Page 18 of The Final Faceoff
“Did not.”
“Did too.”
I shake my head, my pulse still catching up to the fact that Jason is actually here. We lost touch after juniors—not on purpose, just . . . life. He went one way, I went another. And now?
Now, it’s like no time has passed at all.
“Hey, Tate.” One of our teammates skates by, flicking a puck toward the boards. “You planning to stand there flirting all day, or you gonna actually play? We didn’t invite the newbies to make new friends, but to get them used to our ice.”
“Let the newbies bond. They’re so fucking adorable,” someone else calls, and I can’t see who it is.
Jason smirks. “Oh, we’re playing.”
Then, before I can blink, he lifts his stick and fires a shot directly at my chest.
I block it, obviously, because I’m me.
Jason sighs dramatically. “Fuck you, Crawford. Thought you’d at least let me have one.”
I smirk. “Not a chance.”
He grins like he’s exactly where he’s meant to be. And, yeah . . . I get it. Because for the first time in a while, the ice feels right. After practice, I toss my gear into my bag and finally check my phone. Still nothing from Hailey. She was supposed to message me her flight information and nope, she didn’t do that. It’s been five days since then. Did she arrive in New York, got lost from the hotel to the airport or just . . . fuck.
I frown, leaning against my locker as I scroll through our last messages.
Leif: This is your last warning, you either respond with your flight information or I’ll send a search party to rescue you.
Leif: I’m not kidding, Hailey Jean Castilla. I swear I’m going to appoint you a babysitter if you continue this behavior.
Hailey: And what behavior would that be?
Leif: You not responding to my texts.
Hailey: I’ve been busy.
Leif: I need to know your flight details before . . . before you fuck something up.
Hailey: You act like I don’t know how to travel.
Leif: You act like you don’t always end up in weird situations that require someone to bail you out.
Hailey: Oh, please. I haven’t needed a rescue in at least six months.
Leif: Exactly. You’re overdue.
That was two days ago. Since then? Radio silence.
Jason slings an arm around my shoulders, glancing at my screen. “Ah, yes. The classic ‘texting a woman and staring at your phone like it holds the secrets of the universe’ move. Haven’t seen that one before.”
I shove him off. “It’s Hailey.”
He raises a brow. “Hailey Castilla?”
I nod. “You know any other Hailey?”
He rolls his eyes. “There are a lot more Haileys in the world than her. Are you two finally together?”
“You sound like my family.”
