Total pages in book: 72
Estimated words: 67982 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 340(@200wpm)___ 272(@250wpm)___ 227(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 67982 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 340(@200wpm)___ 272(@250wpm)___ 227(@300wpm)
Reed shoots me a look and I shrug back. I have no clue how to handle this. Marek ignores us and goes back to pacing, only to stop and look at something on his phone with wild eyes.
“See that?” He holds the phone out, screen pointed at us, but we’re too far away to read it. Apparently he doesn’t expect us to, as he turns it toward himself again. “Got this fucking email just a little bit ago. Some anonymous person, but it’s probably that fucking douche Owen himself who sent it to me just to rub my nose in it.”
“What does the email say?” I ask him hesitantly.
Marek sort of jolts as if he’s really just understanding that there are two other people in the room with him and he’s engaging in a conversation with them. He gives a confused shake of his head, then reads from his screen. “Marek…I feel like you need to know that Gracen is marrying Owen Waller on August 26. I don’t need to tell you that she’d be making a colossal mistake. No one can talk her out of it. Perhaps you can.”
He looks back up to us and says, “It’s not signed, and I don’t recognize the email address.”
“Um,” Reed says hesitantly, and takes a few steps toward Marek as if he’s a wild animal. “Why don’t you tell us who Gracen is and why is this bothering you so much.”
“She’s no one,” Marek says bitterly, but you can tell that’s a lie, otherwise he would not be freaking out.
“Try again,” Reed says, and the staunch tone in his voice seems to center Marek.
After a long breath in and back out again, Marek says, “We dated all through high school and college. It ended badly when I entered the draft after I graduated.”
“Define ended badly,” Reed commands as he crosses his arms over his chest. It’s a very good question, and one I’d ask because I’m nosy. But Reed is Marek’s closest friend on the team along with Holt, and it’s not my place.
“I ended it because I wanted a little freedom,” Marek mutters, and I can hear the shame in his voice. “Wasn’t ready to settle down with my NHL career just starting. So I broke it off with her, and last I’d heard, she went back to our hometown. She’s a neonatal nurse.”
“And you’ve not had any contact with her since?” Reed presses for more of the story.
Marek shoots Reed a frustrated look but answers grudgingly, “No. I mean…I cut it off. We went our separate ways. I haven’t heard anything about her in four years.”
I sometimes forget that Marek is a few years younger than Reed and me. He didn’t enter the NHL until after college, and he’s only twenty-five right now. That age difference has never been apparent before, but it is now. He’s freaking out over an ex-girlfriend he left behind and hasn’t thought about.
So either there’s an emotional immaturity causing this, or he’s lying to himself and he truly never left her behind in his heart. Knowing Marek, I suspect the latter.
Reed asks the most important question. “Why is this bothering you then?”
Marek glances around the room as if he’ll find the answer lurking behind my couch. He looks helplessly back to Reed and shrugs. “Because this guy is an asshole. I mean like the type who would rough up girls he dated in high school. He’s from a really wealthy family, and they’re all douche bags. Entitled. Think their shit don’t stink. Trample over the small people. He’s an asshole and a dipshit and Gracen doesn’t deserve to get stuck with that.”
“Maybe he’s not like that anymore,” Reed suggests.
Marek rolls his eyes. “Trust me…that zebra would never change his stripes.”
“Then I’m going to point out the obvious,” Reed challenges him. “You left her behind. You’ve got no right to step in and stop this wedding.”
“Well, fuck you very much,” Marek shouts at Reed, his face turning practically magenta in his rage. Reed takes a small step back in surprise. “I need a real solution here, and it can’t be to ignore it.”
Reed doesn’t respond and they engage in a staring contest. Neither one seems to know what to do, but damn if I don’t.
I cough lightly to clear my throat. Reed looks at me, but Marek just continues to stare daggers at Reed.
“I think you should go and stop the wedding,” I state firmly.
Reed’s eyebrows practically shoot out of his head, but Marek turns to look at me with such a look of complete and utter gratitude I know that’s exactly what he needed.
“And I think Reed should go with you so you don’t get arrested or something,” I add. Reed’s eyes narrow at me in a glare but I ignore him.
I walk up to Marek and put my hand on his arm. “Now, I want you to go home and chill out. Get packed and try to calm down. You’ll get this sorted out tomorrow. Go ahead and make two plane reservations and you can pay for the tickets too.”