Page 193 of Pucking Around

“Thank fucking god. Where the hell are you?”

“Harrison,” I whimper into the phone, tears coming. “I need you.”

“I know. I’ve been wandering this damn arena for fifteen minutes trying to find you. Whereareyou?”

84

“Hey, Sanny?” Novy calls with a wave, popping his head inside the laundry room.

“Aww, what happened to Snuffy?” says Morrow. “I liked that nickname.”

I just roll my eyes as the guys both laugh. I’m standing at the big folding table, ironing jerseys for tomorrow’s game. This is only the third in a whole pile. And this is only task one of like twenty I have to complete today. “What do you need, Nov?”

“Not a thing,” he replies, leaning against the table, his eyes on my hands as he watches me work, crunching on his homemade granola. “Compton still around?”

“How should I know?”

Novy and Morrow exchange an incredulous look. “Uh…maybe because youlivetogether,” Novy replies with a laugh.

“And you carpool in to work all the time,” Morrow adds.

“And you’ve got your weird DLP-ESP,” Novy finishes.

“That hasn’t been officially diagnosed yet,” I tease back, setting the iron aside to flip the jersey over. “We’re still on the waitlist for that study at Mayo.”

The guys laugh as Morrow snags the bag of granola out of Novy’s hands and races around the table behind me with it, shoving some of the crunchy mix in his mouth.

“Asshole,” Novy growls, hands flat on the table. “Give it back.”

Morrow steals another handful and zips the bag shut, tossing it back at Novy.

“I’ve been down here since I got in,” I explain, moving the iron over the back of Sully’s jersey, ignoring their antics. “I don’t know anything happening outside this room.”

They exchange a look, and Novy shakes his head.

I narrow my eyes at him. “What is it?”

Novy’s a good guy, even if he’s a bit rough around the edges. He’s the wild stallion type, always balancing a bevy of puck bunnies. Stays out too late. Parties too hard. Never really serious about anything but hockey. But he’s a good player and a loyal teammate.

Right now, he’s got a sober look in his eye. Something’s up. He needs to talk. He shares another glance with Morrow, still munching his granola.

“What?” I say again. “Come on, guys. I got a shit ton to do, so if you’re not gonna—”

“Are you with him?” Morrow blurts out.

My gaze tracks to him as Novy groans. “Dude, come on,” he says. “You’re not supposed to just ask a guy if he’s gay like that. That’s like, breaking the rules. Right?”

Now they’re both looking at me.

My stomach drops.Oh shit. “What are you assholes talking about?”

“You haven’t seen it then?” Novy asks with a raised brow.

“You haven’t heard?”

I groan, dragging both hands through my hair. “Fuck, guys. Drop the suspense, before I go looking for Colonel Mustard holding a candlestick. Now, what thehellare you talking about?”

“Aw, shit. It’s everywhere, man,” Novy says with a shake of his head. “The guys are all chirping with it online.”

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