Page 76 of Puck'n Bully
On a far wall, there’s a giant framed illustration of Einstein in a wizard’s cape.
I stare at it, my lips curving into an amused grin.
It’s just soLiam.
He’s passionate about Physics and is determined to become a scientist.
My gaze drifts to the shelves alongside the walls, overflowing with thick tomes. One of them is filled with neatly stacked comic books and novels.
Of course.
For Liam, science and fiction go hand-in-hand.
The thought makes me smile. I stretch, feeling the soreness in my muscles but compared to yesterday, I’m much better. Sleeping in a proper bed with Liam nestled against me made all the difference.
Just as I’m thinking about spending another night with Liam, my phone rings. Groaning, I grab it from the nightstand and squint at the screen.
It’s Mitchikov.
A sigh escapes me. No one’s heard from me since the evening of the game, so it was about time my clingy teammate called me.
Taking a deep breath, I answer his call.
“Where the hell are you, Bastian?” Mitchikov’s familiar, over-dramatic voice shouts in my ear. “Thank fuck you picked up your phone or we’d have assumed your dad kidnapped you or something.”
I hear faint murmuring in the background. The rest of the team is probably listening in, making sure I’m okay.
“I’m—” My gaze roves around Liam’s bedroom. It feels somewhat too intimate to just throw it into a conversation with Mitchikov. “I’m not in Knightswood,” I reply. “I’m staying somewhere to recover from all my injuries.”
“Where are you?” he asks immediately. “Are you still with your dad?”
“No. I’m not with my dad.”
“So,where?” he asks impatiently.
“It’s none of your business,where.”
“Dude, you disappeared right after we lost the game. If Coach didn’t see your dad, we’d have assumed you ran away or something. Do you have any idea how worried we’ve all been?”
The concern in his voice gives me pause. My teammates were worried about me?
“Logan is worried sick about you,” Mitchikov continues to berate me. “He sent you texts but you haven’t even read them, have you?”
A sigh escapes me. “No, I didn’t check them.”
“I knew it,” Mitchikov says in a frustrated tone. “Also, Coach is pissed you missed the team meeting this morning.” He lets out a growl. “So, are you coming back or what?”
I take a moment, considering his question. I don’t want to go back just yet. I want to stay in this quiet, safe bubble where only Liam and I exist for a couple of more days.
But I know it’s not possible.
I have to get back to practice and Liam has to go back to attending his classes and running his experiments in the laser lab.
“Yeah,” I finally answer. “I’ll be back tomorrow.”
“You better,” Mitchikov grumbles. “Well, I guess I’ll see you at practice tomorrow.”
When he hangs up, I toss the phone aside and sit up. My muscles protest at the sudden movement but at least, I can move without feeling like my body is made of lead.
