Page 41 of Absolutely Pucked
“No. No, it’s…it’s not you.” It was, but I couldn’t tell him why. “I just have a lot going on. This business with Bodie is stressing me out too, and now I have to go to Montreal with him, which feels like a lot.”
Tucker’s face fell. “He really needs to get his head out of his ass about this whole Hugo thing. Like, I get it. He’s not my first choice as a coach, but it’s a fucking community league, dude. The good disabled coaches are working for real money.”
Hugo obviously had money from somewhere. He dressed like an uptight corporate dickhead and drove a really nice car. But he was the least of my worries. Before I hit the ice for practice, I’d finally found the courage to look at my phone and saw Killian had texted me, letting me know he got the job.
I was elated.
Then terrified.
Tucker rarely shopped there because it was expensive as fuck, but he came in to see me sometimes, and God, I wouldn’t know what to do if he ran into his brother. I needed Killian to tell him, like, yesterday so I could get this weight off my chest.
“Ford. Hey, you good, man? Is it family shit?”
I wished it were. At least I could talk to him about that. “I, um…it’s…yeah. Can we talk about it later?”
Tucker frowned but nodded and reached over, yanking me back into his arms. His hugs were always the best, but right now, they hurt because if he knew what I’d done, he’d be punching me in the dick instead of squeezing my neck.
Still, I allowed myself to take comfort in him, breathing in the scent of the locker room soap and lingering sweat, which was kind of nasty, but soothing in its own weird way.
“Thanks,” I muttered.
He squeezed tighter. “It’s gonna be okay. You know that, right?”
“Yeah.”
Letting go, he eased back and turned his head so he could see me properly. “You want me to come stay with you for a night or two?—”
“No!” Fuck, I said that way too fast. I cleared my throat. “What? Like I’m a baby?”
He wasn’t buying it. His eyes narrowed. “Ford.”
I took a breath and managed a smile. “Seriously, I’m fine. You don’t want to be there while I’m getting drunk and jerking off to Micah’s weird goblin porn, do you?”
He grimaced and reared back. “God, please don’t tell me you’re into that shit.”
“Big green dick has some merits is all I’m saying.” I actually did kind of like the goblin porn.
“Oh my God, jail. Immediately jail. Jail forever.” He wheeled back as I burst into laughter, and I appreciated that for this short moment, everything felt kind of normal.
But I was not foolish enough to think it would last.
CHAPTER
TWELVE
KILLIAN
The guywho was training me was named Decker, and I wanted to ask him if his parents hated him, but my name was Killian, so I didn’t really have a leg to stand on. Fuck, I was pretty sure that phrase was offensive, considering the company I was keeping these days.
Anyway, Decker was an annoying dickhead with a superiority complex, who was probably ten years my junior, so listening to him boss me around all afternoon had been a blow to the ego. Not that I had an ego intact these days.
Luckily, the job was simple, and the inventory system was easy to figure out. By the time six o’clock rolled around, I was on my own, working my way down the pasta sauce aisle and emptying boxes that had been sitting around long enough to gather dust.
I was ready to go home, but Decker asked me to stay until closing, which was going to help pad my first paycheck, so I wasn’t about to say no. Also, employees got a free meal every six hours, so I couldfill my stomach at the little hot food bar and wouldn’t need to burden Ford with cooking another meal for me.
“I’m taking off,” Decker said, coming around the corner. “You can clock out as soon as you finish the dairy section. The assistant manager will be in soon, and he can help you out when you need it.”
NotifI needed it. God only knew what this kid thought about me. But that didn’t matter. My stomach swooped because I knew who that assistant manager was.
