Chapter 19
Ian
They lost.I’ve never really followed sports, but I know the Frozen Four is a huge deal. And I know heartbreak when I see it. The look on my boyfriend’s face at the final buzzer damn near killed me. He’s worked so hard all year, and objectively, he should be proud of all he accomplished, especially given the fact that there was so much drama on the team this year. But right now? He’s gotta feel like shit. I’ve been waiting outside the locker room for half an hour, but the equipment guy said a couple of the guys are meeting with Coach and they’re likely going to be a while.
I tried texting Luke to see if he’s doing any better these days, but I haven’t gotten a response yet. Since he left my place more than a week ago, I’ve been trying to check in on him when I have a minute.
Without a boyfriend to console, or a brother to look out for, I’m restless, so I catch a ride back to the hotel and find Ty, Knox, Whit, and Ollie huddled around a table at the sports bar in the lobby. If I can’t help Booker drown his sorrows in me, at least I can eat cheese fries. I take a seat at the table, but before I’ve even grabbed a menu, Whit’s stopping me.
“Whoa. What the hell are you doing here?”
“Uh, eating with my friends?”
The server stops by, and I order a beer, but when she returns with my drink, Ty intercepts it. “You will not be needing this.”
“What the hell?” I ask. They’re a clique-y group, sure, but I’ve always been welcomed before.
“You seriously want to sit down and eat with us? Now?” Knox asks.
What is wrong with them? “Maybe I don’t since you’re being assholes, but yeah, that was my plan.”
“It’s a pretty bad plan,” he answers.
I look around at Booker’s closest friends. “What did I miss?”
Ty levels me with a look. “Uh, maybe the part where your boyfriend’s team shit the bed and lost in the semifinals?”
“No, I was there for that,” I assure him, swiping my beer back.
“If you were there for that—”
The fuck? “I was. I was sitting right next to you.” Exasperation must show in my tone because Whit holds his hands up in mock surrender.
“Ian, it’s not that we don’t want to hang with you. It’s that Coach just ended his meeting with Booker and Friedline, and we think you might have better things to do.”
Ollie clears his throat. “Let me help you out, Professor. I was Booker's roomie. Now, you are,” he tells me, handing over a key card.
Knox sighs. “Jesus, it’s like I have two toddlers. Ok, Ian, now hand Ollie your room key.”
I look at Booker’s friends—my friends—and smile. “You know what? I don’t need this beer after all,” I say, sliding it toward the center of the table. “See you all tomorrow.”
* * *
Booker
I take the elevator up to the seventh floor, mentally replaying every mistake from our game. It’s not that I’m berating myself, more that I’m trying to pinpoint all the little moments where we broke down as a team, so I can ensure that doesn’t happen again next year.
I texted Ian but got no response. Hopefully, he’s hanging with my crew and having fun. I step off the elevator and make my way down to room 719. I’ll take a nap and be well rested for whatever Ian feels like doing tonight.
I slide the key in the door and detect movement on the bed. Crap. “I swear to God, Ollie, if you are naked with somebody right now, or even by yourself, I may murder you. I don’t need to see your bare ass in the air. I need sleep, and then food, and then my boyfriend.”
I hear a rustling of covers, and then my favorite voice calls out, “But do you need them in that order?”
“Ian?” I drop my bag, toe off my shoes, and take three steps to find him curled up on one of the double beds.
“What? How?” I shake my head as I unbutton my shirt. My belt follows and my pants drop to the floor. I don’t know how he got in here, but I plan to be fully naked while he explains.
“Let’s just say your friends love you very much. And Ollie’s got a room to himself tonight, so he’s not complaining.”
