Page 132 of Wrong Pucking Jersey

“I ditched thirty-five minutes ago.”

“Mikayla?” he hisses. “Are you those problematic patients who say, ‘I’m a nurse’ and just make everyone’s shift complicated?”

“That’s me. Frankly, I told them if I remained, I’d probably be more of a problem having panic attacks until my dad got here, so it’s better to discharge me with some anti-anxiety meds and a puffer, so I can be on my way.”

“And they let you?” He sounds absolutely baffled.

“I’m free from my medical shackles,” I praise like some sort of accomplishment. “Did you get your car?”

“Yes.” He doesn’t sound happy about it.

“Why don’t you sound pleased?”

“Because I wanted to stay with you. The police called me and said I had to move my car, or it would be towed to another town. I didn’t want you waking up alone, but I also didn’t want Jayce near you, so I told the nurses that no one gets near you unless you’re awake or O’Riley arrives.”

“Wait. Maddox is coming?” I feel bad for not answering the phone now.

“He’s probably trying to, like I am,” Dimitri groans. “The roads are jam-packed. It’s crazy how one accident can backlog everywhere near the stadium. James is going to have to expedite the roads being finalized and opened, or else people will complain about how hard it is to get to our stadium.”

“Guess this is another one of those ‘good thing something bad happened’ situations to prove changes need to be made.”

“At the expense of your health,” Dimitri complains. “I don’t like that.”

“I’m fine, Dimitri,” I reassure him and close my eyes. “You don’t need to come back here. I’m just resting a bit, then I’ll call Dad to come pick me up. You probably have a better chance meeting me at my family’s place than attempting to get to the dorms.”

“You may have a point,” he admits and sighs. “At this rate, it’ll take me three hours to get back to the dorms.

“You can stay the night at my place,” I offer. “It’s not fancy or anything, but we do have a guest room, so you’ll be nice and comfy.”

“No need to try to impress me, Mikay,” Dimitri notes. “I used to be grateful for sleeping under a glass bus station when it rained without being insulted for being homeless. The fact you have a roof over your head and are kind enough to invite me over is a blessing in my eyes.”

I forgot he was once homeless.

“I’ll sleep on the floor if anything. You can reserve the guest room for Maddox or something.”

“No way,” I argue. “Guest room is yours. Simple. My dad will probably let Maddox sleep on the garage floor.”

“Harsh,” Dimitri groans. “It’s thanks to Maddox I got all your blood type info,” he confesses.

“Wait. You called him?”

“Had to,” Dimitri admits. “I knew your full name, date of birth, and age because we discussed it the first week for emergencies. However, we never talked about blood type, so I called Maddox, and he helped with everything else I didn’t know.” He pauses to make sure what he’s saying sinks in.

“Jayce got upset that Maddox was worried about you and wouldn’t hang up the phone. The paramedic had to de-escalate the situation. I’ll admit, I was pissed off like Maddox was. Jayce shouldn’t have been in the ambulance with us. He didn’t have any injuries.”

“They probably took him in to make sure. So many town folks know Winchester. At least by his family name, so they would do it to ensure they didn’t get in trouble with his dad. Most people call their family egoistic and materialistic. They need the fanciest clothes, jewelry, luxurious hotels, and homes. The list goes on and on,” I explain. “That’s another reason why I broke up with him. He was a control freak and didn’t like the idea of ‘his woman’ working to make money. Just wanted me to rely on him, the man of the house.”

“Red flag,” Dimitri mutters. “Why should your independence and ability to make your own money be taken away because you’re dating a man with money?”

“Exactly.” Every week I interact with Dimitri, the more I realize what a good person he is. “The annoying part is the fortune he brags about isn’t his. It’s his father’s. Generational wealth, but his father always uses it against Jayce.” I met Mr. Winchester a few times during my relationship with Jayce, and I could see where he got his temper from.

“You don’t go to this game, I won’t pay for this. You need an allowance, you gotta do that. You want this new bike? Show up to this event. It was never out of the goodness of his heart. I tried to bring it up to Jayce how that type of love isn’t normal, but he didn’t want to hear it from a kid,” I reveal.

“You weren’t a kid,” Dimitri grumbles.

“I started dating Jayce around fourteen,” I admit. “I was a kid, but I was wise for my age and acted mature, being the daughter of a famous hockey coach. When I think about it, Jayce wasn’t the right choice. It was like seeing all the red flags and ignoring them deliberately because you didn’t want to admit you were wrong. That the rest of the world was right about our relationship. I wish I had acted on it back then, but I guess I wouldn’t have learned from my mistakes otherwise.”

“That’s true,” Dimitri agrees. “I like the guys on the Vipers. They seem more humble.”

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