Page 2 of Finding the Forward: Part One
“Thank you. We wouldn’t be here without our fans.” I flashed a fake smile and hoped he didn’t ask for a photo or autograph.
He didn’t, sitting down and looking at his phone. Relief shot through me.
“You’re an athlete on your way to the game. These are your lucky seats. I understand now,” she breathed, nodding.
“Exactly. I’m a forward. I always sit three rows back from the front, left side, and take both seats. Usually, it’s the team jet. I’m flying commercial because there was a family emergency, so I ducked out real quick between games.” I flashed her a smile, not knowing why I was telling a stranger so much about myself.
“Oh, is everything okay?” Her look went stricken.
“Yeah, Sissy will be fine.” For a moment, things weren’t. Which was why my sister’s mates asked me to come out, even though it was the middle of the championship finals.
“I’m glad.” She flashed me another sweet smile.
One that made guilt bloom through me.
“I’m sorry. If there wasn’t so much on the line, I hope you know that I’d let you have the aisle seat.” Would she understand? I needed her to understand.
Sure, it was superstitious, but I was a professional hockey player. It wasn't just the league championship on the line. It meant the opportunity for me tofinallybe with Dean full time after six years of us playing on different teams.
Her phone kept ringing. She ignored it.
“I understand. I played forward in undergrad. Wore the same pair of socks every game, but I washed them. One of my teammates didn’t,” she laughed.
“I have a teammate like that,” I chuckled. “Forward? I can see that.” I looked her up and down, slender but muscular. She was probablyfast.
“My sister plays skate smash. During the season she wears her hair the same wayevery day,with a specific brand of scrunchie, regardless of whether or not there’s a game.” She laughed alittle. Her phone rang again, a different ringtone this time. With another resigned sigh, she answered it. “Mama–”
The smell of burnt-sugar fear overwhelmed me, despite the filters on the plane and my no-good nose. My hands balled into fists as anger at whoever was scaring her simmered under my skin. A fury which was at odds with the part of me that itched to pull her into my lap and make it better.
The part that wanted me to be a good person and fix this.
“I’mnotbeing unreasonable. You asking me to cancel my trip as I’m going out the door is unreasonable,” she replied into her phone, shoulders rounded.
The voice on the other end was male andloud.I couldn’t make out actual words, but he wasn’t telling her pleasant things.Asshole.
“I’m already on the plane.” Her chest shook.
The urge to rip the phone out of her hands overwhelmed me. Instead, I took a breath. She was a stranger. We were in public.
“Will you stop?” she told him. Her jaw clenched and her knees sagged.
No. I had sisters and I couldn’t allow this to continue.
“I’m sorry, miss, but you need to turn off your phone so the plane can leave,” I exclaimed. Reaching over, I tappedend call.
So long, fuckers.
Giant blue-green eyes, like a tropical ocean, stared at me from under long, dark lashes. Her lower lip trembled. “I... I’m not being unreasonable. Am I?”
“What’s happening, Kitten?” The endearment slipped out, because she reminded me of a scared little kitten. Like the ones we’d find on the docks as kids.
She sniffed, fishing in her designer purse for a tissue.
“Are you running from a dangerous situation? An arranged mating?” My hands fisted to keep them to myself instead ofholding her tight and running my hands through her hair while telling her it would be okay.
Her phone faced me. I eyed the texts that filled it as it beeped nonstop.Get off that plane. Don’t make me call security. Don’t be selfish.
“Oh, nothing like that. I’m going to visit my older siblings. The parents need me to help with the littles. Normally, I would, but they told me as I was leaving for the airport. It’s been a dreadful day as it is.” She dabbed them with a tissue. “Sorry, I don’t mean to be a crybaby. I’m being unreasonable, aren’t I? I mean, what grown woman climbs out the window?”
