Seductive Suspensions: A Slapshot Novella (Slapshot Series Book 7)

by Heather C. Myers

  Truth be told, I felt guilty because I enjoyed my time with Kira more than I probably should have. I knew I shouldn’t have feelings for someone else when Rose hadn’t done anything wrong. I didn’t want to be one of those guys who decided I was fine after a certain amount of time and was looking for something new. I understood relationships had their phases and you had to work to stay in love - and I was willing to put in that work.

  I just wasn’t sure if I was willing to put in that work and wait for her to do the same. If felt like our lives were being tugged in two different directions and if we had any hope of working through this, one of us had to give. My contract for the Gulls was set to renew in three years. I would be thirty three by then. Some players retired at that age. I hoped I would be playing until I was forty, forty-five. Rose had been working towards this her whole life. Getting this part was a huge step for her and might jumpstart her career. She wanted to act until she couldn’t act anymore either.

  We were at a crossroads. One of us had to give. I just didn’t want that to be me right now.

  “You know,” Rose remarked as I took off Simba’s leash and let him roam throughout the house. He bounded down the hall to where his food and water was and I could hear him slurping up water from his bowl. “You spend more time with that dog than you do with me, even though you know I’m leaving in the summer.”

  I furrowed my brow and shot her a look. I didn’t appreciate the phrase that dog but I didn’t say anything. I tried to be understanding. She wanted more time with me, more of my attention.

  “I’m sorry,” I said, walking into the kitchen with my head tilted to the side. “What did you say?”

  I watched as Rose’s shoulders hunched forward, dejected.

  “Between hockey and Simba, I feel as though I’m getting you at third in line,” she said. “And that’s fine. They were both here before me, but it still sucks knowing your boyfriend would rather spend time with his dog than his girlfriend.”

  “Look, Rose,” I said, leaning against the marble bar in the kitchen. “I’m not trying to diminish your feelings in any way, but I have no idea where this is coming from. You think I spend more time playing hockey - that’s my job. That’s how I make my living and it’s something I love to do. I’m lucky I’m getting paid to do what I love. With Simba, I get to exercise and be on the beach and spend time with my pet, whom I don’t get to see very often because I’m traveling all the time. I thought you understood that.”

  “I do but… ,” she said. She turned off the stove and removed the short ribs from the hot burner and moved it to a burner she hadn’t used to cook our dinner. “You know, I travel nearly as much as you do. I literally have to rearrange my schedule around yours so one of us can stay home with Simba. I mean, how ridiculous is that?”

  “Listen,” I said, trying to keep my voice calm. “I appreciate that you do that, that you make that sacrifice -“

  “I have sacrificed a lot Drew,” she interrupted.

  “Yes,” I said. “Yes, I know. I completely agree. I don’t think it’s fair though for you to tell me that I prioritize you after hockey and my dog. I do what I can. Half the time, you’re gone too. And that’s okay. I understand. I do. I’m not going to make you feel bad that you have a life outside of me. You’re entitled to that. You’re entitled to love that life. I know that when you’re here though, you’re here with me, and that’s what I care about.”

  Rose nodded her head, pressing her lips together.

  “I just...” She shook her head. “No, never mind.”

  I sighed. “What, Rose?” I asked.

  “Nothing.”

  I rolled my eyes. “Come on, Rose,” she said. “What is it? Just tell me. Don’t play games.”

  “I want us to spend more time together, not less,” she finally said. “I know I’m the one leaving, but I thought we would be engaged. By now, we might even have a kid. I want to settle down.”

  “I know,” I told her. “I know.” I took a moment to breathe, to think about what I was going to say. “I don’t know what to tell you, Rose.” I clenched my teeth together. “If you want me to tell you what you want to hear, I will... but it would be a lie.”

  Rose’s eyes filled with tears and I felt my heart squeeze with guilt. I was feeling so much of that lately and so little for her. I didn’t know how to stop it. I didn’t know how to fix it. The worst part was, I really did care, but only because she was a good person who didn’t deserve this... because I was becoming more and more aware that I didn’t care at all.

  8

  Kira

  It was Tierney’s turn to drive. Because I lived in Costa Mesa, Tierney swung by to pick me up. Aislinn was in the front and Clare, who lived in Orange County and had to drive down south to Coto to meet up with them, was in the back, behind Tierney. Tierney bumped a Korean pop band and we changed the lyrics of the songs, screamed those lyrics out the window, and laughed until we pulled up to the Ice Palace.

  “I’m really excited to see Stefano out there again,” Clare said. “That suspension was bullshit.”

  I felt myself smile just at hearing his name. It was really cool hanging out with him and I definitely wanted to tell my friends. But, for some reason, I didn’t. I kept it to myself, like some kind of secret.

  I wasn’t sure why I didn’t tell them. I thought a lot of it had to do with them judging me. I was dating someone and Stefano had been with someone for, like, five years. For some reason, I wanted something that was just for me.

  I thought about him a lot at work today. Knowing he was crazy about his own dog made it so much easier to fall in love with the guy. I hoped his girlfriend knew just how lucky she was to have him.

  When I got my food after heading through security and into the ice arena, I couldn’t help but hope Drew was behind the counter - and then I immediately took the thought back. No. Drew needed to be out on the ice, especially since we were playing our cross-town rivals, the Hollywood Stars.

  I sat down just in time for warmups.

  “Your man’s back,” Aislinn said, standing up so I could take my place between her and Clare.

  “He is not my man,” I said. The thought was laughable.

  It wasn’t the first time I thought about what it might be like if he was.

  The announcer informed those in the rink that the Gulls were coming out to warm up and catchy, mainstream music blared through the speakers as navy blue skaters passed by the glass, skating, stretching, and shooting at the net. The Hollywood Stars were on the opposite side of the rink, doing the same thing.

  I found myself looking for Drew. I knew that would be a big talking point - his return. I was so happy, so lucky, I got to be here to watch him. The fact that we were playing the Stars only added to the tension.

  After a few moments, I locked eyes with him. He had been looking at me to the point where even Aislinn was eyeing me suspiciously and smirking.

  I gave him a small smile. Maybe he was looking at the girl behind me. Maybe he just happened to glance up and catch my eye, which wasn’t actually what his intention was. I didn’t want to assume that just because we had had a few conversations together that suddenly we were best friends and he was going to catch my eye during warmups. This was the time when the team needed to loosen up and prepare for the game. This was the time when it was imperative they focus and figure out how to play their best so they could win.

  Drew probably didn’t even know it was me and he was just smiling randomly at the fans.

  It didn’t matter anyway. I was here for the game and my friends. That was it.

  The game was intense, fast, and hard-hitting. It was the perfect game for two teams that absolutely detested each other, and incredibly entertaining to watch. Stefano was fast and slippery. Currently, he had the most short-handed goals in the league at six. Each time the Gulls were short handed, it was so much fun to watch because you never knew when Stefano would sprint forward, leaving everyone trailing behind him before stick handli
ng, making a move, and typically beating the goalie five-hole.

  There were at least three fights right off the opening faceoff. It literally took fifteen minutes before the game actually started, which was awesome. Tierney, Aislinn, Clare, and I were standing for those fifteen minutes, waiting for another fight, trying to read lips. The penalty box for each team had three players each, all sitting out five minutes for fighting.

  The Gulls ended up winning that game two to zero. It was definitely stressful, because for whatever reason, the Gulls stopped playing offense and started playing passively so the last five minutes, the Stars dominated in the Gulls’ zone.

  We walked into the parking lot with the fans, all laughing, high-diving, and smiling. It was always a great environment to be part of when the Gulls won.

  As we were walking out, I heard a familiar voice through the low murmur of the crowd.

  “...the best time to do this?”

  “I think it’s better if we do it now, rather than wait.”

  I stopped in my tracks. I knew that voice. That was Drew Stefano. What was he doing in the general parking lot though? Didn’t the players have their own parking lot? And who was he talking to?

  “Guys,” I said. “I’m going to catch a ride. I’ll text you when I’m home. I promise.”

  Before they could stop me, I broke off from my friends to go investigate.

  9

  Drew

  I could not believe Rose was doing this right now, here of all places, after a crucial win against the Hollywood Stars. This was the last thing I needed right now. It was my comeback game after my two-game suspension. It was an intense game with emotions that were hard to settle down from, even after a quick shower in the locker room. I wanted nothing more than to drive home, change into my pajamas, open my bedroom window, and let the sound of the ocean waves crashing into the shore lull me to sleep.

  Instead, Rose waited outside the locker room, completely ignoring the other girlfriends and wives who were waiting for their significant others as well, and jumping on me in front of the others.

  “We need to talk,” she said so everyone could hear.

  I looked around. The group of girlfriends - Emma, Harper, and others - looked away, pretending they hadn’t heard Rose’s words. Rose had never gotten close to the group - which I understood, to a degree. Rose was busy and she wasn’t a typical girlfriend. I do wish she would at least say hi, maybe go out with them every once in a while. Just do it so It wasn’t so awkward. Sometimes, I felt as though Rose wrote them off as insipid and dependent, maybe even women who craved money and and security. She saw herself as separate, as better, because when we met, she already had her own money and didn’t need mine.

  The thing was, these women were not that way at all and Rose would see that, if only she gave them a chance.

  “Let’s go to my car -“

  “I’d rather not.”

  I cut her a look. At the very least, she could have gotten into my car so no one would overhear us. There were too many people down here, too many ears. I had just gotten back from a suspension and I didn’t need anymore drama surrounding me right now. I wanted to focus. I wanted to concentrate on winning, on getting two points every game in order to make playoffs. I didn’t want to deal with this right now.

  “Okay,” I said slowly. “Whatever you want to talk about, I don’t want to do it here.” I raised my brow, trying to emphasize my point.

  She nodded. “That’s fair,” she said. “Where would you like to go?”

  I thought for a moment. “The general parking lot,” I told her. “At least that way, no one will even notice we’re there.”

  She nodded her head and proceeded to follow me up to the exit. I wished she had let us talk in my car. No one would be able to overhear us there, and on top of that, no one would suspect there was anything wrong with us. It would look like a couple having a discussion in the car.

  Somehow I knew, deep down, that this wasn’t going to be a good conversation. I had an idea about what would happen when we spoke and for some reason, I was more concerned about what other people would think if they heard the conversation rather than the issues regarding the conversation in the first place.

  After a moment in the elevator, we were on the ground floor. I nodded to the doorman as he held the exit open for us, and we walked out from a private doorway where no one could really overhear us unless they happened to be walking by. And even then, it was doubtful they would know who I was or recognize my voice.

  “What’s going on?” I asked, crossing my arms over my chest. I wanted to get this over with. My bag and keys were still in the locker room and I was starving. I wished we could have discussed it in my car while we were driving home.

  “Drew, I don’t think I can do this anymore,” she said. I could see the sadness in her eyes, the regret, but also the determination too. “I’ve been with you for five years and you’ve known since the beginning that one of my goals, one of the things I wanted, was to settle down and have a family.”

  I nodded. “Okay,” I acknowledged. “But you’ve known that I wanted to focus on my career.”

  She nodded. “Yes,” she agreed. “I just thought we would both come to a point in our relationship when things got serious where we would talk about what we wanted, where we would start a new chapter in our lives.”

  I refrained from rolling my eyes. I didn’t want to seem like a dick but starting a new chapter in our lives was not something I ever thought of doing... ever. Maybe professionally, sure. The phrase really pissed me off though, because it implied that it was so easy to do when, in reality, what she was asking me to do was completely against what I wanted.

  “Rose, you forget that you’re the one leaving in July,” I pointed out before she could continue. “If you wanted to settle down, why even accept this offer?”

  “Because it’s something I’ve been waiting for my entire career,” she replied. She looked at me for a long moment, her eyes running over my face. I wasn’t sure what she intended to do, if she was trying to read my face or communicate with her eyes or what. “And I realize that one of us has to budge.”

  That caused me to pause. I glanced around. The arena was exiting. I could hear the shouts and whoops and low murmurs of talking amongst our fans. I wished I could be one of them right now rather than here, in this moment. I hated myself for even thinking that because Rose was special to me and I hated feeling that way about her.

  “I want to follow my dream and have a career I’m passionate about and I’m progressing in,” she continued. “And I also want to have a family and be in a committed relationship. You want to have a career you’re progressing in and you’re proud of too, but you want to keep things light. You want a commitment and support but you don’t want to move forward from that. And that’s okay... but for you to have your dream, I have to give up mine.”

  “I never said I didn’t want -“

  “I know Drew,” she said, “but you can’t guarantee when you’ll want it, either. I hope you find someone who you’ll just know you want it with instantly, you know? I had that with you, but I’ve realized you didn’t have that with me. And that’s okay. It’s not your fault. I’ve accepted it. The long nights when you weren’t there... I think I’ve always known. I’m just not that girl for you. I’m not. I do hope you find her though.”

  “Rose,” I said, my voice soft. I didn’t know what I wanted from her, because everything she said was the truth. All I could offer her was, “I’m sorry.”

  “I am too,” she said. She kissed me on the cheek. “I’ll head home first and grab my things. Maybe when things settle down, we can stay in touch.”

  As she disappeared into the crowd though, I highly doubted that would ever happen. Rose was gone for good.

  10

  Kira

  Shit. I definitely should not have given up my ride to eavesdrop on a conversation that was most definitely not any of my business. I slid my phone out of my back pocket
and had drawn up a text when Drew Stefano nearly ran into me. This time, there was a confused look on his face.

  “What are you doing here?” he asked.

  Gone was the playfulness, the warmth. I couldn’t blame him.

  God, I was such an asshole.

  “I was, uh, looking for my friends,” I said slowly, sliding my hands in the back pockets of my jeans and looking up at the sky. I hoped I didn’t look as awkward as I felt. “I think they left me because Tierney’s car is gone and -“

  He gave me a look that clearly said he didn’t believe me. “You’re lying,” he said flatly.

  “I am so lying,” I replied, my eyes pooling with guilt. “I am so sorry, Drew. I heard your voice and I went to check if you were okay. Kind of. I wanted to see you, I guess, which is totally inappropriate because you are with your girlfriend and I don’t know if I believe women and men can just be friends, especially with a significant other. Anyway, not that you owe me anything, but I did tell my friends to leave without me so if you could let me know if Ubers are allowed to come to the parking lot without having to pay, I think I’m going to order one right now.”

  His hard look faded away and he shook his head. “I’ll give you a ride,” he said. “And more than that, I don’t have a girlfriend... not anymore.”

  “Oh.” My face was set on fire. This was too embarrassing. I couldn’t believe I was interrupting him right after his breakup.

  God, I was an asshole.

  “Yeah,” he agreed.

  A moment passed between us where neither of us said anything. It was slightly awkward, but not terribly so. Neither of us looked at each other, until Drew cleared his throat.

  “We should probably get going,” he said.

  “Yeah,” I agreed.

  He led me back into the building and we took an elevator down so we were level with the rink. There was a special parking place for the players and specific employees. It didn’t surprise me to see luxury cars - Cadillacs, Audi’s, Mercedes Benz, Beamers, Corvettes. I let my gaze linger on how they sparkled, even in the darkness. I wondered if the players got car washes every time they drove the cars just so they would always look on point.