Page 74 of Bad Teammate
A little while later, there was a knock on my door.
“Who is it?” I asked, my voice lilting and weak.
“It’s us,” they answered in unison.
I opened the door and invited Emma and Austen in. They both looked devastated on my behalf. They each brought a bottle of wine as an offering, and we greeted with a hug.
“God, I’m so sorry,” Emma said. “This is all our fault.”
“Yeah, we feel awful,” Austen said.
I shook my head. “It’s not your fault; it’s mine. I let myself get carried away. What was I thinking?”
“Tell us what happened.”
The girls poured three glasses of wine and listened as I told them everything that had happened since the party: how Derek and I had a tussle on the couch that led to a steamy kiss; how he’d tried to stop because he didn’t want to upset Sasha; how that led to me playing piano for him, which led us back to the bedroom for some more fun …
“Then, this morning,ugh,I gave him a blowjob before his game. Which I now feelreallystupid and ashamed about … because after he got home from the game, he told me he didn’t want anything more to do with me.”
“But why?”
“He said he’s a piece of shit, he only wants to get laid, and he’d let me down in the end.”
The girls traded skeptical expressions, which they then turned to me.
“Is it just me,” Austen began, “or does something not quite add up here?”
Emma nodded. “I was thinking the same thing. That doesn’t sound like the Reavo I know at all. And why would he tell her that if he was truly trying to get laid and didn’t care about her at all?”
Austen laughed. “If only every fuckboy was so honest with their intentions. There’d be a lot less broken hearts in the world.”
“Right?” Emma agreed.
I rolled my eyes. “I don’t know, guys. That’s what he told me, so why wouldn’t I believe him?”
They shrugged, not having any good answers.
“It just doesn’t sound like Reavo, though,” Emma said.
“Is itpossiblethat Niko found out, somehow?” Austen asked. “Maybe Reavo felt guilty and came clean to him?”
“Hm.” Emma rubbed her chin. “Jackdidtell me after the game tonight that he thinks something’s going on with those two. He said Niko wasn’t passing the puck to Reavo all game long, and they had some kind of spat about it on the bench. Plus, he thinks Niko tried to get Reavo hurt by giving him a terrible pass.”
“I remember that play, but—” I shook my head. “Hurt a teammate on purpose? No, Sasha wouldn’t do that. He loves Derek.”
Emma shrugged. “I’m only telling you what Jack said. Normally, he doesn’t share locker room gossip with me, so the fact he’s telling me anything at allabout it is kind of strange. He definitely seems worried that there’s something going on.”
I reached for my laptop. “Anyway. It doesn’t matter.” I moved the mouse cursor until it hovered right over the ticket change confirmation button. “I’m leaving tomorrow, as soon as I change my flight.”
They both gasped.
“Tomorrow?”
“But what about the symphony?”
I shook my head. “There’s no point in staying here any longer. I’ve told Sasha I’m concerned about his drinking. He doesn’t see it as a problem and I can’t change his mind. So why should I stay? I never should’ve come here in the first place.”
I reached to click the laptop button and confirm the change, but Emma slammed the laptop lid shut before I could press it.
