Page 47 of Faking It with the Forward

Ding!

InternTwy: Sorry. I woke up early and couldn’t get back to sleep. I figured I’d get home to deal with this Nadia situation.

OneFive: How did that go?

InternTwy: She wasn’t here.

OneFive: Sorry about that. I’m sure you two can work this out.

InternTwy: Maybe.

I step in my room, looking at the broken chair and messy bed. For two people not having sex, it sure looks like we destroyed the room last night. I straighten the covers out of habit, looking for my sweatshirt in the process, but it’s nowhere to be found.

OneFive: So… are we good? Everything cool after last night? Because I may need you to check in with Reid and assure him that I didn’t commit murder last night.

InternTwy: Will do : )

It’s not until after my shower and I’m tying my sneakers to leave for practice that I check my phone again. The last message hangs like an undropped bomb. A smiley emoticon is good, right? But she definitely didn’t answer my question.

So are we? Good?

With an enigma like Twyler Perkins, hell if I know.

* * *

I’m almostto the arena when my phone rings. I open it without looking, hoping it’s Twyler.

“Reese! Great game yesterday, son.” My dad. I try to hide my frustrated disappointment. “Two goalsandan assist.”

“Thanks. I think we played well.” I enter the arena, but stop just inside the lobby outside the locker room to continue the call.

“You did, and if you keep it up, I can see you getting to the Frozen Four.”

My dad knows hockey. He knows better than anyone what it takes to get to a championship and then to win one. And he sure as hell knows the hard work that goes into getting to the NHL. He’s not a bullshitter so a compliment from him means a lot.

“I know the breakup with Shanna last spring was hard, but if the result is better focus and a championship season, then it’ll be worth it. Taking the option to go as a free agent means you have to be better than the rest.”

My father thinks the reason that Shanna and I broke up after losing the Frozen Four last spring was because I wanted to focus solely on hockey. He’s unaware of the ultimatum she gave me, and some of that is because I was afraid if he found out, he may agree with her. He wasn’t completely on board with my decision to not enter the draft, but ultimately, he respected it.

Being a free agent is risky, but it comes with a lot of power.

“Securing that trophy will have the big guys knocking on your door,” he adds. “Including New York.”

“I hope so.”

“And taking a break from dating this year is smart. Women, no matter how much we love ‘em, are a distraction.”

There’s an unspoken addendum here: they also steal your dreams. I know my father regrets being tied down so early in life. Same with having a kid and responsibilities. Even after his injury he could have taken more risks in coaching if he hadn’t had a family to drag along.

We talk a bit more, shifting the conversation from my team to his. He’s coached the Hurricanes for fifteen years and he’s got a good eye for cultivating youth athletes. “You should see this kid,” he says, talking about a fourteen-year-old named Johnny. “Fast as lightning and has good stick handling skills.”

“Sounds like you found a winner,” I say, happy to hear his team is shaping up.

Axel and Reid walk in the door, bringing in a burst of sunlight.

“Okay, Dad, I probably should go. Practice is about to start.”

We say our goodbyes, and I follow the others into the locker room.

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