Page 39 of The Attack Zone

“Any idea why?” Caleb asks.

Yes.

“No,” I lie. I don’t want to lie to these guys, but I promised Stacey I wouldn’t tell anyone about us. “I’ll talk to Dr. Chells about it next week.”

“That’s a good idea,” Caleb says. “I’ll remind you before your appointment so you don’t forget.”

What did I do in a past life to deserve these guys? Because it certainly wasn’t anything in my present life, that’s for sure. But now that they’ve helped me put together a plan, I feel a bit better, lighter.

I manage to eat my entire smoothie bowl, which would not have been possible twenty minutes ago. We walk to morning skate together and the pressure I was putting on myself this morning has lifted a bit. Thomas is right, I’ve gotten through worse episodes. I can get through this game, get back home, and get back on track. I just have to figure out how to handle Stacey, because how we’ve been doing this won’t work for me long-term. It barely even worked for a week.

CHAPTER 21

STACEY

LATER THAT DAY

Iwalk into the bar where Hazel, Cassie, and I usually watch away games with an unusual pep in my step. I guess I really did need to get laid. And boy, have I been getting laid. I spent every night with Mitch this past week until he had to fly to his game in Buffalo. The playoffs start next week, and the Blizzards already clinched their place in them, but knowing these guys like I do, they aren’t going to let up the gas tonight even if they technically could.

I see Hazel and Cassie at the bar and cross the room towards them. There’s already a vodka cranberry waiting for me at the open seat between them.

“Stacey!” Hazel says as she jumps out of her seat and gives me a hug. I may not be a hugger normally, but I put up with it for Hazel because she’s lovely and I can’t bear to break her heart like that. Cassie, on the other hand, tips her Diet Coke at me and nods her head as if to say’sup. I settle into my barstool andreach for my drink.

“What time is puck drop again?” I ask.

“Five-thirty,” Cassie says.

The TVs in the bar are already turned to the local sports station showing the game, though, so when I look up I’m greeted with a massive version of Mitch’s face. My breath hitches in my chest. He’s warming up, firing pucks into the net at an insane speed, and there’s an intensity about him that I’ve seen before. It doesn’t always come out, but when it does, he plays an aggressive game. A thrill shoots up my spine.

Yes, I think.I love when he’s like this.

I ... do?

Have I even paid close enough attention to him before to notice?

Ugh.

Apparently I have, but now is not the time or place to examine that so I just pull out my phone to distract from the very strong attraction I’ve evidently always felt towards my now-friend with benefits. The problem is, Mitch’s name is on my screen. I have a text from him.

Mitch: Hey, love. You watching the game tonight?

It must be a from a few minutes before he got on the ice while I was walking to the bar. I type out a reply and hit send, assuming he might be able to see it during the first intermission.

Stacey: Yeah, I’m out with Cassie and Hazel. You had better play well tonight. Don’t make me waste an evening on you.

I slide my phone into my purse and turn back to the TV. Now the camera is on Thomas. I glance over at Hazel, and she may as well have replaced her eyes with heart emojis with the way she’s beaming up at him.

“You could just ask him out, you know,” I say under my breath.

Her head flips towards me quickly, “I ... what?”

“You clearly have a thing for King,” I say. “What’s the worst that could happen?”

“Uh ... I do not have a thing for him, first of all,” she says. “But if I did, he could reject me because I’m a single mom, or because he just isn’t interested, and then the whole group will be thrown into chaos.”

“Whatever you say,” I say.

“Shhhhh,” Cassie hisses at me from my other side. “The puck is about to drop.”

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