Page 10 of Worth the Chase

A year ago, I would have shut her up with a kiss, but now, I just wanted her to go away.

“Do I know you?” My tone wasn’t necessarily friendly, but I also tried not to sound overly rude.

These encounters always ended up on gossip sites, where I got labeled an asshole or a dick. I didn’t enjoy strangers hating me. Unless it was based on my hockey skills and beating their team on the ice—that was different.

Having a million people think I was rude tofansdidn’t make me feel great. Especially when it wasn’t true and it was typically because of situations like this.

“Oh, no. I thought we could get to know each other, if you know what I mean.” She giggled. “I’m only here for two more days and figured I’d better shoot my shot.”

“Well”—I paused and searched my mind for what the hell to say that didn’t include telling this chick to leave me the fuck alone—“I’ve had a long day, and I really need to go to bed.”

“I could join you,” she pushed, stepping so close to me that her fake tits hit me in the stomach.

I instinctively stepped back.

“I have a girlfriend,” I lied.

Her face fell. “Oh. Sorry. I didn’t know.” She looked all around at the otherwise empty complex. “But she’s not here though. We could still…” She paused.

I hated everything about what was happening and the way this stranger perceived me. That since my imaginary girlfriend wasn’t around, I’d be the kind of guy to cheat on her and fuck this chick anyway. A lot of professional athletes did do that shit, but I wasn’t one of them.

“She’s on her way after she wraps up work,” I lied again as Bells’s face filled my mind. “Nice to meet you, but I need to go.”

“Can’t blame a girl for trying, right?”

I sucked in a breath instead of responding and waited for her to take a fucking hint already. I needed her to walk away so that she didn’t try to memorize my house code over my shoulder while I punched it in. After what felt like an eternity, she finally headed toward the staircase in the opposite direction, and I pushed the buttons on the keypad.

Maybe it really was time to start house-shopping. Encounters like the one I’d just had were beginning to happen more frequently, and it wasn’t even tourist season yet. I valuedmy privacy, and I seemed to be getting less and less of it while living here in these condos. I wondered if someone had posted where my place was online, and that was why so many fangirls had started showing up in the complex. It wasn’t out of the realm of possibility. Things like that had happened in the past during the season, so why wouldn’t it happen now?

The two locks unlatched, and I opened the front door and relocked it before sitting down on my couch, pulling off my tie, and tossing my cell phone next to me. I’d left the TV on, and of course, highlights of tonight’s sports games were playing on a loop. I reached for the remote and clicked the Mute button, groaning. I still wasn’t in the mental capacity to watch my old team win or lose games without me. The pain of walking away felt a little too fresh sometimes. Even though I knew I’d done the right thing, for the team and myself, it still fucking sucked. I should have been playing professional hockey for at least eight more seasons. And now, I was on my couch, watching them play without me like I’d never been on the team at all.

My hockey career was over, and sooner or later, I really needed to get a grip on that fact. Maybe moving out of the condo would help. An idea sprang to life in my brain, and I found myself huffing out a laugh. Bells had just gotten her real estate license. I’d overheard her telling someone that she wasn’t sure if she liked the business or not, but hadn’t gotten enough time under her belt to really know.

I grabbed my phone and typed out a text.

How about you take me house-shopping, Bells?

Who is this?

The man of your dreams.

More like nightmares.

I’ll take it. The man of your nightmares, then.

You want to go house-shopping? For real or is this some kind of ploy?

Ploy for what exactly? I can’t take another random chick showing up at my condo, begging to sleep with me. I need privacy, Bells. I think it’s time, and you’re the only one I trust.

…

I waited for her response, my heart beating so damn hard that I thought it might break out of my chest. The dots continued to dance, disappear, and then dance again. It was downright torture.

Fine.

Her response was literally one word, but I’d take it and push like hell for more.

Tomorrow.

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