Page 59 of Defensive Zone

Zach

*eye roll emoji* You’re such a horndog.

Carter

Get back to your room, Reid. It’s time to get naked. *devil emoji* *eggplant emoji*

Grinning, I make my way toward the elevator bank, only to end up stopping short when I see Jackson sitting in one of the plush armchairs tapping away on his phone. There’s a deep crease between his brows, and his mouth is tipped downward.

“Hey, you good?” I ask quietly as I approach.

He lifts his head and plasters on a tired smile. “Hey. Yeah, I just checked in with my mom. I missed bedtime, and Isabela wasn’t happy about it.” He sighs, scrubbing a hand over his face. “Sometimes she’s fine when I go on the road, but then she can also give my mom such a hard time. I feel like such a shit dad at times.”

I take the seat next to him. The hotel lobby is quiet, despite the noise filtering in from the guys at the bar. “You’re not a shit dad. It’s hard to explain it to them when they’re young.”

Isabela is almost four years old, whereas Ryan is seven and understands Jackson’s job better. Staying with his parents while he’s on the road means they have more stability, but this life is tough. It’s not always glamorous. It’s spending a lot of time separated from the people you love most, and when they’re kids, it can be confusing for them. I know from experience, growing up with my dad in the NHL.

“Exactly.” Jackson drops his phone into his lap and runs a hand through his hair. “Enough about me. How’s your head? How’s Carter doing? Is he missing you yet?” He gives me a teasing smirk, and I can’t stop the wide smile from appearing on my face.

Jackson chuckles. “I take that as a good thing.”

“Yeah, he’s good. I just…” I huff a laugh, almost in disbelief. “Sometimes it doesn’t feel real, you know? It was a pipe dream for so long. I’d accepted that I was never going to be able to act on my feelings, and I was becoming okay with that, but now… Now he feels the same way, and sometimes I have to pinch myself to make sure it’s not a dream. It’s real.”

“I’m really happy it worked out for you both.” He smiles fondly. “Have you discussed what’s going to happen when he goes back to Denver? He’s got a year left on his contract, right?”

“Yeah, that’s right.” I let out a long sigh. “But we haven’t spoken about it, no. I know it’s only six months, seven at most if they make it through to the playoffs, and it’ll help that we’ll both be busy either training or on the road, but it’s still six months…”

He’s silent for a moment, his fingers mindlessly brushing the scruff on his chin. I can sense the wheels turning in his head, but instead of pushing, I wait for him to speak.

“Long distance relationships can be hard, especially when you both play professional sports. Communication is the most important thing, along with trust. You have to make sure you share when you’re uncertain about something, be vulnerable with each other, and be prepared to get creative when it comes to satisfying your needs, if you know what I mean.” He winks.

I chuckle. “You sound like you’re speaking from experience.”

He shocks me when he says, “I am.”

“I thought you and your ex-wife lived together before the divorce?”

“I’m not talking about Laura. This happened over ten years ago. It was in my early days playing in Boston. We met in my rookie year. You know how it goes, puppy love. We thought we could make it work, but when I got traded to Los Angeles, it crumbled. We were on opposite ends of the country, and the distance broke us. We didn’t do any of the things I just advised you to do, and we ended up resenting each other. We fought all the time, and in the end, we called it quits.”

“Shit, I’m sorry. I had no idea.”

He waves it off. “It was a long time ago. Ancient history now. We both moved on—marriage, kids.” He wiggles his phone, and the screen lights up with a photo of Ryan and Isabela on his lock screen. “What I’m trying to say, probably not in the best way, is that you both need to know for certain how it’s going to be when he goes back to Denver and you’re in Chicago. Set your expectations. Nothing will break this down faster than shit communication.”

My phone buzzes in my hand, Carter’s name flashing on the screen with an incoming call.

“You better get that.” Jackson winks and gets up. “I’m gonna have a drink, then head to bed. Go speak to your guy, and I’ll see you in the morning.”

“Night,” I say, waiting until he’s walked away to bring the phone to my ear. “Hey, sorry. I got chatting with Jackson. Give me a minute and I’ll head up to my room.”

Carter doesn’t answer, but I can hear his labored breathing through the line.

Dropping my voice low, I ask, “You didn’t wait for me?”

“I don’t think you understand how horny seeing you on TV made me,” he rasps, and I hear the familiar sound of the lube cap being popped open.

“Fuck,” I groan under my breath, hitting the elevator call button a little harder than necessary. “I’m on my way to my room. Don’t touch yourself until I’m naked. It’s time we discovered just how good video sex can be.”

Chapter Twenty

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