Page 96 of Goalie Interference

I carried our stuff up to the apartment, tired but not sure I could sleep. It didn’t take long to put things away since I hadn’t taken much. Goober came inside with us, and I had no issueswith the two animals together so I locked up and went to bed with the two of them curled up near each other.

I tossed and turned but must have finally fallen asleep because a pounding on my door the next morning brought me back to consciousness. Beast started to bark, so I pulled on sweats and stumbled behind him to find out who was so insistent on getting my attention.

Sophie!I blinked, trying to make sense of what was going on. She’d never come without an invitation before, and never this early. Was something wrong? Fire? Cash hurt? Something with Otts? “Is everything okay?”

“No.” The word was clipped, angry. “It’s not.”

“What do you need?” I wasn’t sure what it was, but I’d help.

“I need you to get your head out of your ass.”

My jaw dropped, brain still not fully engaged. Goober slipped out the door, almost tripping me.

She gave me a push, hands on my bare chest, which didn’t help my brain unscramble. I stepped back and she came in. Peering at me with narrowed eyes, she sighed. “I’ll make coffee. You wake up.”

I checked the time, and there were a good couple of hours before I needed to be at the arena. I headed back to my room to pull on jeans and a T-shirt, then took Beast out for a pee. By the time I was back the coffee was almost done and my mind was starting to function. Sophie had dark smudges under her eyes and her lips were pressed tightly together. Her arms were wrapped around her waist.

“I’m sorry,” I blurted.

Her brows lifted. “Are you? What for?”

“I don’t know. But you’re upset and it looks like it’s my fault.”

“You don’t know.” She turned to the coffee cups, head shaking. “You took off and haven’t answered my messages and you have no idea why I’m upset.”

Oh.“I told you I needed some space.”

“How much space?”

“What?”

“How far did you have to go to get away from me?”

I gripped the edge of the countertop. “No, it wasn’t like that. How could you think that?”

She whipped around. “Because you didn’t answer? Took Beast and disappeared?”

I ran a hand through my hair. “I needed to clear my head. I spoke to the coaches and it looks like I’m done here.”

“Oh.” She closed her eyes for a moment. “You still could have messaged.”

I hadn’t meant to upset her. “You’re right, I’m sorry—I’m not used to anyone caring that much.”

She slammed the mug down in front of me, coffee splashing onto the counter. “Of course I care! I thought we were in a relationship. But apparently it’s not the kind where you think I give a damn if you disappear.”

I ran my hands over my face. “I didn’t mean to worry or upset you. I had a lot of things to figure out.”

“None of these things were something I could help you with?”

I blinked at her. “Help?”

She sighed. “Yes. Help. If nothing else, just listen while you get it off your chest.”

Not what I was used to, but I could make a start. “I— I haven’t done that, not for a long time.” Her eyes softened. “I’ll try. Probably fuck it up, but here goes.” I took a breath. “I had a talk with the coaches. They’re figuring out if they’re making trades. They asked me about Lappy, but when I told them the pressure was getting to him, they said it meant I’d get more starts if they eased off him. They think I’m just saying what I did to helpmyself. I’m pretty sure I’m either going to be traded or bought out. And then there’s no reason for me to be here.”

Silence. Not a comfortable, cozy silence. Tense, angry silence. Yeah, not sure this was going to help.

“So that’s it? I don’t matter? You’re just going to leave?”

---