Page 58 of Friendzone Hockey
2 Weeks Later
Dash
The world stopped making sense. I was set to marry who I thought I was going to spend the rest of my life with, but then two weeks ago, I was thrown the biggest wrench I’ve been thrown since…
…well since Mom’s death. That’s saying something.
I wish it were me marrying you instead of Syd.
Fucking Stacey Alderchuck.
I didn’t go to Hunter’s, but being home sucks ass. The twins are here, so I’ve done my best to move around the house when it’s quiet, when I know Stacey’s taken them out. The rest of the time, I’m at work. They can’t go home for some reason. At least Stacey has the wherewithal to act like a guilty puppy about it, but is that really fair?
No. No, it’s not. He has the right to move on. The right to find someone who isn’t me.
You kissed him back, Dash. You kissed him back. You want to do it again. Worse, you want him to do everything he uttered into your ear.
I’ve also been hiding from that.
The kiss.
The kiss fucked me up more than anything to date. It turned my world upside down. I want to hunt Stacey down and scream at him for it and then goad him into doing it again. The number of times I’ve considered inviting Hunter over to fix the fence is inhumane. At least I haven’t done it.At least.But oh, how I want to.
No. I’m safer if I stay away from him.
Stacey sends me “I’m sorry” texts hourly since I refuse to be in the same room as him. Am I furious? Yes. But I’m more afraid of what I’ll do if I’m near him.
And fuck his texts. He should have fought for me. If he wants me, he should fight for me.
Is that what I want? I don’t fucking know, and the answers aren’t coming. Maybe it’s too late for us.
But I’m hungry, and they haven’t left yet. It’s my day off, so I emerge from my room at noon after having slept off another late industry night. Plus, I’m kinda craving Stacey, alright? Despite everything, I miss Stacey so damn bad. I’m so weak for that man, and it’s relentless. Even if I hate him right now for turning my life upside down, I need to see him. Our molecules are mixed by this point. Being without him forever isn’t a plausible option, so I have to find a way through this sooner than later.
Or I’ll fall apart.
The twins are in the kitchen again. They’re still not my favorite people, but I hate them a little less, knowing Stacey’s off-limits to them sexually.
It’s a small claim on him, but a claim is a claim.
One of them’s climbing the counters again. He’s gonna fucking fall if he’s not careful. But they are pretty short, so I guess they don’t have much choice.
“Get down from there. Stace … er … Hockey Daddy,” I say, rolling my eyes, “isn’t gonna like that.” If I let them get hurt when I could have tried to stop them, he wouldn’t be pleased with me either, and I wouldn’t be off the hook no matter what we’re going through.
Stacey cares about the people he’s responsible for. Deeply. I don’t know what these two went through, but it’s clear he wants to help them.
Interesting how he was okay with fucking them, but not me.
Still, I can’t hate on him for it. It’s who he is. It’s one of the many reasons I fell in love with him.
Fuck my life.
“Will you reach it for us, Dash?” they ask with puppy eyes.
I will not find them adorable. They did things tomyAlderchuck, and I hold grudges. But I do reach the cereal box for them, so they don’t kill themselves. They’re way too thrilled, clapping their hands, bouncing on their bare tiptoes.
Stacey saunters from the bathroom, wavy curls damp, shirtless, gray sweats barely hanging off his hips. I don’t know why I’m watching his bare toes, but I am. I like the sure way they peel from the ground as he walks. I like being able to gaze up, up, up the length of him until I get to his perfect face.
His gaze lands on my jaw. Right where his marks are. He winces, his muscles clench.
