Page 124 of Stick Side
Benallowedhisheadto drop against his locker after he’d shot off his last text. How had things between him and Melody gone from being so perfect to so screwed up? He felt like he was losing her, and he didn’t know what he could do about it.
His travel schedule certainly didn’t help matters. He felt certain that if she would just talk to him, face to face, they could smooth things over, but that was kind of hard to do when his job kept taking him hundreds of miles away from her.
“Trouble in paradise?” Cassidy asked, his tone a little more hopeful than Ben would have liked.
The guys occupying the lockers between them had already cleared out, so they had an unimpeded view of each other despite the distance.
Ben didn’t miss the optimistic upturn of Cassidy’s lips.
Tempted though he was to bite the other man’s head off, Ben kept himself in check.
“Tell me this,” Ben said, acting on a hunch. “These feelings you seem to have developed for Melody. Have they been there allalong, or is it only now that someone has threatened to take her away from you that they’ve come to the fore?”
Cassidy’s smile dropped. “I’ve always cared for Mel,” he bristled, “but she’s our coach’s daughter. If that weren’t enough”—Ben didn’t miss the barb—“she came to Chicago fresh off a bad break up. Even if I’d been willing to cross her father, Mel wasn’t ready for more than friendship.”
Ben hit Cassidy with a pointed stare. “I’m not buying it. If you cared half as much about Melody as you claim to, you wouldn’t have been content to just be friends with her. For over a year.Not without at least letting her know how you feel. Hell, I sure couldn’t have.”
Melody was like his own personal catnip. No sooner could he have resisted her than a flower could have resisted the pull of the sun’s rays.
“Maybe that just makes me a better person than you,” Cassidy sassed back.
“Or maybe it makes you a jealous person who can’t stand the thought of losing access to a wonderful woman who has always been available to spend time with you whenever you got bored or lonely,” Ben rebutted.
“It’s not like that,” Cassidy fumed.
“Isn’t it, though?” Ben countered. “I dare you. Tell me I’m wrong.”
“Screw you,” Cassidy cursed. “I get being upset over your crumbling relationship, but you can’t blame me for wanting to shoot my shot now that it looks like I have one.” With that, Cassidy turned on his heel and stormed off.
“Well, shit,” Knight pronounced from a distant corner of the room.
Ben wasn’t sure if Knight had been there the whole time or if he’d simply walked in on the argument. Either way, the rookie had clearly heard enough.
“It’s nothing you need to worry about,” Ben reassured.
Cassidy might be pissing him off in a serious way, but they were teammates. No matter the personal issues that lay between them, Ben would remember that and keep things professional. On the ice, at least.
“I-I ah . . . ” Knight stuttered, “I couldn’t help but overhear that things might not be going so great between you and your girlfriend.”
Ben didn’t even like to acknowledge it for fear that giving voice to the problem might make it more real. And yet, it was hard to ignore the obvious.
When Ben responded, it was with a simple, “Melody and I have a few things to work out after Cynthia Hargraves’ accusation. The whole thing was really hard on her, too.”
Knight licked his bottom lip with nervous thoughtfulness. “I . . . ah . . . might have an idea how you might be able to help smooth things over a little bit?”
“I’m all ears,” Ben said truthfully. At this point, he would accept all the help he could get—even if said help came from a man almost half his age and whose primary romantic experience likely came from graphic novels and television sitcoms.
Chapter 63
Melody
Melodyswungherarms,swayed her hips, and tried to get lost in the music. She moved her body instinctively, trying not to think of anything other than the way the music moved through her.
Staccato beats pulsed through the dance hall, bathing her in a wall of sound. Strobe lights flashed overhead, providing a discordant rhythmic accompaniment. The combination made her think of a musical instrument that was ever so slightly out of tune. Beautiful, but not quite harmonious.
The crush of bodies on the dance floor was causing a fine sheen of sweat to gather on her skin. She could feel her hair starting to curl on her neck, as it was prone to do under such conditions.
Thank goodness she’d elected to wear a light, sleeveless dress that cut just below mid-thigh. It was one of those great dresses that was that magical triad of sexy, tasteful, and comfortable. Tonight, it also served the valuable function of being temperature regulating.
