Page 76 of The Sound Of Silence

Three more nights.

The days I can handle; it’s the nights that seem to be my downfall.But at least I now have an end date.

Tate’s sitting on his motorcycle outside the bar as I make my way home. With a cigarette hanging from his lips, he stares at me from across the street. Waiting.

The angel on my shoulder tells me to keep walking, to ignore his glare and the expectant look on his face, but the devil on the other side is much more persuasive, and when I see a flicker of uncertainty cross his face, my decision is made.

What was I saying about backing off?

“I thought I told you to keep your dog off Willow?” I say, jumping straight into it.

Tate smiles as he shakes his head, but it looks a little unhinged. “Good morning, Jesse. Lovely to see you on this fine day.”

“Just answer the fucking question.”

“Okay. okay.” He butts out his cigarette and raises his hands in the air. “But I thought I’d already toldyou,I’m not his keeper.”

“Do you really think it’s a good idea for him to get close to her?” I ask, taking a step in his direction to ensure we’re out of earshot, needing our conversation to be private.

Unfazed by my proximity, Tate simply shrugs. “Why would it matter? He doesn’t know anything.”

“Are you positive about that?”

“I am. He doesn’t know anything, and she’s never met him before this week. He’s unlikely to trigger something.”

“Maybe not him alone, but she’s metyou,” I counter. “And—”

“And yet…” He scratches his head like it’s one big joke, and I want to throttle him. “Nothinghappened.”

“Tate—”

“Jesse! Jesse Hastings! Is it really you?” Tate and I turn around to see a young boy running toward me. “I heard you were here but—”

“Oh…oh… Stop, honey,” a woman calls out after him, as though she’s just noticed he’s taken off. She catches up to him at the same time that he comes to a stop in front of us. “I’m so, so sorry,” she says, slightly out of breath, not really looking our way. “Nickie, you can’t just interrupt someone like that, even if he is… ah… hi.” She looks my way and falters, her words suddenly breathy, “Hi. Um. I’m… sorry. We’ll, ah, leave you be.”

The little boy stares up at me with stars in his eyes, while hers are full of hearts… and I internally sigh. How am I seen as the asshole of hockey when I’ve always been gracious to my fans? Even when they interrupt me. “No, it’s fine. We were just chatting. And yes, it’s me. Are you a hockey fan?”

“You bet. That shot you took, right before those two guys slammed into you in the final game… that wasepic.”

“Thank you,” I say with a genuine smile. “It’s always nice to meet someone that loves the game as much as I do.”

“My friends think San Francisco has a chance to win the cup this season.”We’re definitely getting closer. If not this year, then the next. And that’s why I need to stay on the team.“Can I get a photo?”

I’d prefer you didn’t. “Of course.”

The kid asks his mom to take a few pictures and then she asks for a selfie at the end. I happily oblige but hate knowing Tate’s still behind me, watching it all. Boring a hole in the back of my head as though this is some kind of ammunition he can use.

After a few minutes, the boy and his mother walk away with smiles on their faces while I wave goodbye. When they turn to cross the street, I feel Tate’s presence before his breath warms my neck, making me physically ill. “You’d be wise to never forget how much you’ve got to lose. Wouldn’t want anything to ruin your stellar career.”

I step away but he keeps talking, and there’s an edge to his previously confident tone. “I can’t stop Alex from getting close to Willow, but I can promise to keep an eye on him.”

Why would he even do that? Unlesshethinks Alex is dangerous.

“Your promises mean nothing to me,” I say instead of my thoughts, slamming into him as I spin around. “But if he so much as touches a single strand of hair on her head without asking first, I promise you he’s a dead man.”

Tate doesn’t even flinch, but something about his expression feels off. “First, Jesse, my promises should meaneverythingto you. I’ve never said aword. To anyone. And second, as I said before, shouldn’t you be worried about your career?”

I ignore the first part of his response and focus on the second. “Not even a little,” I say with confidence and strangely mean it. My career means everything to me, now more than ever, but if that fucker hurt her…

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