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CHAPTER 1
RACHEL
“What am I doing here?” I whisper under my breath as I grip the steering wheel and stare at the house I’m supposed to be aiming for. Hopefully I’ve got the address right. Hopefully I’m looking at Hockey House right now.
I laughed so hard when Mikayla told me the guys she was living with had named their house. Who does that? And who picks a lame name like Hockey House?
I’m not laughing now, though, am I?
Tears prick the back of my eyes as I gaze at the two-story home that seems to sprawl across the property. There’s a big front yard with neatly trimmed edges and a wide driveway that currently has no cars in it, but I bet it’s usually loaded with cool pickup trucks that scream Jock City.
Mikayla’s painted a pretty clear picture over our weeks of video chats and messaging.
The house has six bedrooms, lots of guys, and my little best friend. She probably fits in just fine with a bunch of rowdy hockey players.
Me? I’m gonna be a fish out of water. A gasping, panting, about-to-die fish out of water.
Biting my top lip, I then swallow, and it hurts. I’m not sick, my throat’s just aching.
Probably from all the tears. I feel like my entire body is one big bruise.
How am I supposed to knock on that front door feeling this way?
Are any of them even home right now?
My gaze flicks from the empty driveway to the light above the front door. It’s illuminating the steps like a homing beacon.
Except this isn’t my home.
Nowhere is home anymore.
“Shit.” I close my eyes, desperate to keep the tears at bay. Panic is making my heart race, threatening another sobbing meltdown. I need to clamp this down. I can’t fall apart again.
And I can’t walk into Hockey House with a blotchy face. Mikayla will take one look at me and start an inquisition… and I can’t tell her what happened to me last night.
Was it only last night?
I rest my head against the steering wheel, exhaustion hammering me from all sides.
I’ve had like two hours of sleep in a truck stop outside Vegas and have spent the entire day driving. I can barely see straight. And I’m turning into an ice cube sitting here.
“Come on, Ray. Move your ass or freeze.” Gritting my teeth, I reach for the door handle and force myself to breathe.
There are lights on in the house—a soft amber glow is coming from what I assume is the kitchen or dining room. Maybe it’s the living area.
Hopefully Mikayla’s in there, ready to give me a hug. Because, shit, I really, really need a hug right now.
With a little sniff, I step out into the crisp night air.
It’s frickin’ freezing!
Hugging the jacket to my body, I wrench open the back door and wrestle my suitcase out. Thankfully, it’s not my big one. I just grabbed the first one I could reach from under the bed and threw in what I could. I have no idea what I packed. I probably forgot underwear and half my clothes, but it wasn’t like I was thinking straight.
A shudder runs through me, my lips trembling as a tidal wave of tears threatens to take me out again.
Pull it together! Don’t freak Mick out. Just don’t!
My reprimand seems to work, because by the time I reach the front door, my eyes have dried enough to notice the light sprinkling of snow dancing through the air.
