Page 80 of Bad Teammate
Emma nodded. “Yup. Way more. And I bet your teammates would agree, if they knew what a jerk Niko’s being.”
“Girls.” I rolled my eyes. “You don’t understand. Some of the best players are world-class scumbags. As long as they make their team better, they’llalwaysget a pass. That’s just the way things are at this level. It doesn’t matter what kind of human you are, it matters how good at hockey you are.”
They both shook their heads and went, “Wow.”
“It’s real disappointing to hear you say that, Reavo,” Austen said. “Being really good at hockey is not an excuse for being a shitty person.”
“And if you think Niko’s craziness won’t manifest in other ways,” Emma ranted, “you’re dead wrong. He’s going to continue to be a problem until you get him in check. And that meansstanding upto his bullshit. Take it from a mother: you shouldn’t reward childish tantrums, or you’ll create a monster.”
“Hell, you’re probably right.” I sighed. “But I’m only one man. I can only do so much. I mean, what more do you want me to say?”
“We thought you cared about her,” Emma said. “But I guess we were wrong about you, too.”
“Idocare about her …”
“Not enough to tell her the truth,” Austen said.
“I told you … it’s not that easy …”
“Whatever,” Emma said. “I’m disappointed. But I still love you, Reavo.”
She gave me a hug. I hugged her back, and I could feel her disappointment.
“Same,” Austen said. “Disappointed in you, but you’re still a brother to me and I love you.” She gave me a hug, too.
I hated to let them down.
“I love you girls, too,” I mumbled.
“Better go finish your dinner,” Emma said with a sigh.
I went downstairs and rejoined the guys. The girls never rejoined us; they stayed upstairs and did their own thing.
I thought about telling Dane and Hath the situation, but I just couldn’t see the point anymore. I believed Emma and Austen when they said they weren’t going to tell them.
I was in the clear.
After I finished my dinner, we hung out for a bit in the man cave and watched some hockey highlights on TV. It got later, and Dane and Austen decided to head home. I took that as my cue to leave, too.
After we said our byes, Dane and Austen walked to their house next door. I went out to my car, but I didn’t drive off. Instead, I sat with the engine turned off, just staring at the empty road in the dark.
I didn’t want to go home. Niko was the last person in the world I wanted to see. The person Imostwanted to see? Well …
I could still hear Emma and Austen in my head, trying to convince me to do the right thing.
More to life than hockey,they’d said.
That was the thing that scared me the most. I knew the end of my career was coming closer with each shift I took—I wasn’t getting any younger, after all—but I never could picture a life without hockey.
Until I met Katerina.
I thought I must’ve been insane, because I barely knew her, but … I still so badly wanted to getto know her, because something told me she was special. Something told me she was worth fighting for.
And hey, the girls were right—she at least deserved to know the truth, didn’t she? If I fucked everything up with Niko … well … at least I’d fuck things up by trying to do the right thing.
I pulled out my cell phone and opened the text from Emma. Taking a deep breath, I called the number she’d sent me. It didn’t even ring; it went straight to voicemail.
I hung up. I wanted to tell her in person, not over a voicemail. I tried calling again, but still it went straight to voicemail.
