Page 38 of Something Like That

She’d probably already written him off as a nut-job and moved on.

And he was not disappointed that she’d write him off so easily. It didn’t matter, in the grand scheme of things. Getting in game shape and back on the ice were the only things that mattered. Proving he was worthy of all the time and effort everyone had put into his career was the end game. The only thing he needed to be focused on.

And maybe if you keep telling yourself that enough times, one of these days you might actually believe it.

He shoved that useless thought aside.

The only problem with refusing to dissect such ridiculous ideas was that it left lots of room to relive the scene with Alex and Emily from when he was creeping in the hallway.

He hadn’t been able to shake the memory, or the weird way it made him feel. Both angry and sad, because he’d never had that sort of relationship with either of his parents. He’d never really had any sort of relationship with is parents.

But there was also a sliver of jealousy wound through the unexpected feelings, mainly because he’d never experience that kind of close relationship with anyone. His parents were a write off. He’d barely spoken to them in the last five years, other than the perfunctory phone call on major holidays. He hadn’t been home to Nebraska in even longer. There was nothing there for him, and hadn’t been in a really long time.

He stopped in front of the store next to Coastal Health and Wellness, tucking himself into the doorway. It was a clothing store that didn’t open for another couple of hours, so he was safe.

The only thing he regretted about his family situation was losing touch with his brother, Nathan. Two years his junior, Nate had been the exact opposite of him in every way. Smart and articulate, the ying to his yang. As boys, they’d been damn near inseparable. But, as they got older, and their father’s focus shifted to turning Nick into a hockey superstar, they’d grown apart.

It wasn’t until this past week, when he’d had nothing to do but think, that he’d realized the smothering he’d felt at his father’s hand meant Nate was pretty much ignored. And because he was an idiot, part of him had always resented Nate’s freedom, which had forced a deeper wedge between them.

Once he’d been drafted, his life had turned into a shit-show, and he’d let his relationship with his brother deteriorate to the point that it was irreparable.

A couple of teenaged girls rounded the corner. He pressed his back harder against the door, trying to sink into the wood and glass. As they got closer, he realized neither of them were Em, and he relaxed. He glanced at his watch. Ten minutes until his appointment.

He could also admit now, that deep down, the reason he hadn’t reached out to his brother was because he was embarrassed. First, because he’d let their relationship get so bad, and then because he’d fucked up his career, the one thing he’d let ruin their relationship. How could he face Nate as such a loser?

Now, more than ever, he needed to show them all the sacrifices they’d made had been worth it.

But he was tired of fighting whatever this pull toward Alex was, too.

Time to make things right.

He pulled open the clinic door, the little bell announcing his arrival. Alex, who stood behind the front desk, looked up. A flicker of surprise lit on her face, but she quickly masked it. Guess she hadn’t been expecting him to show up today, either.

“Hey,” he said, and then felt like a complete fucking dork.

“Hi.” She smiled, but it was a forced one, the kind that didn’t light up her face. Disappointment slashed through him. He liked that other smile. Probably too much.

The awkward silence stretched between them, the edges pulling tight. Finally, he couldn’t take it anymore. “Sorry about running out on you.”

Shit, where the hell had that come from?

She crossed her arms and cocked her head. “What are you apologizing for? I’m the one who disappeared and then accidentally fell asleep on you. After I insisted you come back to my house. I should be apologizing to you.”

“You don’t need to apologize.”

She opened her mouth, like she was going to say something, but changed her mind and closed it. Her eyebrows arrowed down. He wanted to smooth the space between them with his fingers. Or maybe press his lips there. Kiss her frown away.

“What are we doing here, Nick?” She sighed and waved her hand between them.

The question was so unexpected, he froze. What did she mean?

You know what she means, dumbass.

He walked over and planted his hands on the desk. Leaned forward. She didn’t exactly lean away, but he got the impression she wanted to. He didn’t like that. Not one little bit.

So, do something about it, idiot.

He took a deep breath, studied her face. God, he’d missed her. He hadn’t realize how much until this moment. Her coconut scent permeated the air. He wanted nothing more than to just breathe it in.