Page 86 of The Love Penalty
It niggled for reasons I can’t explain.
She had classes all afternoon, and she would have been busy concentrating, so I don’t know what my problem is.
I just hope she’s not suffering with bad period pain or anything. My mom used to get the worst periods. She’d sometimes be holed up in bed for a day with headaches and cramping.
Is Lani like that?
We’ve been dating long enough that she’s probably had one period already and I didn’t notice anything. Although, maybe some are good while others are heinous. I should ask. I want to know this stuff about her. I want to be the guy she can be herself around, even when she’s having a shitty day.
Concentrating on my afternoon classes turns into a mission, and I’m more than relieved when they’re over.
As much as I want to skip hockey practice and get straight to Lani, Coach will kick my ass if I’m not there. Thankfully, practices are light drills just to keep our fitness and skills up. We run through it efficiently and even have a few laughs when we end with a friendly game. I manage to get two past Baxter, who is silently fuming as we head to the showers. He never lets it show, but the clench of his jaw as he rips off his sweaty gear tells us enough.
“Don’t sweat it, Bax.” Casey slaps him on the shoulder with a grin. “Soon this place will be in your rearview mirror, and Mr. Second String over there will be hugging the post.” His smile is met with a marked frown as Baxter glances at Donovan, the guy he’s been helping to train up throughout the year, then shuffles off to the showers.
“Dude.” I shake my head at Casey.
“What? I was trying to make him feel better.” He flicks his arms wide, and I just shake my head again, snickering at his pathetic attempt. Ethan and Liam back me up, razzing him about how clueless he is.
Like any guy here wants to be reminded that they’re leaving the team and will soon be replaced by someone younger and potentially faster than they are.
I won’t admit this to Baxter in a hundred million years, but Donovan is already showing huge potential and will no doubt be a superior goalie to our steadfast Baxter Brown. We’re gonna miss the guy, but Donovan will make the loss easier to get over.
I rush through my shower and get dressed as fast as possible. I’m more than ready to go see my girl.
In case she’s sleeping, I text first, asking if I can come over.
I hear back before I reach my truck, but rather than a text, she’s calling me.
It’s not hard to answer with a smile. “Aloha, beautiful.”
“It’s over.” Her voice sounds rusty and raw, and I don’t know what she’s talking about.
With a confused frown, I jump into my truck and dump my bag on the passenger seat. “What’s over?”
“You and me.”
My insides go cold. “What?”
“I can’t do this anymore.” She sniffs. “It’s not working.” Her voice is going tight and rigid, her words clipping off at the ends.
What the hell is she doing?
Is someone holding a gun to her head or something?
She doesn’t want to say this shit to me, so I call her on it.
“Wait, wait, wait. You don’t want to do this.”
“I do.”
“I thought we were vibing. What’s happened? What’s changed?”
She goes quiet and I raise my eyebrows, a mix of emotions I can’t even identify crowding my chest. Gripping the wheel, I run my tongue over my bottom teeth, willing this panicky feeling away.
“I just…” She sighs, then sucks in a shaky breath. “I can’t be in a relationship right now. You haven’t done anything wrong. I’m just not in a good place, okay?”
“Lani, come on, you?—”