Total pages in book: 153
Estimated words: 147021 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 735(@200wpm)___ 588(@250wpm)___ 490(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 147021 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 735(@200wpm)___ 588(@250wpm)___ 490(@300wpm)
“We’ll see.”
As soon as he releases her, I jump in. “How is Hollis?”
Tristan turns to me. “He has a mild concussion, but otherwise, I think he’s okay. He and Roman went home straight from the game, though.”
“They’re not coming out?” I ask. Even after a bad game, my dad usually still goes out with the team.
“Nah. Hollis has a headache, and Roman offered to be on watch tonight, so they skipped.”
“Was it that bad?”
“He was quiet in the locker room, but your dad probably knows what’s what,” Tristan offers.
“Okay. Thanks for the update.” I don’t want to overreact, but Hollis is good at pushing through pain. That he went straight home makes me question whether he’s hurt worse than he’s letting on.
“You girls need anything?” Tristan thumbs over his shoulder. “I’m gonna see if I can prevent Flip from making choices that will kill his endorsement campaigns.”
“I appreciate you, Tristan,” Hemi says. “I’ve got more than enough to manage without Flip adding fires to put out.”
“Remember you said that when you need someone to dress up like a clown.” He kisses Rix on the cheek and joins Flip and Dallas.
Rix sighs. “At least he’s not out trying to conquer the world with his dick tonight.”
“Why is he usually such a fuckboy?” I ask.
“Your guess is as good as mine,” she says. “We have great parents, and our childhood was stable. He had a girlfriend through most of high school, but after he made the pros…” She shakes her head. “I don’t know what he’s been trying to prove, but it sure isn’t great for whoever ends up with his heart. When he finally falls ass over head in love, he’ll have to deal with the fallout of years of gratuitous, meaningless sex. I get the sense that it’s less about him loving it and more that he’s literally drowning himself in other people. We’ve both started therapy, but I don’t want to bring it up with him. We’re all on our own journeys, you know?”
“Hmm, that’s an interesting theory,” Hemi muses.
Tally pokes at the ice in her drink, looking sad.
My phone finally buzzes with a message from my dad.
Dado
Sorry, just saw this now. Hollis and I are unwinding, and I’m on concussion watch. So far he seems okay, but he’s got one hell of a headache.
Aurora
Is it just a concussion?
Dado
Fingers crossed, but we’ll see how he’s feeling tomorrow.
Aurora
What time is practice in the morning?
Dado
Not until nine.
I have an early-morning class. I want to talk to my dad before he goes to bed.
Aurora
Heading home now. Can I come up and see you before you go to bed?
Dado
Of course.
Aurora
See you soon.
Dado
Be safe, love you.
Aurora
I will, love you back.
“I’m grabbing an Uber. My dad’s on concussion watch,” I tell the girls.
“I can drive you,” Hemi offers. “Tally needs to be home soon, anyway.”
I leave my drink half full and hug the girls. Rix ends up staying with Tristan because Flip is in full-on self-flagellation mode and also drunk—which isn’t something he does often. He clearly feels like a giant bag of shit. As much as I don’t want to play the blame game, if he’d kept his shit together and not let Grace get under his skin, maybe Hollis wouldn’t have a concussion. But I don’t know Flip’s history with Grace. And there clearly is one. Two people don’t hate each other that much for no damn reason.
Hemi drops me off, and once I’m in the elevator, I message my dad to let him know I’m on my way up.
He meets me at the door, dressed in his typical bedwear: a pair of plaid flannel pants and a white T-shirt. “Hey, kiddo. Sorry I missed your message earlier.” He looks tired as he opens his arms and I step into them, wrapping mine around his waist. He’s never had a serious injury in his twenty-year career, and until last year, Hollis had been the same way. It’s terrifying to see someone I care about get hurt, especially a second time.
“How are you? How’s Hollis?” I ask.
He gives me a squeeze, then steps back and runs his hand through his hair. “I’m fine. I hate to lose, but it’s part of the game. Hollis though? The aches will hit him tomorrow. I rewatched that hit when I got home. He went down hard.”
“What about the concussion? How serious is that?” If it’s severe, it could impact more than being able to play. Not being on the ice with his team and having to stay back when they traveled after his injury affected more than Hollis’s body last year. For a while, he was depressed. I spent a lot of time at his place, tidying up, making sure he was okay, that he was eating properly, and that he didn’t drown in worries and what-ifs. Especially when he was stuck in his place, and the team was away. We were together more then. Spending all that time with him fueled my crush.