Page 48 of Puck Shy

“Just one week,” she echoes, exhaling. “I’ll be back in one week.”

Fuck, I hope so. Or I’ve made the biggest mistake of my life.

Chapter twenty-one

Stevie

The view from Leo, Jace, and Riley’s hotel suite in Seattle is freaking amazing. I can see the Space Needle and everything.

“Jace and I are leaving in five for the game!” I hear Leo call from the living area.

I sigh, turning from the window to pull on a light sweatshirt over my T-shirt. I should go say bye to them before they leave for tonight’s game, the one I won’t be attending. I look again at my usual team jersey on the bed, the one I stared at for over an hour, debating if I should wear it or not. But I stopped myself. If Lucas wants to test his dumb theory about me not being good luck, then I shouldn’t wear the jersey, either. I shouldn’t even be watching the game on TV like I plan to with Riley. But this home game against Vegas determines if they get to go to the playoffs, so I can’t not watch.

I rub my hands over my face thinking of Lucas. After we talked, I booked an earlier flight home ahead of the team so I didn’t have to travel with them or explain why I wasn’t attending tonight’s game. I lasted all but one night in my now Margo-free apartment before I asked Riley if I could come stay at the hotel with them downtown and watch the game with her there instead of at the rink.

She was confused at first, but I told her I’d give her all the details when I had some time to clear my thoughts, and she agreed. I spent the morning in one of the suites’ bedrooms, trying to think through everything Lucas said. Surprisingly, I’m not as upset as I think I should be. Especially since Lucas basically rejected me when I laid my heart out to him.

But I do understand his points. And honestly, I’m more embarrassed by the fact that I basically told him I’d get married and have kids with him when we haven’t even been on a real date.

Who does that? Not me. Not Stevie. Not the woman who only two months ago didn’t even want a committed relationship. I’ve had to seriously reevaluate if Fangirl Stevie was talking after my conversation with Nia or if what I told Lucas is what I really want to give him.

Our relationship started in such a bizarre way, and I admit that after the equipment room, I probably wasn’t thinking clearly. I should’ve taken a day before I spilled my guts on the floor like that.

“Knock, knock,” Riley’s voice comes from the other side of my door.

“Come in.”

She enters, wearing a special Stormbreakers jersey with Lucas’s number. Leo had them made for the three of them, but seeing Riley with it, I can’t help but think of me wearing Johnny’s jersey and everything that happened after. I have to stop myself from blushing while thinking about it.

“You okay?” she asks, sitting on the edge of my bed and patting the open space next to her.

I plop down. “Fine.”

“You don’t seem excited about the game,” she says. I know she’s fishing for details of what happened and why we’re not on our way to the game with Leo and Jace ourselves.

“It’s complicated.”

Riley tucks a piece of her strawberry-blonde hair behind her ear. “You want to tell me about it? I’d think that out of all the games to attend, this is the one you wouldn’t miss.”

I look into my sister’s green eyes. They’re warm, comforting. Before I know what I’m doing, I throw my arms around her and squeeze her to death, fighting back tears.

“Um, Stevie,” Riley says, sounding panicked. “What the hell happened? Is there someone I need to kill? I’m going to guess it’s Lucas.” She pats my back.

I laugh quietly into her shoulder and pull away, staring at her with watery eyes. “No killing needed.”

She pulls back with a warm smile and motions for me to move up on the bed like we do when we have a serious talk. We both grab a pillow to put on our laps, settling in. I pick at the edges of the pillowcase while Riley gives me space to collect my thoughts.

“Lucas and I, we…” I say eventually, trying to think of the right words to say.

“Banged again?”

I half smile. “Well, not really. But we did some sexual stuff. Really naughty stuff. And then I told him he has a huge dick and I wanted to get married and have his babies.”

Riley’s eyes bug out of her head. “You did what now?”

“Well, I didn’t really say that, but I implied it.”

“But I thought you didn’t want to get married and have babies?”

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