“She was afraid to tell you the truth. She came here with her heart on her sleeve, and you let her leave,” my mother says, shaking her head. “And it’s been a month?” she shrieks. “A month.”
I put my hands on the top of my head. “I know, Mom. I just don’t know what to tell her.”
“I would start with I’ve been an idiot,” my father cuts in, and my mother nods.
“And my parents raised me to be better than this,” my mother adds.
I stand, frustrated because they are right, but then scared that when I finally do go to her, she’ll tell me that she doesn’t feel the same way. That it was a one-way street, and I was the only one who felt it. “What if,” I start to say, and my mother holds up her hands.
“What if I didn’t say yes to your father all those years ago? What if you don’t tell her how you feel and regret it for the rest of your life? What if she’s the one?” my mother asks, and I don’t answer her because I can’t. “Son, you have one life to live. Don’t you want to live it with a love that’s so big it fills your soul?”
She doesn’t say anything after that, and neither does my father. They just sit there and change the subject. The next day is crazy, getting on the ice with my family arriving, and then having a team meeting. I go through the motions and smile when I need to smile. The whole time, I’m thinking of Layla, and my heart feels tight in my chest. My house is full to the brim with my sisters and brothers and all their kids. It’s something I’ve always loved yet now feels void. New Year’s Eve comes, and my family opts out of the team party to stay home. They kiss me goodbye when I leave and tell me they will see me tomorrow.
The whole team is staying at the hotel tonight. I walk into the hotel, and there is movement everywhere. People are everywhere, and when I check in, I try to make it out of the lobby before someone sees me.
Three hours later, I’m slipping on a suit jacket and making my way downstairs. The ballroom is decorated in the team colors, and there are hats all around the room. The music is already pumping, and the kids are running around free. I spot a couple of people I know and say hello, then walk over to the bar where I order a water.
“Hey.” I hear from beside me, and see that it’s Becca.
“Hey, yourself,” I say, leaning in and kissing her cheek. “You look nice.”
“Do I?” she says, looking down at her black dress. “It’s a big night.”
“It’s a big week,” I say to her.
“You ready for tomorrow?” she asks, and I nod my head.
“As ready as I’ll ever be,” I tell her, and she smiles.
“Perfect,” she says, grabbing a glass of champagne from a passing waiter. “Now if you will excuse me, I see Nico.” She smirks at me. “I love ruffling his feathers.”
I shake my head. Becca is known to be cutthroat, and she doesn’t care whose balls she has to squeeze in order to get the best contract for her player. It’s why she’s got the best client list around.
I watch her walk away and then see Manning coming my way. “You look like you’re in a great mood.” I laugh when he glares.
He looks around to make sure we are alone. “She booked a room for our son to sleep in by himself.” He shakes his head. “The kid is seven.” He orders a water, and the two of us stand here watching the room get fuller as the minutes go by. “We should mingle,” he says, and I nod, pushing away from the bar and stopping when I see four of the rookies together.
“Are you boys staying out of trouble?” I ask them, and they just smirk at me. I remember what it’s like to be them. They are thinking about the game tomorrow, but they are also thinking about banging most of the girls here. Looking around, I see so many girls all of a sudden when a blonde comes over our way.
“Oh, shit.” I hear Patrick say, then he looks at me. “I’m so sorry.”
I don’t have time to ask him what he means by that because the girl is right beside