as close when we got older. All that shit changed when her asshole ex left her at the altar and I married her instead.”

I don’t think I knew that about their relationship. That was interesting.

I pushed my food around on my plate. “V’s ex left and took all his shit with no note or warning a week before their wedding.”

“Fuck!” TJ exclaimed.

“Shit, man. What an asshole!” Noah agreed.

“It gets worse,” I muttered.

“How?” Benny asked, and he had a scowl across his face.

“Pretty sure he was cheating on her and got another girl pregnant…we’re going to their wedding in two weeks.”

They all stared at me.

“Are you serious?” TJ asked.

“What?” I asked.

“You’re going to the wedding of the dude who cheated on her?” Riley demanded.

“Dude, why?” Noah asked.

I shrugged. “She asked me to go with her, and I said I would. She wants to show him she’s better off without him.”

TJ stared at me, confused, but Benny glared at me, and I didn’t understand his expression.