AllFreeNovel
Share Us
I throw up without warning, barely leaning to the side. I haven’t eaten much, so it’s just the margaritas and bile. It burns worse coming up than it did going down. My stomach cramps. I groan, curling my arm around my ribcage.
Fear pricks at my skin, urging me to move. Above all else, I know I can’t stay here. Not when he could come back and finish the job.
An unlikely scenario.
Rationally, unlikely. Emotionally? Terrified.
I force myself up. I’m not wearing shoes. The blanket I had around my shoulders is on the floor, and I bend to get it before the agony in my stomach stops me.
Fine.
After careful consideration, I go without. I only grab the fob to work the elevator and the key to get into my unit. I limp to theelevator and ride it up to Knox’s floor, then make the long walk down to his end unit.
By the time I get there, I’m winded. I lean against his door and knock, already knowing that he’s not going to be there. I hold my stomach and slide down the door. My watch captures my fast pulse.
I try to breathe regularly. In through my nose, out through my mouth.
He’ll be back soon.
Maybe.
But I do think he would help me. Besides, I don’t have anywhere else to go.
17
KNOX
I’m not sure how I’m going to live down nearly shitting my pants.Nearly. Jesus, I’d never run off the ice to the locker room bathroom so fast. It felt like a jet missile was trying to fire out of my asshole.
When I returned to the ice, I got some laughs and helmet pats. Because my teammates know the only reason you sprint off the ice in the middle of the game is for one reason.
Anyway.
I spent most of the flight home locked in the bathroom, emerging pale and tired andpissed. I ate my same game-day-ritual meal, chicken fettuccine alfredo approximately three hours and forty minutes before the first puck drop. I did my same warm-up, sameeverything.
Except…
Aurora gave me a coffee this morning. That deviated. Not that I don’t normally get coffee, because I do. But… she gave it to me, and I should’ve flagged her niceness as something more nefarious.
“You okay?” Jacob asks, glancing over at me with a small smile. “You need me to pull over?”
“Fuck off,” I grumble. “Aurora poisoned me.”
“That’s quite the accusation.”
We played one of our best friends, Greyson Devereux, tonight. I miss that quick-footed fucker, and it was nice to check his ass into the boards a few times. But only when his chirps got out of hand.
They won, which put most of us in a shitty mood.
Pun not intended.
“It’s the only thing that makes sense,” I insist. I explain about the coffee. And the previous coffee incident, in which I ended up wearing it.
We turn into the parking garage under the building. I have yet to buy a car in Denver. I had a sweet one in New York but ended up selling it instead of transporting it. Besides, I have Jacob.
“Come on,” he sighs, shutting off the truck and hopping out.
I follow, slinging my bag over my shoulder. “My asshole burns,” I complain.
