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But I'm glad as hell Gabbi doesn't feel it when she looks at me. She trusts me instinctively, as if she knows that I'd kill for her before I let her come to any harm. As if she's never had to fear.
I'm guessing her brothers have worked their asses off to ensure she never had to fear anyone. I hope she retains that innocence for the rest of her life. When she's mine, I'll work my ass off to ensure she does.
"I need you to drive me to the game."
She goes completely silent.
"Temptation?"
"You mean the game in New Mexico?"
"That'd be the one."
"That isn't a favor, Atlas. That's insanity! It's a twelve-hour drive!"
"Eleven."
She harrumphs like I'm a crazy man, making me grin. Fuck, I can't wait until she's naked in my bed, giving me that attitude.
"It is a favor, baby," I say, trying to sway her to the Dark Side. "I have a concussion. I can't drive myself, and if I have to sit on a bus, I'll lose my mind."
"You have to have one to lose it, Atlas."
"If I'm out of my mind, it's only because you got me hit in the head with a puck."
"I got you hit?" she asks, incredulous. "How did I get you hit?"
"You walked into the arena, and I saw my future. You think I was thinking about where the goddamn puck was, Temptation? Fuck no. All I was thinking about was you. So yeah, you got me hit."
"You are so full of it," she says, but her voice is soft.
"I'm dead serious."
"Why not have one of your teammates drive you?"
"They aren't nurses. My head is fucking killing me, Temptation. I'm exhausted and dizzy as shit. I can't focus or walk a straight line."
"Atlas, you need to see your doctor again," she says softly, her worry evident. "You probably shouldn't be traveling at all."
"The team can't afford for your brother to bench me for the rest of the season, baby."
"Your health is more important than the game, Atlas." The disapproval in her voice comes through loud and clear. "There's always next season. But you can't undo permanent damage to your brain."
"I know, and I don't intend to cause permanent damage. I won't return before the Doc clears me," I promise. "But your brother is a hard ass when it comes to this shit. It's our first season. How we perform this season is critical for some of these guys. It's critical for determining whether there's a future for this team. If I'm out, it's going to seriously fuck things up."
Gabbi huffs in my ear, trying to convince me that she isn't buying what I'm selling, but I'm not lying to her. We've got a lot riding on this season. Contracts, who gets called up, how much the AHL invests in our success as a team…it all depends in part on how we perform. If I'm out all season and Chuck is in the net, we're all fucked.
"I'll be far better off with a nurse at my side than I would if I tried to make the trip without, Temptation."
"I'm not a nurse yet."
"You're working on your graduate degree in nursing. I think you're qualified."
"How do you know that?" she demands.
"Google."
"You Googled me?"
