Tapping gloves with his teammates as the Assassins gathered in the locker room, Benji went to his locker and sat down, a grin on his face. What a way to start the night. With a win. After kicking some Penguins’ ass where Tate got a shutout, Benji was feeling good. He hadn’t scored but he had four assists for the night, highest of his career. Which was freaking awesome. He was killing it, and he and Jayden were clicking better on the ice. Things were good.
Next stop, late dinner with his girlfriend and then a long night of sex.
Yes, Benji was a happy man.
“Great game, Paxton,” Sinclair said, tapping his glove as he sat.
Benji nodded, feeling on top of the world as he threw his gloves to the glove collector to dry them. “Thanks, man. Great game.”
Sinclair grinned as he leaned back, sucking in a long breath as Coach came in to do his end of game speech. When he singled out Benji, he beamed, feeling real good. He listened intently as Coach stressed how they needed to play like they had tonight for the next two weeks on the road trip. They were facing some tough competition during the road trip, but Benji had no worries. They were going to kick some ass.
But first, he was going to spend the weekend with Lucy. Man, he couldn’t wait to see her. He was pretty sure he played so well because he knew she was there. Watching him. He still owed her a goal, but he had done well tonight. Hopefully, she enjoyed herself. When Coach clapped his hands, they all joined in as he walked out, fist-pumping in unison with them. Leaning back, Benji was all smiles as he exhaled a breath, reaching for his phone to text Lucy that he’d be out soon.
Peering over at him from his locker, Jayden asked, “Hey, bro, where we going to eat?”
But Benji wasn’t listening. No, his shoulders had slumped as he read a text from Lucy.
Lucy: I’m so sorry. I won’t be at the game and I’m really not in the mood for dinner. Text me when you are on your way home and, if you want, I’ll come over. I really would like to come over. I got into it with Rick.
“I guess nowhere,” he said and Jayden’s face twisted.
“I thought we were going out?”
“Yeah, I guess Lucy and Rick got into it. She doesn’t want to go out. Wasn’t even here tonight.”
Jayden’s face changed to concern. “Is she okay?”
Benji shrugged as he hit Lucy’s name to call her. “Not sure.”
Jayden let out a long breath, falling back into his locker. “I hate that dude.”
“Hey,” she answered and he leaned on his legs. “Sorry I’m not there.”
“No worries, are you okay?”
She hesitated for a second, and he could hear the pain in her voice as she said, “Not really. I’ve eaten four boxes of Girl Scout cookies I had hidden away, but they aren’t helping.”
“Okay, I’m leaving in about thirty. Want to meet me at the house?”
“Yeah, I would really like that.”
“Okay, I’ll see you soon.”
“I’m really sorry, Benji.”
“Don’t be. It’s fine,” he said and he wasn’t lying. So she didn’t come and they wouldn’t go to dinner. That was all trivial to the fact that she was upset. “Is Angie okay?”
Her voice broke and it gutted him as she whispered, “I think so.”
His stomach ached with uneasiness. “See you soon.”
“Okay,” she said as he hung up and then started getting undressed so he could shower.
“Well?”
“I don’t know details, but she sounds crushed. I’m meeting her at my house.”
Jayden nodded. “Well, let me know if we’re going to go on a manhunt.”
Benji nodded because, if he had his way, that’s exactly what he’d want to do. He just wanted the dude gone, but he was sure that wouldn’t happen. Throwing down his girdle, he reached for his towel and said, “Will do.”
After getting dressed and saying good-bye to the guys, Benji headed to his house, anxiety eating him alive. He had no clue what was going on, but this was the first time he had heard Lucy that upset. She sounded helpless, distraught, and that wouldn’t fly with him. He was really getting tired of Rick, and something needed to change. Like he needed to disappear or something. He was going to have to sit down with the guy. Or beat his face in. One of the two. He prayed it wouldn’t come to the latter. He wanted to handle this like adults. The only thing that mattered was Angie.
Getting to his house, he found that Lucy was already there. Parking beside her car, he got out, locking his doors, and headed through the back door into the kitchen. The downstairs was dark, and that worried him.
“Lucy?”
“Upstairs,” she called as he walked past her shoes and noticed her coat lying over the counter. Reaching for it, he took it to the coat closet and hung it up before heading upstairs. Taking the stairs two at a time, he got to the top quickly. When he looked down the hall to find Lucy lying on his bed on her belly with her face toward him, his stomach dropped.
She had been crying.
“Aw, you’re not naked,” he called teasingly, hoping like hell he could make her smile as he walked toward her.
She shrugged, not returning his smile, not that he expected her to. Still, his heart remained in his stomach. “Sorry.”