Page 29 of Actions and Reactions
The phone rings just then and she goes to answer it.
“Yes? Oh, right. Yeah, sure. Tell him I’ll be down in ten minutes.” She hangs up and looks at me again. “Silas is here. You might want to tell him everything we talked about so there are no misunderstandings.”
“That’s probably a good idea.”
So I walk out with a promise to Gab to use the arena’s facilities for training until I get back in shape, and to tell the rest of the guys and Payton. We have everything we need there as well, but I guess it’s just more... familiar here, at the practice rink.
I’m relaxed and ready to eat the takeout that’s waitingfor me in the parking lot when I walk over to Silas’s office, but that quickly turns into pure confusion after I tell him.
“Why did you do that?” he demands in a low, clipped tone.
“Because it was the right thing to do,” I defend myself.
“Fine, whatever.” He sighs deeply, sits behind his desk again, and looks at the monitor like he’s riveted by whatever it’s showing him. “I need to work late today.”
I’d normally ask what the hell he’s talking about, since it’s barely nine thirty in the fucking morning, but I remind myself of my promise to take things slow and to not rock the boat, so I nod even though he’s not looking at me.
“How about we have lunch tomorrow?” I offer. I don’t love the idea of being away from him for so long, but it can’t be a bad thing, right? Spending one day apart after a full week of being glued at the hips.
“Your place?” is all he asks.
Maybe he needs time to process this development? I honestly don’t know, but telling him I want his attention and maybe a kiss goodbye probably won’t go down well right now, so that’s what I’ll tell myself.
If he’s still so distant tomorrow then I’ll bring it up.
“Yeah, okay,” I agree, and walk out of there.
I eat while I drive back in the direction of the city, and I make an impulsive decision.
I need to talk to someone about all of this. Someone who’s not Gab. And thankfully I know my best friend—okay maybe the guy I’m closest to in the team—is here andwon’t be making any trips this summer. At least not for a month.
Milkman opens the door to his apartment, looking annoyed, and I get why when he lets me in and I see Xander’s flushed cheeks.
“Sorry,” I mutter at my teammate. “But I really need to talk.”
“It’s fine,” Xander says with some urgency. “I need to go talk to Drew anyway about some wedding details.”
“I’m here in the city for the rest of the off-season, so you let me know if you need help with anything, yeah?”
“Thanks,” he says, and his smile confirms it.
I bet Drew and Bear’s wedding is going to be spectacular, and not only because Drew’s an incredible wedding planner, but because everyone who’s part of the Pirates family cares deeply about our goalie and we’re going to make damn sure he has the perfect day come August.
“So what’s up?” Milkman asks once we’re alone.
In truemefashion, I don’t beat around the bush, I just tell him all of it—the group text from our moms, the plane ride, and last night. To his credit, he doesn’t interrupt or ask me to repeat anything. He just listens intently right up until the last word, but he is frowning in a way I haven’t seen on him before.
“So you’re fuck buddies and that’s it?”
“What? No,” I shout. “We’re together.”
“Are you sure?” There’s enough doubt in his tone to have me questioning everything. “It sounds like you’re just friends trading orgasms.”
Instead of dismissing him completely, I think about it.
I remember the look Silas gave me when I kissed his leg that first time back at the cabin, and he’s given me softer smiles every time I’ve done it since then. Even last night after we got our breaths back and showered.
I dried him off, his whole body, inch by inch, and I kissed his knee again. He even cupped my cheek.
