I watch, helpless, as he exits the bench and makes his way toward her section. The crowd is thick and slow-moving as everyone tries to leave at the same time.
“Fuck!” He’ll never catch her in this mess.
“What’s going on?” Logan asks as he and the rest of the guys circle around me on the ice.
I shake off my gloves and run a hand through my sweaty hair. Agitated, I turn to the men who are like brothers to me. I’ve never told them about Indie. Losing her isn’t a story I’ve wanted to relive, and Griffin would have latched onto it like a dog with a bone. He would have made it his mission in life to find her. I’d get my hopes up, and then those hopes would be smashed when he ran into the same walls I had so many times over.
It was easier not to tell them, but that’s no longer an option. Because if she’s here?
“I need your help.”
Logan’s brow furrows. “You know we always have your back.”
“Help with what?” Maddox asks.
“Tracking down the woman I’ve been in love with since I was sixteen.”
Maddox opens his mouth, then shuts it. They’re all silent for a beat before he frowns. “Are you sure you don’t have a concussion?”
Griffin swats him on the back of his head, knocking his helmet off. “The woman you’re in love with, you say?” His eyes twinkle with excitement while I’m vibrating with nerves.
Todd comes back to the bench, huffing, cheeks pink. “Sorry, Navarro. I couldn’t catch her. She got into a rideshare before I could stop her.”
My heart plummets to my stomach. “That’s okay. Thanks for trying.”
“Shower up, boys,” Griffin commands, his hazel eyes glittering with excitement. “We’re going to my place, and Bashy’s gonna explain himself.”
four
INDIGO
This was a mistake.I can’t believe I let Lola talk me into this.
“Indie. Inds.Indigo, stop.” Lola shouts after me as I dodge boisterous hockey fans and weave through surging crowds.
I can’t stop. If I stop, I may lose the battle I’m fighting with myself, turn around, and beg someone to find him for me.
Never, in a million years, did I think he’d spot me. And I never thought I’d be the reason he was distracted enough to take a hit. Because he had been distracted. The cage of his helmet made it hard to catch the nuance of his expression, but I saw enough. He was shocked to see me.
But was it a good shock or a bad one?
Probably a bad one.
Why would he want to see the girl he ditched when he was eighteen?
“Seriously, Indie, fucking stop,” Lola calls. I slow down enough to let her catch up with me.
According to my app, our rideshare driver is already outside waiting for us. I set one up as soon as Bash recognized me because panic set in and I needed to run.
“We need to go back. He tried to get your attention after the game ended.” She finally catches up and grabs my hand, pulling me to a stop. A few of the people around us grumble at the sudden roadblock, but my best friend couldn’t care less. “He wanted to talk to you.”
“You’re imagining things.”
She arches one perfectly shaped eyebrow. “Really? That’s how you want to play this?”
“Yes.”
Lola shakes her head. Her disappointment is palpable, but it won’t sway me. “Girl. You’ve spent ten years running from your feelings, but when your life blew up, he was the one you wanted to be near. You can’t tell me you don’t want to see what he has to say.”