I exhale.When did I stop breathing?
He sits out one shift, then he’s back on the ice, and the game moves on for everyone except me, because my hands are still shaking.
The team wins, barely. I’m not going to stick around and decide to leave early.
16
COLLETTE
Acouple of hours later, my phone buzzes.
Fish: You didn’t stay.
Collette: I couldn’t. Are you okay?
I ask him as I nervously nibble my bottom lip. Suddenly, my phone rings, and it’s Fish. I stare at his name across the screen and wonder what I should do.Pick it up, dummy. You’re freaking out for no reason.
“Hey,” I say, trying to play it cool.
“Are you okay?” he asks, sounding concerned.
“Um, yeah. Don’t you think I should be asking you that question? Are you okay?”
“Of course, that was nothing,” he says, being blasé about my concern.
“It wasn’t nothing to me.”
Silence comes down the line.
Shit.
“Were you worried about me, St. Pierre?”
“I ... um …” He starts laughing. “Of course I was, asshole.”
“Aw, Lettie. I didn’t know you cared,” he teases.
“Screw you. Well, I’m glad you are okay. If all you called for was to make fun of me worrying about my friend, then consider it done.”
“Lettie …”
“No. I was worried about you. It brought flashbacks of my brother lying there.” I swipe the tears falling from my face.
“Fuck, Lettie. I’m sorry.”
“Yeah, well, I’ve got to go.” I hang up on him as I bawl my eyes out. Urgh. Must be getting my period, I’m totally overreacting. But I can’t seem to stop it as I curl up on the sofa and continue to watch my show.
There’s knockingon my door. I still. What the hell? No one can get onto my floor. Maybe it’s my brothers. I get up off the couch and pad over to the front door, I quickly look through the peephole and still.
What the hell is he doing here? And how the hell did he make it to my door?
I open my front door, and I’m shocked to see Fish there. “What the hell?”
“Let me in before Cap sees me,” he says, and I let him in because I’m so flustered.
“I … how …?”
“I’m on Emmett’s approved list and get access to this level,” he explains.