Page 28 of Overtime Goal
How the hell can I tell him not to do exactly what I’m doing? This is seriously fucked up.
Holky sighed heavily. “I need time. I’ve got to figure out how to approach this without making things worse.”
“That’s fair,” Logan said, “but don’t wait long. These things don’t improve over time.”
Holy shit. What the fucking fuck? I have to get things right with Logan, but how?
We’d gone there for Holky, so my freakout would have to wait. I took a deep breath. “We’ve got you, buddy. Don’t get stuck in your head.”
Abby squeezed Holky’s arm. “Don’t be dumbass. Enough of being idiot for you.”
Holky made a noise that was something between a laugh and a sob. “No promises.”
We left not long after that. On the way back to the house, I stared out the window, lost in thought. Our talk with Holky had been a wake-up call, and it was time for me to stop screwing around and get real. I couldn’t let another day go by withouttalking to Logan. I didn’t know what would happen, but if we were on the same page, we could figure it out together.
12/
logan
Rileyand I ordered Chinese and argued over movie options while we ate. After we loaded the dishwasher, I asked if he was ready, and he shook his head. He said he needed fresh air and a walk. The way he said it told me he wanted to be alone.
Though it stung, I tried not to show it. For all I knew, he was calling a girlfriend to arrange a hookup. It was none of my business, I reminded myself. If he came back with an excuse to leave, I’d have to stay calm.
Still, I wasn’t sure that’s what he was doing. In case he decided to stay, I took some food into the living room. He’d be hungry again, and snacking during movies was a tradition of ours.
I’d settled on my side of the sectional when the phone buzzed. I fished it out of my pocket and was surprised to see Riley’s name.
RILEY: Hey.
What the fuck? Is he going to leave without even coming in to say goodbye?
LOGAN: Hi.
RILEY: I want to talk to you. Can we do it when I get back?
I considered sending a snarky reply asking if he had a date, but stopped myself. If something serious was happening, the last thing I wanted was to make light of it.
LOGAN: Of course. Will you be much longer?
RILEY: On my way. Five minutes.
When he came back, he gave me a jerky nod and claimed his usual spot on the sectional. Instead of talking, he started bouncing his legs and fidgeting with his fingers. Every few seconds, he’d glance my way, then look anywhere else he could. The wall, the ceiling, and even the coffee table were fair game. Once, he opened his mouth, then shut it and gave a frustrated grunt.
“What’s on your mind, Riles?” I finally asked. “You wanted to talk?”
It was like I’d pulled a trigger as words tumbled out of him so fast it was hard to keep up. “I’m afraid I’ve hurt you. Oramhurting you. I don’t want to do that. You’re… fuck, you’re so important to me, and I don’t know what I’d do without you. I hope you’re not, but are you mad at me?”
Sweat dotted his forehead, and his face was tight with emotion. He looked like he might cry. For a guy who had enough courage to face the biggest D-men in the league to be ready to break down, this must be big.
I kept my voice soft. “I promise I’m not mad. Why do you think I would be?”
“Because I’m hurting you.”
He was right, but not in a way that would make me yell and shove him out the door. I needed to be sure we were talking about the same thing. “How are you hurting me?”
“Because of what happened in LA. Well, notjustLA, but mostly. And what came afterward.”
I leaned back and tried to relax my face. “We talked about this. Didn’t we agree to be open and see where things go? Find out what happens?”
