Total pages in book: 86
Estimated words: 83542 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 418(@200wpm)___ 334(@250wpm)___ 278(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 83542 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 418(@200wpm)___ 334(@250wpm)___ 278(@300wpm)
“Lane did though.”
I huff. “Oh, I fought him on it. I even tried to break up with him.”
Aleks smiles. “And he quit anyway. Rebecca did break up with me, and I let her walk.”
“See? Wrong person for you, then. You’ll find the right one.”
“Eventually. I have a lot of manwhoring to do first.”
“Well, with me being taken now, I pass the San Jose slutbag crown to you.” I mime taking a crown off my head and placing it on his.
“It’s an honor.” He puts his hand over his heart and says, “I solemnly swear to share my dick with every man, woman, enby, and any other gender who wants it.”
“Ah. The Hippocratic oath of manwhores.”
Coach walks in at that moment and locks glaring eyes with me.
“Oh shit, you’re in trouble,” Aleks says.
“Yep.”
“Shouldn’t you be at home resting seeing as you’re too injured to play?” Coach barks.
I mock salute him. “On my way now.” I turn to Aleks. “Good luck for the game tomorrow. We need the win.”
His eyes don’t fill me with confidence, but there’s nothing I can personally do now.
I’m going to go home to my man and worship his body again.
And again, and again, and again.
THIRTY-THREE
LANE
As soon as Oskar leaves, I deflate. I’m trying to keep reasonably upbeat about this whole thing whenever he’s around, but I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t freaking out.
No other team has reached out to me, and I’m hesitant to be the one to make the first move as I don’t know how far the news of us has spread. What we did may not have been technically against any rules or laws, but it also wasn’t ethical either. I know Oskar is worried that I’m going to wake up one day and resent him for everything that has happened, but I went into this knowing what I was doing. Every single choice has been my own, and now I’m facing the consequences of those choices.
Maybe when I was younger, I would’ve tried to blame someone else, but I’m old enough now to understand that that’s how the world works.
Two hours after Oskar leaves, there’s a knock at the door. As far as I know, he wasn’t expecting any visitors, and it’s way too early for him to be back yet. Plus, he wouldn’t knock on his own door.
I’m still in the sweats I haphazardly pulled on when I finally climbed out of bed this morning, but hey, it’s better than being naked. I mute the TV and find the last person I’d expect on Oskar’s front porch.
“Damon.” I hesitate, half-concerned he’s going to kick my ass. “You sure do like to fly out here rather than use the phone. Should I be concerned you and Oskar are having a scandalous affair?”
The bastard actually rolls his eyes at me. “The two of you have already filled that space on my bingo card. Can I come in?”
“Sure.” I step aside. “But Oskar isn’t here. He’s gone to the rink for a checkup with the team doctor. Actually, that’s probably something you should be there for.” Concern hits my gut as I follow Damon into the house. “We think they’re going to clear him to play the next game when he’s not ready.”
“One of the good parts of being an agent is learning to tell when you need to fight for your clients and when they can do it themselves.” He drops his laptop bag on the couch and takes a seat. “Since when have you ever known Oskar to do something he doesn’t want to?”
“I dunno, he was pretty reluctant when I organized that positive PR stuff for him.”
“My point remains. If he didn’t want to do it, he wouldn’t have done it.”
I think back to how easily he took to it, and my heart warms. “You’re right.”
“Besides, it’d be a ballsy team doctor to clear a patient they weren’t confident about and risk losing their license to practice.”
I flop back onto the couch I was sitting on earlier. “It’s not like it doesn’t happen.”
“Yes, but in those cases, they’re not dealing with a fiery, loudmouthed hockey player who can’t keep a single thing quiet and already has a chip on his shoulder over the team who let his boyfriend go.” He gives me a shrewd look, and I relent.
“So I should stop worrying. Got it.”
“I’d say you have bigger things to be worried about, don’t you?”
My reputation? My job? How I’m going to make a living? “Nothing’s more important than Oskar.”
Damon’s bright green gaze assesses me, and I sigh.
“If you’re here to lecture me, you might as well get it over with. I have a full day of television calling my name. Oskar will be very annoyed if you get between me and his idea of therapy.” I gesture toward where the reality show I’m not even sure I understand is playing silently.