Page 56 of The Hat Trick

“Thank you, we will be right down,” his voice is low, and she takes that as her cue to leave. I turn back to look at my dad.

“About time for an upgrade in the wife department, that one seems too used to your bullshit.” I turn and walk out of his office.

He calls my name, but I don’t turn around. I always have to have the last word. I’m also seconds away from throwing my weight around a bit. Despite what I said about fighting just being a part of the game, which it is, sometimes I just need to fight and since the majority of my time is spent on the ice, I’m able to get it out. But if there’s one thing Bruce McQuaid is good at, it’s getting under my skin.

Dinner is about as awkward as I expected. He doesn’t bring up our conversation from before, and Mandy tries to act like we are some sort of happy family but fails miserably considering I glare at the man across from me the entirety of the meal.

She tries to make things “fun” by having us open presents, but it doesn’t help. I just want to leave, and I’m about to do just that when she says something I didn’t expect to come up.

“Who was that girl last night?”

My heart rate picks up because I didn’t think anyone noticed anything between Chandler and I. It’s not like I was close to her all night like Dumont. And I didn’t leave with her like Collee. Unless she was in the bathroom and saw what happened between us, I don’t see how she would know.

“What girl?” I ask nonchalantly, fully intending to play into my player reputation to get out of this line of questioning. And then go the fuck home.

Mandy suddenly seems nervous. “Oh, I just thought I saw you looking at a girl last night at the event, she was pretty. Brown hair, green dress.”

I shrug. “Not sure who you’re talking about. I look at a lot of girls.”

“Sure, of course, I just thought maybe you were seeing her or something.”

My dad raises his eyebrows at me. He knows I don’t “see” anyone.

“Nope, not me. I’m going to head out.”

My dad won’t try to stop me, but before Mandy gets a chance to, I’m already making a beeline to the front door. By the time I make it out to my car and pull out my phone I already have a text from my dad, which I should’ve expected with how this whole day has gone.

Dad: Get your shit together, son. And if you are seeing someone you should bring her to the New Year’s Eve party.

“Fuck!” I toss my phone down. I forgot about the stupid fucking party. But one thing is for sure, there’s not a goddamn chance I’m bringing Chandler to it.

* * *

The dayafter Christmas we are boarding our team plane and heading to an away game taking place tomorrow. I kept to myself since I left my dad’s house yesterday and I’m looking forward to playing. Especially on another team’s ice. It’s always more satisfying to beat a team on their home rink.

Once I’m boarded onto the plane, I turn my music up in my headphones and close my eyes trying to get in the zone, even though the game isn’t until tomorrow. Someone knocks my knee and I open my eyes to see it’s Dumont smirking at me while he takes the seat next to me. I grumble because I know he’s going to want to talk. The fucker is chatty.

I feel him settle into the seat, but I turn up my music, and lean my head back with my eyes closed. The plane takes off, and I don’t move until my headphones are pulled back. My eyes snap over to the asshole next to me.

“What the fuck, man?” I fix the headphones back on my head.

He nudges my leg with his again, and I try to ignore him until he shoves me in the arm, and I rip my headphones off.

“What do you want?” I snap.

“You talked to Chandler lately?” He has a smile on his face so he’s obviously not mad, but I don’t know why he felt the need to bug me.

“Not since I took her home yesterday.” I go to drown myself in music again, but he talks again.

“She won’t be okay with you fucking random chicks if you’re fucking her, you know?”

I rear back, “Who says I was going to keep fucking her?”

He scoffs, “You saying you’re not?”

“I don’t fucking know, man, I’m not pussy whipped to someone just because they touch my dick.”

“You’re such a fucking asshole, you know that?”

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