Page 19 of Gravity
And have I pushed that away?
I dig my cell phone out of my pocket and tap the case with my thumbs. No texts.
I thought this weekend may have been the start of something. I thought he and I were becoming friends, and that we would carry this friendship forward. That there would still be texts, and jokes, and maybe we could even get together when our teams were playing. Or in the off-season. We still can, right?
Me:Hey.
What should I say? How are you? Are you okay? What happened after you told me to leave, and I did?
Should I have stayed? What would I have said if I had? Again, my mind fractures, and my thoughts won’t move beyond the memory of Bryce’s reflection.
My message showsDelivered. ThenRead.
I wait. Nothing. No three dancing dots.
Me:Bryce…
Delivered. Read.
Me:I loved hanging out with you. Kayaking today. Driving out into the desert after we won. Hiking the canyon. That was the first dueling piano bar I've ever been to. And you were right, everything at that restaurant was amazing.
Delivered. Read.
Me:Playing with you was mind-blowing. I never thought about hockey the way you see it, and I’ve never heard anyone talk about this game like you do.
Delivered. Read.
Me:Bryce…
Silence. No dancing dots.
I drop the phone on the bar and scrub my hands over my face.
At four in the morning, I pay my tab and stumble up to my hotel room.
Sleep refuses to come. I toss and turn for hours. At ten a.m., I check my phone and find two texts from Bryce, sent some time after I buried my phone beneath my pillow and refused to check it again.
Bryce:Hunter… I am so sorry I misunderstood everything.Je suis navré. Désolé. Désolé.
Bryce:I think we need to sayau revoir,oui?
I hurl myself out of bed in a rage, slam my dirty clothes into my bag, and throw my toiletries on top.
My memories circle Bryce’s kiss. The softness of his lips, the quiet way he gasped after the first brush of his skin against mine. His fingers in my hair, his thumbs caressing along my jaw. The hunger and the passion in his touch, and the way he looked at me, right before he—
I sink to the edge of the bed and hang my head in my hands.
ChapterEight
Bryce
Four straight losses. Andnot just little losses, either. We’re being blown out, losing by three goals, losing by five goals. Valery is playing his heart out, but he cannot hold our heads above water entirely. Still, if it were not for him, we would be sinking to the bottom of an endless ocean.
It is all my fault. I am destroying this team.
Everyone knows it. Their eyes are sliding sideways in the dressing room. Their stares are lingering on me. Their questions are rising.
We are a team under pressure, and I am turning the screws tighter.
