Page 130 of Waiting Game

Mia: It’ll be closed

Me: That’s fine. I’m curious.

Mia: If you want to. I’m still here closing up.

Me: See you soon?

Mia: K

“Change of plan, Burrows,” I inform him. “Take us back to the arena.”

His brow lifts in the rearview mirror but he does as I ask.

That’s when I get a message fromKillerCatQueen7.

KillerCatQueen7: I’m so sorry but I have to cancel. Everything’s fine. Something’s come up.

It’s insane that I feel jealous of myself, right?

The lines between CalKor and I are blurring…

Things are more complicated than they need to be but, fuck, if I didn’t make my bed and now I’m having to lie in it.

CalKor: No worries so long as everything’s all right. Speak to you tomorrow.

KillerCatQueen7: :*

The small crowd of fans has dispersed when I run down the tunnel. Only Gagné’s still there along with a couple members of staff as I head for my cubby.

My brow lifts when I see him packing some ice against his side. “You okay, dude?”

He jolts then twists to face me. Immediately, he hisses at the abrupt movement. “Yeah, yeah, I’m fine.”

“How hard was that hit?”

“Pretty hard.”

“Could you have busted a rib?” I ask in concern.

He waves a hand. “It’s all good.”

That bruise on his side was the opposite of ‘all good.’

“You got whacked with the puck?”

I didn’t see that during the game—and his bruise seems hella localized. Like a puck caused it when it hit him rather than a fall.

He ducks his head. “No.”

Confused, I stare at him for a couple seconds, then I remember why I came back and snag a bunch of shit from my cubby.

“What are you doing?”

“Stealing.”

He chuckles as he gingerly wraps kinetic tape around his side. A side he shields.Interesting.“Why?”

“Because I got a friend who needs some of it.”

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