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“Nothing happened,” Ty says. “I just can’t get her out of my head, we text all day, everyday.”
“Well, I can now see where your head has been during training,” I muse.
He flips me the bird, shaking his head. “Why the fuck do I tell you guys anything?”
“Look, if Coach gets wind of this, we all suffer,” Ashton says, trying to be the voice of reason. I give him a quizzical side-eye. “So, we gotta help a brother out here and keep it on the down low.” He nods toward Ty.
Seems Ty has one ally. But in hindsight, everything Ashton is saying is true.
“In all seriousness, Ty, if you like Cindy as much as you’re making out here, you gotta do the right thing by her and Coach. But I agree with the guys, I would wait until after the playoffs before you start dating or whatever.” Who knows, it may have fizzled out by then. I don’t say that to him, of course. I’ve never seen him this wound up about a girl.
In all honesty, I like Cindy, and I’ve always thought she was a great girl… I just don’t know how Coach Carter is going to feel about any of it. I guess it’s Ty’s dilemma to work out, not mine, and it’ll go one way or another.
“What about you?” Jay gives me a chin lift. “Are you still sweet on what’s-her-face…”
I raise my eyebrows at him. “Sweet on who, exactly?”
“The chick from Florida… hey, wait… Ty said her name was Emma or something…. She’s not the one and only Emily-love-of-your-life, is she?”
“It’s Emmerson,” I correct him as I roll my eyes. How the fuck he remembers any of this, I don’t know. I don’t talk about Emmerson.
“That’s the one.” Ashton nods.
I glare at him. “That’s not the one…” I start. “Look, she’s the girl I grew up with, okay… but that love of your life shit, that doesn't wash with me.”
“It fucking sucks when they rip your heart out, doesn’t it?” Jay says thoughtfully, like he really knows… or maybe he does. I know nothing of his dating history, or much of his life before I met him.
“No one ripped my heart out,” I assure him, even if it is bullshit and I feel Ashton looking at me. “I’ve been over that chick for years.” The line comes automatically these days, without me even thinking about it.
All bullshit.
“Yeah, yeah, tell someone who believes it.” Ty joins in, clearly glad to have the heat off of him since he’s gotten everything off his chest.
“I hope she does come to the game… we might be able to get a look at the woman who stole Taylor James’s heart and never gave it back,” Jay continues. “God knows, the puck bunnies have been trying to find it all these years.”
It’s my turn to flip the bird. “Women are complicated and make men messy,” I declare. “That’s why I think relationships are a waste of time when you’re at the height of your career… no offense, Ty.” He’s the only one I could be offending, because neither Jay nor Ashton have girlfriends.
“Some of the guys are married,” Ty defends.
I shake my head. God, he does have it bad. Yeah, I’ve changed my tune since I was a kid. I was a rookie at best, a romantic one as well, not knowing a damn thing about any of it.
“Well, they’re fools,” I say. I don’t even know if I believe any of the shit that comes out of my mouth anymore. I can’t say I haven’t wondered what it would be like to come home to a warm bed every night and have someone to share it with.
Someone loyal and trustworthy who always has my back and isn’t fazed by the fame and fortune… It gets all too hard when you don’t know if the girl even likes you or if she just likes that you’reTaylor James, the star forward in the NHL.
These are things I can never seem to work out. Regardless, it all gets pretty monotonous after a while.
“You sure you mean that, Taylor? I’m pretty sure your eyes lit up when Ty mentioned your ex was gonna be in town,” Jay says.
I wave it off. “Don’t even go there… ancient history. Yadda yadda.”
“Yeah, yeah.” Jay rolls his eyes and runs his hands through his sandy hair.
He’s the shortest out of us, at five ten and a half, but built solid as fuck and he takes tanning to a whole new level. “Tell someone who believes it.”
“I second that, when did you last get laid?” Ashton jibes, elbowing me in the ribs.
“Getting laid plenty thanks,” I retort, but it’s a lie. It’s been a while. “How’s about yourselves? You both seem to have a lot to say about me and Ty.” I give Ty a conspiratorial wink, then look at Ashton and Jay.
