Page 25 of Crossing Lines

I slowed my pace, hanging my head. There wasn’t going to be a repeat of last night. Except, maybe at some point, would Ryan come down to the lobby bar? I hurried to them again. “We’re hanging out in the lobby bar if you want to come down when you’re done. Maybe you can tell us?—”

“We’ll see.” Coach Finley stopped and turned around, then smirked. “This is a different side of you, Boehm. Usually, your only mission after a win is to go have drinks with your buddies.”

I glanced at Ryan, who was knitting his brows and watching me. “Yeah, well…” I didn’t have a comeback for that.

As they continued on to the hotel, I stopped and waited for Archer and Ace. Ryan knew where I’d be now, and hopefully, he’d come looking for me.

After two hoursin the hotel bar, eating pizza and drinking beer with the guys, everyone decided it was time for bed. We were all seated in the same lounge chairs I’d sat in last night with Ryan and we’d pushed some tables together.

While Myles and Tyler stood, Ace downed his last beer and narrowed his eyes at me. “You going to get another one, or are you heading up too?”

“I’m um…” I scanned the lobby outside our tables. There was no sign of Ryan. My heart deflated. Maybe I’d score a seat next to him on the bus ride home? “I guess I’ll head up.”

Archer stood and frowned at me. “Come on.” He tagged my shoulder.

“Okay.” I hopped up and walked with the guys toward the elevator.

Myles hit the call button and it dinged.

We all piled in.

I stood in the back corner, wrangling my hands together. Why hadn’t Ryan come down? Maybe I was way off. Maybe there was and never would be anything between us.

As the elevator dinged for our floor, all the guys stepped out.

I stayed. Maybe Ryan was late, and he was down there now?

Archer held the door open. “Hey, you coming, or what?”

Everyone turned around, Ace furrowing his brows. “Dude, what’s up with you? You’ve been quiet all night.”

Mason chuckled. “Probably because he didn’t have Coach Hot Stuff to sit next to.”

“Jonah…” Archer tsked and shook his head. “Come with us. He’s not down there.”

“I know. I just need to clear my head with a quick walk. I’ll be back up here in no time.” I saluted them.

With a long exhale, Archer said, “Fine.” He freed the doors and they shut.

I stabbed the button for the first floor. Maybe I’d get lucky. The elevator dinged and the doors slid open again.

Stepping out, my gaze snapped to the lobby bar, and I examined all the chairs, my pulse picking up, then the bar itself. Only a few couples laughed and chatted with each other.

Okay, so maybe he was on his way down. I strode to the tables we’d been sitting at earlier and fell into a chair, then scanned around me. Should I have another beer? Then I wouldn’t look stupid just sitting here. Or obvious.

Our waiter stopped at the table. “Did you forget something?” He eyed me.

“No, uh, I’ll take another beer, please.” I tapped my fingers on the table and watched a couple enter the elevator.

“Sure.” He sauntered off and returned with my beer. He set it down, and I paid him.

Sipping my beer, I fished my phone out of the pocket of my sweats and set it on the table. As I propped my elbow on the table and my cheek in my palm, I tapped open Instagram and found Ryan’s account. A few new photos were there of him on the ice with some of his D-men, including Archer and Tyler. I didn’t remember seeing them take those shots, but whatever.

I scrolled some more, then found a photo of Ryan andLaurent in a park. It had been summertime, judging by the leaves on the trees behind them and the sunshine. Laurent was tagged in the caption, so of course, I had to click on it and stalk him too. I took a few gulps of beer.

A few photos emerged of Laurent at posh-looking parties with an older man. Had Laurent left Ryan for an older guy? Was he looking for someone to take care of him financially? Or maybe he was looking for a daddy? I drank more beer down. Shit, I had no idea what these guys were into.

I scrolled through more photos, finding some of Laurent with Ryan farther down. Shit, how long had I been looking at these? As I downed the rest of my beer, I peered at the time in the corner of my phone. An hour had passed.

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