Page 12 of Playoff

“It’s good to see you,” he continues, holding the door open by pressing his hand on the side. His gorgeous blue eyes find mine and it’s hard to breathe for a second or two. “I was glad to hear you weren’t hurt… in the accident.”

Christ.

Now he’s beingnice.

That’s what made me fall in love with him in the first place.

That and those damn blue eyes.

But I don’t have the time or energy for a trip down memory lane.

“Thanks, I appreciate that,” I say instead. I push the button for my floor. “I’ll see you at breakfast. Have a good night.” I momentarily meet his gaze, almost daring him not to let the doors close.

He hesitates but then nods and steps back.

The doors slowly come together, erasing his handsome face from view, and I let out a breath.

What the fuck was that?

If we’re going to be working together for the next week or two, I have to keep my emotions in check and my head on straight.

I’m not a heartbroken eighteen-year-old who just caught her boyfriend with a bunch of puck bunnies at a college frat party.

I’m not that young, emotional wreck who had to go to community college for a year after realizing that following Blake to college in Minnesota would be a huge mistake.

No, I’m all grown up and I have a job to do.

I don’t have time for Blake Rourke.

Or his stupid, gorgeous, breathtaking blue eyes.

FOUR

Blake

She’s still mad.

I stand there for a second after the elevator doors close feeling both disappointed and hurt.

It’s been nearly a decade since the night we broke up, but I guess she hasn’t forgotten. What I did. And how I did it. She’s moved on and isn’t even interested in being friends. Which is fine. I don’t have time for that shit anyway.

Except it’s Rowan.

She’s the standard no one else could ever live up to.

It’s embarrassing to admit, but I’d be an idiot to try to lie to myself.

It took me a long time to get over her, even though I fucked my way through every puck bunny in college. I thought hockey, sex, and parties would make up for what I’d lost, and by the time I realized it wouldn’t, it was too late.

“Crashed and burned, huh?” Bodi’s the only person in my life who knows how much I regret letting Rowan go. How much I regret hurting her.

But that ship has sailed and it’s time for me to come to terms with it.

“I was a jerk when we broke up,” I say with a shrug. “She obviously hasn’t forgotten or let it go. As long as she’s not openly hostile, I’m good. All I want to think about now is hockey.”

Bodi laughs. “Yeah, right.”

“Fuck off.” I shake my head as I get into the elevator. “Anyway, I’m going to order takeout and get to bed early. I need to be at a hundred and fifty percent for the game tomorrow.”

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