Page 86 of Off The Ice
One to three-word responses.
“Maggie, why are you barely responding to this sweet angel boy?” I looked at her in shock, scrolling through the texts. “You’re giving him the barest of minimum to work with here! He’s going to think you’re not interested!”
“That’s what I’m going for.” She smirked. “It drives them crazy.”
“Maggie!”
“What?” She feigned innocence. “If they know you like them, they think it’s okay to stop trying, or they get bored, or they just totally ghost you.”
“Yeah, but Brody isn’t like that, from what I can tell.”
“No,” she mused, staring down at the texts with a slight smile. “He doesn’t seem like he is.”
“So, what’s the problem then?” I asked softly as if the volume of my words could coax the answer out of her.
“You know how hockey players are. They travel a lot. They hook up with random women in every city.” She waved her hands dismissively. “It’s too much to worry about.”
My stomach plummeted a thousand feet. “They do?”
She snorted. “Yeah, they’re the sluttiest of all the athletes.”
“So, you think right now, they’re all just… what, sleeping with a bunch of women?”
“Not right now.” She laughed. “It’s almost time for their game. But after? Probably.”
It made sense, especially if Liam wanted to have no-strings-attached relationships. It would be easier for him to do it in the States half the country away.
My brain was gnawing at itself with questions while my stomach churned uneasily.
“Why do you look like that?” Maggie asked, frowning at whatever she found in my expression.
Instantly, I wiped my face clear of emotion, offering her a smile.
“Oh, I guess I was just worried that I was taking up too much space here, especially if Liam ever wanted to bring a girl home or something. He’s probably uncomfortable living his life normally with me in his space.”
Maggie threw her head back, laughing dramatically.
“Liam doesn’ttalkto girls, never mind hook up with them.”
“But you said all hockey players—”
“Oh no. Liam’s the exception to that.”
Relief flooded through me. I didn’t bother trying to discernwhy.
“He is?”
“Yeah, he doesn’t have time for girls in his normal life. Never mind girls in random cities across the country.”
“Why?” I asked, dumbfounded and reassured all at once.
“In college, he had a few casual girlfriends.” Maggie shrugged. “Well, I wouldn’t even call them that. They never really went anywhere. It got worse when he got signed. I’m not even sure the last time hespoketo a girl. If I’m being honest, I think the puck bunnies kind of scared him off from our gender completely. He hates girls who are obsessed with him.”
Oh.
Right. Like me.
Because I was obsessed with him, wasn’t I?
