Page 70 of Hockey Player Seeking Fan

She lowers her voice. We’re sitting in my room, but my brothers are in the living room outside, and I definitely don’t want them to know what went down between Tyler and me.

"Look, it was fine. I knew what I was getting into when I went with him to that penthouse, and it was a lot of fun."

"Erica, you are completely out of your mind right now. You left before he woke up, and you never spoke to him again. The poor guy probably has no idea why you stopped speaking to him."

"Maybe I just wanted to hit it and quit it."

"He knows that’s not who you are, though, Erica. He knows you were a virgin. He knows you were looking for your true love. You slept with him, and then you just stopped talking to him. He was probably worried he did something wrong."

"He didn’t do anything wrong. I’m just a fool. I fell in love with him, and I slept with him. I don’t want him to feel like I am that typical idiot that thinks sex equals love—because obviously, it doesn’t."

"But have a conversation with him. See where he stands."

"I think it’s pretty obvious where he stands. I mean, he was?—"

"Oh my gosh, Erica. I love you. I really love you. You're like a sister to me—and you will be a sister when I marry your brother—but come on. You really owe Tyler more than this. I really feel like you’ve had it out for him from the first moment you met him. So maybe, stop leading with your feelings and start leading with your brain. Start leading with common sense."

"Are you calling me immature? Are you calling me?—"

I press my lips together as she smiles slightly.

"It’s not funny."

"I know it’s not funny. But you love him."

"If you say he loves me, I will grab a knife and stab you. This man does not love me. He barely knows me. I barely know him. I’m a fool for falling in love with him. I don’t even understand his job."

"What do you mean you don’t understand his job? He’s a hockey player."

"I don’t even understand hockey. Yeah, I went to the game, and yeah, he taught me how to skate, but I still don’t even really know what the game is about or how it works."

"That’s not important," Sabrina says.

I stare at her, blinking. "So... you think I should return his calls, huh?"

"I think that you would be best served if you speak to him."

"So, you think I should tell him I love him?"

"No! That’s not what I’m saying," she says, laughing. "I think you can explain to him that your feelings were much greaterthan you anticipated, and you needed time to sort of figure everything out. And you didn’t mean to go silent on him, but life has just been crazy.

"I mean, we have been working on the podcast, and you’ve been trying to figure out other shit. He has to understand that. I mean, it’s not like he’s been doing nothing. He’s been in a bunch of games. They have the championship game coming up."

"Yeah, they do. At least that’s what Wes says."

"So, exactly. He should understand that.”

“But when I saw him in the street, and I called out?—"

"It doesn’t matter, girl. It doesn’t matter. Literally, just speak to him. Call him. Right now."

"I don’t want to?—"

"Call. Him."

"Fine," I say, grabbing my phone.

I wait for it to ring, and I am not that shocked when he answers on the second ring.