Page 52 of The Attack Zone
Caleb and Cassie.
Fuck.
They’re going to find out.
Cassie’s bachelorette party starts tomorrow. She’s totally going to uninvite me. Or kill me. It could go either way with her.
CHAPTER 26
MITCH
THE NEXT DAY
When Caleb asked me and Thomas to plan his bachelor party, I thought for sure we’d be the only people he invited. But then he added a guy who just got traded to the Blizzards to a group text with us. Matti is from Finland originally, but has been playing for Montreal for the past few seasons. He seems like a nice guy, but he’s somehow shier than Caleb so I’m not entirely sure how this is going to go. Caleb wanted nothing to do with planning, so Thomas and I took care of all the details. We decided to surprise him with a trip to Puerto Rico for some R&R since the season beat all of our bodies to a near pulp. Meanwhile, the girls will be staying in Colorado since Cassie wanted to hike a mountain or something.
Things with Thomas have calmed down since our argument in the bar the other night. We haven’t exactly talked about it; I was too drunk that night and then yesterday we had to get ready for the trip, but at least I don’t feel likelaunching myself at his throat when I see him at check-in in the airport. That’s growth ... right?
“Hey, man,” Thomas says as I approach his check-in kiosk.
“Hey,” I say, not looking up as I go through my phone for my confirmation number.
“Dude.” He places a hand on my shoulder. “Are we good?” he asks.
“Let’s just focus on Caleb right now,” I say. “He deserves a great party.”
“Mitch, I didn’t mean to make her cry,” he says.
“I know, man. We’re good. We always will be,” I say. “Let’s just focus on getting to PR and then we can talk about it on the beach or something.”
The thing is, I’m pissed as hell at him about Stacey, but some of what he said was true. I shouldn’t be drinking that much. Especially when I’m already feeling a bit fragile from the playoff loss. But he was way off base with what he said about Stacey, and I don’t quite know how to forgive him for making her almost cry. I’ve never seen her that upset—angry, sure. But never with tears in her eyes. I wanted so much to scoop her in my arms and make it okay, but I wasn’t in any kind of a state to do that, and I was so busy with getting ready for the trip that I didn’t get to see her at all before leaving. Once we’re checked in, I type out a message to her.
Mitch: Ready to get your outdoorsy on?
Stacey: Ugh.
Mitch: Do you even own hiking boots?
Stacey: I bought some cute ones yesterday!
Mitch: Cute is not how I’d describe useful hiking boots. Are they comfortable?
Stacey: ...
Mitch: I’ll take that as a no.
Stacey: But look how cute!
Then she sends me a photo of herself in a mirror of a local outdoor store, posing with her new boots. She’s wearing ashort skirt and a blouse. It’s both hilarious and adorable to see the outfit—and Stacey in general—with hiking boots.
Mitch: Well at least the trees will be impressed by your sexiness.
Mitch: Just the trees though.
Mitch: No other men.
There’s no reply. I realize we haven’t talked about whether or not we’re sleeping with other people. I obviously haven’t, but what if she is? Dear god, I hope not.
Mitch: Right?