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She threw her gloves on the ice and unhooked her helmet. Then she spoke back to me in French. “Really? That’s rude, right?” she said, ripping off her helmet and letting her hair tumble out. Even knowing how she really feels for me, I still wanted to touch her hair—feel it run through my fingers. “Trying to call someone and they won’t answer really sucks, Beau. I almost feel bad for you.”
“Look, I’m sorry I didn’t answer last night. I was—too mad to come home. Where’s the other dog?”
The look on her face confused me. She was upset, but there was also something else behind her eyes. “He’s at the vet’s. He got into something he shouldn’t have, and I had to take him in.”
My guts tightened. “Jesus, is he okay?”
“Yeah. I have to call at nine. The vet texted me an hour ago and said he was doing well.”
“How’d you get down there?” I asked, knowing full well she didn’t have a car. Which was really stupid considering I had another in my garage she could use.
Her eyes scoured my face, then she sighed. “It doesn’t matter. All that matters is that he’s going to be okay. I have to go now,” she said, slipping her helmet back on. “I needed your help last night and you wouldn’t answer. Do what you need to do. I get it. But don’t expect me to be at your beck and call.”
She reached down and grabbed her gloves off the ice, then began skating away.
“Geneviève,” I called to her as she left.
After a few glides she turned around. “Do me a favor? Don’t call me that ever again.”
Gigi
Practice was hell.The coach obviously didn’t appreciate being interrupted and sent her message to me loud and clear.
Like it was my fault Beau was an idiot.
Now I was sore, bitchy, and so tired I could cry.
The only upside was that the vet said the puppy’s X-rays were clear and we could pick him up any time. The major downside was that I was still angry and sad over a certain hockey star who had been out all night.
I’d been through tough emotional times before. I knew this too shall pass. But being right in the middle of it felt like I was carrying the weight of a few worlds on my shoulders.
I needed to keep my team on track. I also needed to keep my grades up. Then there was another small matter of putting on a game face for the world. I’d agreed to make it look like we were a couple. One thing I would never do is go back on a promise.
Not too long ago I could have added, never lying to that list of things I would never do. That was shot to hell now. Beau and I were lying to the world. And I was lying to Beau. Part of me had wanted to tell him on the phone last night how I felt about him.
Luckily, my self-preservation instinct kicked in and I’d kept that information to myself.
Now we were in Beau’s vehicle, driving to the vet’s.
“Geneviève,” he called me, and a new stabbing pain shot through my already decimated heart.
I looked him directly in the eye. “I already asked you to stop calling me that.”
“It’s your name. I’m not going to quit calling you by your name,” he said, his tone pitching higher. “Now answer me, Geneviève, please. What did the little shit get into?”
“It doesn’t matter.”
“Uh, yeah it does. Did I leave something out?”
“Nope, it was my fault. He ate something of mine,” I said, grateful to see Dr. Barnes’ office up ahead. I pointed and showed Beau where to turn and park.
As soon as he stopped the car, I opened the door and stepped out, glad to be anywhere but caged in with Beau Moreau who’d been out all night.
“Would you wait up, woman? Jesus, you’re impossible today,” he muttered not so under his breath.
I really should get a medal for not body checking him to the ground. Like I really, really wanted to.
When we were inside, Dr. Barnes saw me and to my delight and shock, he was holding the puppy. My heart melted as I ran up to them. “Thank you so much, Dr. Barnes. I’m so-so-so sorry, this was all my fault,” I barely got out before I started crying.
