Page 28 of Two Guys One Puck
We chat about the day as we walk back to the hotel. It’s nearly dark by the time we get there, but he stops outside.
“Aren’t you coming in?” I ask when he doesn’t move.
“Nah. I need to head home.”
“What? Why?” I demand like he owes me fucking anything. He can’t be throwing away this big an opportunity.
“Because I can’t afford to stay at the hotel, and we are only allowed to have a team pay for seventy-two hours. The rest is on us.”
“You’re just leaving and not finishing the camp?”
“No, I’ll be back in the morning.” He can’t be serious.
“Where is home?” I get in front of him.
He says some town name I don’t know.
“How far is that?”
He shrugs, being avoidant.
I get out my phone. “You can’t get all the way home and then come back in the fucking morning. You’ll be dead.”
Has he lost his fucking mind?
“I don’t have any other choice. I can’t afford it.”
“No one follows those rules. The team will pay.”
“I can’t risk it.” Seaborn shakes his head.
“The NCAA goes on fucking holiday in the summer. Calm down.” I try to grab his arm, but he pulls back.
“It’s not worth the risk.”
“Nothing has ever happened to anyone.” I don’t know why I’m trying to convince him to stay.
He’s only going to make himself look bad. “I can’t be the first. This is all I have. I won’t finish college without my scholarship.”
“Neither will I, but I’m not worried. Who’s going to say anything?”
“It’s fine. I’m not ratting you or anyone else out. Just following the rules.”
An idea occurs to me. A bad one but I open my stupid mouth anyway. “You can stay in my room. Then you aren’t taking anything from a team. Only me.”
“Did they pay for your room?”
“Don’t ask questions you don’t want the answer to.”
Seaborn is wavering; I see it in his eyes.
“Don’t you want to sleep?” That’s the wrong thing to say.
His eyes narrow. “Why would you want me in your room?”
“I’m being nice. I don’t want to lose my edge with you because I feel bad you don’t sleep.” I’m not sure if that’s my real motivation, but it sounds good out loud.
“This isn’t about…”
