Page 95 of Puck'n Bully
“Go on. Smell them,” she encourages me with a smile.
Feeling ridiculous, I take a whiff.
Suddenly, I’m transported back to the rose garden in Liam’s beach house.
My eyes almost flutter close as my mind replays a vision of bright sunlit beaches and the sparkling blue ocean.
“Do you still want the sunflowers?” the lady asks me.
I shake my head. “I’ll go with the roses.”
“Great choice,” she says, patting my arm. “I’ll pack them up for you right away.”
“Thanks,” I say, following her to the counter.
“You play hockey, don’t you?” she asks, wrapping up the bouquet.
“Yeah.”
“My son is a big fan of yours,” she tells me, grinning. “He and his dad go to all of your games. I’m so sorry about the last game, though.”
She looks truly apologetic.
“We’ll get them back,” I tell her in a grim tone. “Tell your son we’re already training for our next game.”
“Oh, he’ll go crazy when I tell him I met you,” she says, grinning. She hands me my package and looks up at me with a hopeful look. “Do you think you could sign something for me?”
“Sure.”
She eagerly reaches for her clipboard and slides it to me.
“What’s your son’s name?” I ask, grabbing the pen she gives me.
“Robert,” she answers excitedly.
I write a short, quick message with his name and sign the whole thing.
“I’m Rachel, by the way,” the woman says, taking the clipboard back from me. “Also, thank you. This will make my son’s day.”
I give a nod and turn away.
While some of my teammates enjoy the attention of fans, I usually hang back and stay away from the limelight. My irrational fear of being found out made me hide from people. For the first time in my life, I feel excited at being recognized.
Liam walking back into my life has changed everything for me.
Maybe I should’ve bought him those sunflowers too, I muse, picking up a box of chocolates. He deserves every good thing in the world for taking care of me when I needed him the most.
Walking out of the supermarket, I make my way to a local Chinese restaurant. Liam mentioned the place to me while we sat enjoying our meal last night, so I know he’ll love their food.
I pick up his favorites—egg fried rice, dumplings, and orange chicken. Since it feels a little cold today, I also pack up some egg drop soup for us.
By the time I reach Liam’s apartment building, my arms are full.
A couple of teenage kids stare at me, eyeing me up and down. I put on my signature scowl that keeps people away from me and walk past them.
I can’t wait to start playing as a pro player and make enough money so I can afford to rent a better place for Liam. This crumbling structure with its dirty, graffitied walls and stairs doesn’t feel safe enough to me.
Taking a deep breath, I head up the staircase and reach Liam’s apartment. Balancing the bouquet and food bags in one hand, I knock on the door.
