Page 76 of Ruck Me Harder

“I’m okay,” he says, his voice lacking some of its usual warmth.

“Just okay?” I pinch his chin in my fingers, studying him more closely.

“My girl and I broke up,” Chuck finally says, his eyes darting away from mine.

“I didn’t know you were dating anyone.”

“Well, it wasn’t serious. We weren’t social media official,” he says defensively. He sighs. “I’m sorry. I don’t mean to snap. I just miss her.”

Curling my arms around him, I wrap him in a hug. “I’m sorry, Chucky.”

“Yeah, me too.” He hugs me close. “I’ll be okay. It’s still fresh.”

“Anything I can do to help?”

He chuckles sadly. “Maybe don’t mention it in the group chat?”

“You’ve got it.”

“Come on,” he says. “Let me introduce you to the team.”

He’s been with Colorado for three seasons now, so I’ve met a few of his teammates before, and they say hello and offer hugs or handshakes. He introduces me to the players I haven’t met.

“So you’re friends with the Grizzlies,” Chuck says slowly as he leads me to the dining room, where a few catering trays are laid out. I fix myself a cup of tea as he grabs a sandwich.

“I guess so. A few of my friends are dating people on the team.”

“And Gonzales,” he points out.

I roll my eyes. “You mean my boyfriend’s brother?”

“Yeah. He seemed awfully friendly.”

“That’s just Al.”

Chuck is quiet for a moment. “I’m glad you have him in your corner.”

“I am too.”

“It’s hard. Being away from everyone.” He sighs. “I know I have Janine in town, but I don’t get to see her much. Perry’s in the middle of his season. Frankie never returns my calls. And Bradley… I don’t know what to do with him.”

“There’s nothing to do,” I tell him. “He’s living his life. It’s not your job to manage him, or any of the rest of them.”

He looks away. “I miss Perry.”

“Me too.”

“No, like…” He sighs. “It’s different with us.”

“The twin thing?”

“I’ve always been able to manage the distance. I would never want to come between him and his career,” Chuck says. “I just wish his career and mine didn’t mean we’re fifteen hundred miles apart.”

“Have you thought about asking for a trade? Raleigh has an NHL team…”

He shakes his head. “Denver isn’t going to trade me. And I’m halfway certain that as soon as I get settled wherever he is, he’s going to up and sign somewhere else. Like he did when you were living with him.”

“That’s not the same thing. He was traded.” As sad as I was to see him leave the comfortable life we’d built here, I knew it wasn’t something either of us could control.