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“Yeah, Princess?” He prompts.
My lungs stop working, and every coherent thought I had proceeds to vacate my mind. A small smile lifts at the corner of his lips as he patiently waits for me.
Astria shifts in his arms and we both freeze, fearful that she’ll wake up. The moment is lost.
“Goodnight.” It’s all I manage to say before Damien lays Astria down for the night.
Chapter Eleven
Damien
“Good game tonight, Henderson.” Carter Tolar claps me on the shoulder as we step into the elevator of the hotel, we’re staying at for our series this weekend.
We won game one. Two more games decide if our season ends here or not.
“Thanks, you too.” I nod, not wanting to get into a conversation. I’m tired. I just want to go back to the room and call my girls.
We might have won tonight, but I was on edge the entire game. More than usual. I did everything I could to play my best game and simultaneously ignore Tyler every time he skated past me. Somehow, we managed to get out of there without any bloodshed or cheap shots thrown from either of us.
It wasn’t easy, and now I’m exhausted.
“You headed in for the night?” Tolar asks, clearly not catching the hint that I’m not in the mood to chit-chat.
I shove my hands into the pockets of my slacks and watch the lights on the elevator as they move at a snail’s pace.
“Yeah, you sound surprised?” I look at his reflection next to mine in the mirrored wall of the elevator. I never go out with the guys after a win. I go home. Or, if it’s a home game I stay to work at the rink and pick up a few extra hours. He knows that though. So, what’s with the interrogation?
“Not surprised, just thought you might be out celebrating with some of the other young guys, that’s all. You’re smart to stay back. We still have two more games. Now isn’t the time to celebrate, we’ve still got work to do.” He shrugs, but there’s something else there that he’s not saying. I see it in his eyes. I brush it off. The whole team is hyped after our game tonight, and we’re all handling it differently.
“We do. Two more games. I’m not celebrating yet. Young guys, really? You’re funny.” I’m only a couple of years younger than he is, and as far as life goes, well I’m decades ahead of most of the guys on our team. He knows that. Our stories carry a similar timeline, although the way we arrived at this point was very different.
Tolar snickers. The man literally snickers to himself in the corner of the elevator like a fucking schoolgirl that just found out her best friend is crushing on the new boy in class and nobody knows but her. I look around, but we’re only surrounded by mirrors. I don’t get it. What am I missing?
“You got something to say, Tolar?” I tilt my head to the side in confusion.
“Nope.” He crosses his arms over his chest as if I’m the one that’s being weird.
The elevator dings alerting us to our arrival, fucking finally. We both step out into the hallway at the same time. Tolar turns left and I make a right. The whole team is staying on the same floor, but our rooms happen to be on opposite ends of the hallway.
“Hey, Henderson.” He calls out after me before I can get two full steps into the corridor.
“Yeah?” I ask over my shoulder, even though I truly could care less what he has to say. I’m so close. Just a few more feet and I can seclude myself in the sanctuary of my hotel room.
“Sweet dreams.” He smiles widely before turning and swiping his room key over the panel on the door to his room and disappearing behind it.
What the fuck has gotten into him tonight?
I turn back toward my room and that’s when I see her. I forget everything. Tolar’s strange remarks from the elevator, our win against Chambliss, Tyler’s watchful eyes on the ice…everything except the woman standing in front of my door with a backpack slung over her shoulder and a rolling overnight suitcase parked at her feet.
Three long strides and I’m standing in front of her. Every worst-case scenario plays through my mind in fast-forward until I reach her.
“Is everything okay? What’s wrong? Where’s Astria?” The words burst from my lips the moment I finally reach her. My heart beats so hard that it thunders in my ears and makes it nearly impossible to think.
She wrings her hands together nervously, which only makes my heart race faster. My stomach sinks to my toes. A light sheen of sweat breaks out over my skin.
“Yes!” She says quickly, an odd look on her face. What is it with tonight? “We’re fine. I didn’t mean to worry you. I didn’t know how to come right out and say it. So, here I am. Surprise!”
She smiles and throws up her hands, waving them in the air awkwardly. I can’t remember there ever being an awkward moment between us. Why the nerves? Why now?
