Page 73 of Bad Teammate
I shook my head. “No.”
Outraged that I refused to unmute the game, he threw his arms into the air. “Unmute the game!”
Oh, now you show a little emotion over a hockey game, eh?
“You’re kind of a giant piece of shit, aren’t you, Niko?”
“What do you expect me to do?” he asked, looking annoyed.
“I expect you to act like her goddamn brother. Give Katerina a call, find out where she’s at, and gobewith her. She’s your family. She gave everything for you to get where you are. Don’t you care?”
“You two must have spent a lot of time together, because you’re really starting to sound like her.” He wagged his finger at me. “Anyway, Iwasacting like her brother when I warned her to stay away from you. She didn’t listen. Now she’s hurt, all because you’ll fuck anything that moves. And yet you want to act like this is all my fault, and not yours?”
My jaw worked back and forth. “I didn’twantto get with her. It’s not like she’s some random lay to me, bud.”
His eyes narrowed at me. “What’re you saying, Derek?”
What I wanted to say was,I’m falling for your sister.
But it didn’t matter how I felt about Katerina—it was futile. All I could do by telling him that was piss him off worse than I already had. What was the point? I’d already broken Katerina’s heart and her trust with it. She wouldn’t forgive me. Why trash the team’s future over something that was beyond salvageable?
“Forget it.” I turned away from Niko. “I just think you should call her.”
“Maybe I will.” He gave a shrug. “After the game, though. Now unmute it.”
With a sigh, I unmuted the game. Niko smiled and put his arm around Julia. The happy couple sank into the sofa and watched the action on TV.
“Can you make it louder?” Niko asked.
I couldn’t believe he could sit there and act like everything was normal. It pissed me off and I could barely stand to be around him. I had to get out of there before I did something I couldn’t take back—like tell him to pack his bags and get the hell out of my place for good.
“Here.” I stood and tossed the remote in his lap. “Do whatever you want. I’m going out for a bit.”
I put on my shoes and grabbed my car keys. I went downstairs to my car and went for a drive, hoping to make sense of all the thoughts buzzing around my head.
27
Katerina
The city was a gray blur outside the cab window. Only yesterday, I’d looked down at these streets from Derek’s balcony, imagining this city as my home someday … oh, how naive I’d been.
Once I checked into the Regents Hotel and got to my room on the twenty-seventh floor, I climbed into bed and broke down.
I didn’t know what was wrong with me. It seemed like whatever decision I made in life always ended up being the wrong one. Whatever path or hobby I pursued ended up getting snatched away from me entirely. The men that acted interested in me were only after one thing.
Was I cursed? Had I done something wrong to deserve all of this? Why did Sasha enjoy such an easy life, where everything was gifted to him and everyone wanted to be around him, while I had to fight and scrap for even the mostbasicthings?
What hurt the most was Derek telling me he’d only wanted to get laid.
He plunged a dagger in my heart when he told me that. I felt so foolish. Somehow, all along, that was what I was most afraid of—and he’d confirmed all my worst fears.
Logically, Iknewwe couldn’t be together—but even still, there was a certain romance to be found as star-crossed lovers, wasn’t there? But, no. I couldn’t even enjoy a short-term fantasy that Iknewwas doomed.
Then again, something didn’t quite add up. If Derek was only trying to get laid, why would he tell me thatbeforewe’d even slept together? If getting laid was his main motivation, hadn’t he failed spectacularly?
Who cares,I thought.It was a rare moment of honesty from a piece of shit.
I sent a text on a group chat with Emma and Austen, telling them that something awful had happened with Derek and I was staying at a hotel. They said they’d be over as soon as they could to talk. In the meantime, I started looking up earlier flights back to Russia. There wasn’t any point in staying in America any longer. It was a mistake coming here in the first place. If Sasha wanted to drink and not live up to his potential? That washispath in life, no matter what promises were made. I couldn’t stop him.
