Heartless Player by R.C. Stephens

Thirty-Four

Wolfe

After dropping Cait off at the arena, I head back out to the Mustang. I have to see Rebel before the game. Fucking up with her is my biggest regret, but I know I can turn things around. Luckily, the arena is close enough to her house that I am giving myself a whole twenty minutes to drive there, say my piece, and make it to the ice on time. Coach is probably going to blow a gasket when he realizes I’m gone, but I can’t play a proper game tonight feeling so twisted up. I make it to Rebel’s house faster than I expect. The small Toyota isn’t parked outside, but it doesn’t mean Rebel isn’t here. I get out and knock on the door, but the lights are off and it doesn’t seem like anyone’s home.

Dammit!My pulse kicks up. I’m running out of time. I head over to the Firken. I’m watching the minutes tick away as I make my way over, causing me to sweat despite the cold weather. I park out front and break into a light jog to the front door. I see Darren right away.

“Is Rebel working tonight?” I ask.

“No, man. She asked for the night off. Again.” He emphasizes the word “again” like I’m to blame.

“Is her friend Holland on shift tonight?”

He shakes his head. “She only works our busy nights.”

“Thanks.” I head out of the Firken, get in the car, and try Rebel’s cell.

Where are you?

I back out of the spot and head back to the arena. Her cell goes to voicemail.

“Rebel, I need to find you,” I say desperately. “Please call me.”

I don’t mean to sound urgent, and I don’t want to scare her, but I need to see her face. I want to call Holland, but I don’t have her number. Heading back to the arena, defeat washes over me like a heavy coat of motor oil. I fucked up and I won’t be able to make this better.

I pull the Mustang to the side of the road and Google the number for the Firken. Darren picks up and I ask for Holland’s number. He protests at first, saying it’s her private information, but after I tell him the whole shebang about me screwing things up with Rebel and being in love with her, he caves and reluctantly gives me her number.

If I’m not in the arena in nine minutes, Coach is going to have my ass on a skewer. I dial Holland and pull back onto the road. She picks up after the second ring.

“Hi, Holland. This is Wolfe,” I say.

“Hi,” she answers warily.

“I need to find Rebel. It’s really import—”

“We’re at the arena. Aren’t you playing a hockey game tonight?”

“Rebel is there?” I ask, confused.

“Yes. She went to look for you in the locker room. I’m guessing she hasn’t found you,” Holland says.

“Thanks, Holland. Sorry, gotta run.” I pull back into the arena. I still have to change into uniform. Fuck. Fuck. Fuck.

The parking lot is packed, and I find the farthest spot possible from the door. From there, I sprint toward the building and head straight for the locker rooms.

“Rebel,” I say as she practically walks right into me.

Her eyebrows furrow. “Everyone’s looking for you.”

“I-I was out looking for you. I went by your house,” I say breathlessly after my mad dash.

Cole walks out of the locker room in his uniform. “Are you insane?” he asks me. “Get in there. Now.”

I’ve never seen my best friend look at me like he’s worried about my mental state before. Or maybe he’s worried I’m throwing my future in hockey away.

“Give me a minute, Cole. Privacy, please. I’ll be there. Don’t worry,” I assure him. He nods and retreats into the locker room with a wary as shit look on his face.

“Rebel, I love you. I know I screwed up and I don’t deserve a second chance, but I’m asking for one anyway. You make me want to be a better man. I have a lot of issues that I’m dealing with and I want to share them with you. I want to share everything with you,” I say and then pause, because why is she here at my game? “Rebel, what are you doing here?”

Her throat bobs. “I wanted to wish you luck. No matter what happens between us, I wanted you to know that I support you. That I want you to do well. Tonight is a big night for you and so I came for you,” she says.

My heart picks up pace. She’s here for me. “Does that mean you’ll give us another chance?” I ask as hope leaks through every pore in my body.

“We don’t make sense. We come from different worlds—”

“We may come from different worlds,” I say, interrupting her. “But when we’re together, the world makes sense. We fit.”

“I’m an open book and you have a hard time sharing your emotions,” she says.

“I want to work on it. I’m far from perfect, but I want to change. I want to share every detail of my life with you. My sister Cait is here and she would love to meet you,” I say. “But I can’t have you as my friend. I need your whole heart.”

“You say that, but Friday night at the frat party you didn’t even care that another guy hit on me or wanted to dance with me. You never said, ‘hey she’s here with me.’ You just watched him put his hands all over me and you didn’t care,” she accuses.

“Is that what you think? That I didn’t care?” I blow out a breath, feeling my emotions rising. I look up to the ceiling, hoping to find the right words to describe what I felt. “I cared, Rebel. My blood was boiling watching you dance with him. I thought I was going to lose my mind. Even Cole called me out on it. I thought you didn’t want to be seen with me in public. That you didn’t want people to know we were together because you didn’t want the attention, but I hated every minute of you dancing with another guy. It should be us together dancing. My hands on you. I want to announce it to the whole world that I have the most beautiful, amazing girlfriend who I am so fucking in love with. I just don’t know if you’ll have me.” I gaze deeply into her eyes, letting her see the sincerity in mine.

“Honestly, Wolfe—” she starts with a serious tone, and my stomach sinks.

“No, please.” I stop her because I can’t take no for an answer. “I don’t deserve a second chance, but I’m asking for one anyway.”

“If you’d let me get a word in, I was going to say you had me at I love you,” she says. It takes a moment for her words to process. “So, we’re okay?”

“Yes.” She nods.

I throw my head back and laugh and then I lift my girl off her feet and kiss the hell out of her.

“Wolfe,” Cole barks from the locker room door.

Rebel breaks the kiss, a bright smile gracing her lips. “Go skate your ass off,” she says, and I place her back on the ground.

“Will do,” I say, and my heart feels so full. I’ve never felt this way before, but a sense of completeness washes over me. “Thanks for being here.”

“Always,” she says. Shit. Does she know what that means to me? “Now, go beat this team. I’ve never seen a hockey game before, but you know who I’ll be cheering on.” She winks.

“Thank you. I love you.” I lean in and give her another kiss as Cole opens the door to the locker room and spews a string of curses.

“I love you too.” She giggles and shoos me away. I head into the locker room and get my gear on.

“You good, Judd?” Coach Cooper asks.

“Better than good,” I assure him.

After all the guys are dressed, we join in a huddle as Coach Ramirez gives us our before game pep talk. Then we leave the locker room and I feel like the fucking king of the world.