“Jessica is the point person for next steps.We were hoping you could either contact her and ask her to call us, or if you know what those plans are…”
Fuck.Fuck, fuck, fuck.I had no idea what the funeral plans were for Grandma.Jess was in charge of that.How had I let her take on the burden of everything for me?
I could at least take care of this phone call.I sat up, shoulders back.“Uh, thank you for letting me know.I’ll get a hold of Jess, and either she’ll call or I’ll find out what’s supposed to happen and get back to you.How late will you be available?I’m in Toronto, so we’re three hours ahead of you.”
“I understand.Nothing will be done till morning, so if someone can speak to us then, that will be early enough.Allow me to offer our condolences.She was a lovely woman.”
“Thanks.”
The stranger hung up and I sat, staring at my phone.
Grandma was gone.She’d been one of the foundations in my life, until dementia stole her memories and her personality before taking her physical health.But somehow, knowing she lived was still a comfort.With her gone, and Mom and Dad the way they were, that left just Jess and me.I sucked in a breath.
There was also the team.The Toronto Blaze.We were tight, and most of my teammates had my back.When people talked about found family, for me, hockey had provided that.I’d have to let management know.Would anyone be around to get a message tonight?Tomorrow Jess and I should head to BC for the funeral.And after, when it came to reading Grandma’s will, Mom and Dad were going to freak out.I had to be there to support Jess.I needed to do better at that.
Why hadn’t Jess answered when they called her?She’d have recognized the number immediately.Maybe this, me getting the news, was for the best—I could tell her in person, instead of the stranger who’d called me.I’d hold her while we both dealt with the loss of the woman who’d in every sense raised us.I sent Jess a quick text.
Where are you?
Maybe she hadn’t recognized the number, and thought it was a telemarketer.She’d answer me though.I started looking up flights while I waited.No use traveling tonight.With the time change, flying out in the morning would let us arrive rested while still being there when things got going in BC.Assuming we could sleep.
Still no response from Jess.That wasn’t like her.
It’s important.Call ASAP!
Maybe she was out with that group—the alternative to the team’s Wives and Girlfriends.Jess had never been a part of the regular group, since she was my sister, not my romantic partner, but there were women who weren’t traditional WAGs, and they’d invited Jess to join them.I loved that she had friends who understood what it was like to be around a professional athlete.
She hadn’t complained, but sometimes people took advantage of her because she was my sister, and they wanted to get something from me—time, a selfie, an autograph, tickets, money.So she did her best to keep our relationship quiet, and Johnson was a common enough name that most people didn’t know we were related.
It was easier to think of shit like that than what had just happened.But I couldn’t do that indefinitely.And still nothing from my twin.
I opened the tracking app we had for each other.If she was keeping a low profile after coming to a game, it helped us meet up without her hanging out in the friends and family room.She liked being able to see where I was when I was traveling.And now I could find out where…
What the—was she here in the condo?How’d she snuck in without me hearing?
I went to her room, but it was empty.Just to be sure, I walked through the whole place.Even the closets, in case she’d forgotten her phone.No Jess.And no phone.
I double-checked the tracking app.She was in the building, but not in this condo.The only other person we knew here was Fitch.Was he the reason she’d been happier lately, spending time with my teammate?She wouldn’t find a nicer guy.I wasn’t sure why she wouldn’t tell me, maybe worried about team chemistry, but I wouldn’t be upset if they got together.
I brought up Fitch’s contact info, ready to call him, but paused.I could be wrong, and if I asked him if Jess was with him, that might be a little awkward.Worse—what if they were…together, together?In theory, Jess and Fitch dating was okay, but I really didn’t want to experience it.I’d go down and knock.See if anyone answered.Even if it was Alek fucking Denbrowski, Fitch’s roommate.
At our door, I noticed Fitch’s keys in the bowl we kept there.He’d left them as an emergency spare, and I shoved them into my pocket.Instead of risking seeing Denny, I could just open the door, call for her… No, call her phone and listen for it.If she was with Fitch, I could leave them alone for a while.
For a moment, my throat tightened, eyes starting to water.No, this was not the time to give in to grief.First, sorting things with Jess.I’d bring her back here to tell her, and then we could cry in privacy.
I shoved my feet into running shoes and took the two flights of stairs down to Fitch’s condo.
I knocked softly, but there was no answer.Should I knock louder?Alek Denbrowski was rooming with Fitch, and he might answer.I definitely didn’t want to talk to him.He was a teammate, but with the history we had— I didn’t need to see his smug face when I was already on edge.
I slipped out the key and unlocked the door.I stepped inside quietly, ready to call my sister, but didn’t need to.Jess was there, heading toward me.
It was obvious why she hadn’t been answering calls.She was wearing someone else’s T-shirt, her bra in her hands.Her hair was mussed and her makeup mostly missing.
“Jess?”
“Justin?”She sounded…embarrassed.She didn’t need to be.If she’d been with Fitch… But when I looked past her, it wasn’t Fitch mostly naked with Jess’s T-shirt in his hand.AlekfuckingDenbrowski was the guy with sex hair.
Fitch stepped out of his room then, still dressed.“JJ?”