Sleet Banshee by S.J. Tilly

CHAPTER SIXTY-NINE

MEGHAN

“A

re you sure I should be doing this?” I ask Katelyn as we find our seats.

“Trust me?”

“I do,” I grumble.

And I really do. That’s why I called her. Of course, by the time I called her Monday morning to tell her my dilemma, it was about 48 hours before the Sleet’s first playoff game.

When Katelyn asked if she could include Jackson in the conversation, I agreed. What’s a little more humiliation. As Sebastian’s friend and team captain, he suggested I wait until after the game to talk to him. Since I didn’t know the whole story about Anna, I couldn’t say for certain what would happen to us once the conversation was over. According to Jackson, it’s better for Sebastian (and the team) for him to play filled with even the smallest amount of hope rather than a broken heart.

I’ve listened to Sebastian’s voicemails so many times I could recite them verbatim. He sounded sincere, and I want to believe him. I’m not sure how this chapter of our story will end, but I am ready to talk to him.

We’re sitting a few rows farther back than we’d usually be, but our seats are near center ice, so we have a good view. I’m sandwiched between Katelyn and Izzy, which is perfect since I could use the extra comfort right now.

Sitting quietly, I methodically pick half the salt off my giant pretzel while the girls chat. They both have significant others playing tonight, so I’m sure they’re nervous, too. They’re just doing a better job of hiding it.

I’m ready to crawl out of my skin when the teams finally come out to warm up.

Even without all his goalie pads on, Sebastian would be easy to spot. It’s like my girlie bits stuck a tracker on him. I feel like I could pick him out of a stampede.

I watch him skate around a bit before he drops down into his stretches. The hip rolls he’s currently doing affect me more than ever after this past weekend. I finally got under him, and it’s all I dream about now. I want his hands on me. I want to feel his big strong body against mine again.

I bite my lip to keep from drooling, and that’s when he looks straight at me.

At first, I wonder if I’m imagining the eye contact, but the longer he holds my gaze, the more sure I become. I don’t know if I should smile or wave or just keep staring, but Sebastian doesn’t smile either. He just stares.

My chest feels tight.

He doesn’t look happy to see me. Maybe he’s confused about me being here. Maybe he doesn’t want to smile and look like an idiot if I don’t return the gesture. Or maybe he’s not happy to see me here. Maybe I’ve caused him enough stress, and he’s done with me now. He hasn’t tried to contact me since those voicemails when he first found me gone. I thought he was giving me space, but maybe there’s another reason for his continued silence.

I unclench my fist, talking myself up to give him a small wave, when Zach skates up to Sebastian, blocking my view.

There’s a continued flurry of movement, then the team is off the ice for their final locker room meeting before the game.

My shoulders slump. I should’ve called him sooner. I don’t even care anymore about what Anna did. About the fact they kept it a secret. I just want Sebastian. And I wish he knew.