8. Emile

8

EMILE

I hated leaving her like that but the coach called me and I knew that I had to go in. I left her a note and I hope she found it.

I hit the arena and groan when the security guy that I dislike is the one on staff today. He smirks at me. “Got yourself in a bit of trouble didn’t you, LaCourt? I always knew you’d manage to fuck things up for yourself.”

“I’m not done, asshole. And at least I’ve got good prospects. Unlike you.” He glares at me and then the GM comes around the corner before something else can happen.

“Hey, I told you to call me when he got here.”

Johnson stiffens. “He just got here. Sorry, sir.” I can see the words stick in his craw and the urge to needle him about it pricks at me but I don’t. Whatever’s going on here is his problem not mine. I’m not going to get involved in his childish games.

“What do you need, Robert? I was about to meet Coach.”

“We’re all meeting in my office upstairs.” He nods to the security guard and leads me away. “We’ve just got to go over a few things and then I think pretty soon we’ll have all your legal issues cleared up and you can come back to the team with a few stipulations.”

When I reach the office, I’m not surprised to see Coach and Vic sitting there already. But there’s another person there and she’s got a look to her that I don’t like.

Robert nods to me and indicates the seat across from his desk which is right next to the strange woman’s seat. I nod at her assessing gaze and then sit down.

Robert steeples his fingers and eyes me narrowly. “Now, we’ve managed to get things sorted out pretty well but there’s one stipulation that the other attorney is requiring that we thought you might have a problem with.”

“What’s that?” I ask, a lump building in my throat.

“They think that you need some anger therapy.”

I jerk upright and glare at all of them. “What the hell? And you agreed to that? I’ve never even gotten into a fight on the ice!”

Robert nods. “I know that. But it didn’t seem like that much of an ask since technically you could go to jail for assault. We’ve offered them a nice payout and season tickets but the last piece of the puzzle is this last ask.”

“How long are we talking about?” I ask, stunned. I’m not one of the hotheads on the team and I’ve never been one off the ice. It’s just that I couldn’t let that guy touch Sassy again.

“At least two months of weekly therapy. Only one day a week. We think that can work well into your training schedule even during the season so it all sounds good to us.”

“I still say this is bullshit,” I mutter under my breath.

“Maybe so. But it’s better than jail.”

“And if I don’t agree to this?”

“You go to trial and you don’t play this year. Maybe not ever again, depending on how things go at trial.”

“Great options,” I mutter.

“The guy was really pissed. And since he’s gonna be drinking through a straw for the foreseeable future, it didn’t seem like such a big ask.”

I hang my head. “Fine. Is that all?”

He nods at the sleek woman sitting across from him and near me. “This is Dr. Carter. She’s going to be taking care of this for us and she’ll be your therapist.”

I nod at her and sigh, rubbing the middle of my forehead. “Great. Sorry, I’m glad to meet you, Doc.”

“Don’t worry about it,” she smiles, her voice soft and controlled. “We’ll get to know each other in our sessions. I’m hoping that this helps you out and makes you a better, more controlled player.”

I shoot Robert a dirty glare. “Yeah. Sounds great. Is there anything else that I need to do? I’m sorry but I’ve got to get back home. There’s somebody I need to go meet.”

Coach sighs. “Take this seriously, LaCourt. If you start skipping your meetings you might find yourself suspended again for an even longer period of time.”

“I get it, Coach. I’ll do whatever good little boy things I’m supposed to do.”

He nods but his lips tighten and I want to tell him to fuck off. I’m not a troublemaker. But I don’t. I just stand and nod at the room in general.

“I think you can play this Saturday. So make sure you get to practice tomorrow. And get some rest tonight. Don’t fucking party all night long.”

I smirk and roll my eyes. “You know that’s not my speed, Coach.”

“Yeah. But I didn’t think you’d break some guy’s jaw either. Things change, LaCourt.”

I nod my head and stand, leaving the office behind and running my hand through my hair. I can’t believe this idiocy but it’s a mess of my own making so I’ll have to do what I need to do to be back in the game.

I smile and put my hands in my pocket, whistling as I walk away. I’m about to go back to my first love, the game. And I’ve got a new love that’s even stronger than the first. I couldn’t be happier than I feel right this second.

I’m a lucky fucking guy.

I walk out the door, ignoring the guard and get in my car, heading into town to find something new for my girl. I need to find the perfect adornment for the woman I intend to make mine forever.

After a satisfying day shopping and finding the perfect London Topaz ring that’s set in a platinum filigree setting that’s as delicate and lovely as she is, I slip the box into my pocket and head to my car.

I step out of the door and groan when I look up at the snow floating down heavier than I’ve seen so far this year.

“What the hell?” I groan, staring at it. I pull my phone out and feel my heart slam against my ribs when I see the Iceman warning. I suppose since I was busy with falling for my little angel, I hadn’t been paying attention to the weather and I’m paying for it now. The sky is dark and the streets are mostly empty. I grab my SUV and head to Sassy’s house, sure that she’s home by now.

But when I pull up at her house it’s still dark and no matter how many times I bang on her door, nobody answers.

“Shit!” I grunt and try calling her but she doesn’t answer. Then I try the library and it just switches over to voicemail.

“Damnit!” I growl and slam my car into gear and head straight for the library, searching the streets for her car, hoping that she hasn’t been in an accident.

But when I pull up to the library, I see her car sitting in the parking lot. I see a shadow moving in the dark cabin and immediately slam it into park and leap out. I bang on the window and almost cry with relief when I see her face in the shadows. She opens the door and her head stays down, she won’t meet my eyes.

“What are you doing here, Emile?”

Her voice is soft and sweet but a little stiff.

“I came to make sure that you’re alright. What’s wrong, angel?”

“You didn’t need to do that. I’m fine.”

“Why are you sitting here in this parking lot then? And your car isn’t on?”

“I don’t know what’s wrong with it. It just won’t start.”

“Why didn’t you call me? I would come get you right away.”

She sighs. “I wasn’t sure…after you left this morning and didn’t tell me…”

“I left a note. On the fridge.”

Her eyes come up for the first time and I can see the little glint of them in the dark. “Oh… I didn’t have time to get anything to eat this morning. I slept late.”

“Must have been cause you were up late last night,” I tease her and she blushes.

“I’m sure that must be it.”

“Anyway. Why don’t you come on and I’ll take you home, angel?”

“I called a tow truck.”

I nod at the snow falling in thick sheets of white all around us. “I have a feeling it might be a long wait. I want to take you home. Why don’t you just let me and we’ll worry about your car later?”

“I—I suppose so.” She grabs her things and steps out of the car, slipping a little on the ice.

“Whoa! Don’t you hurt yourself. I’ve got you.”

And I hold her hand, walking her slowly across the parking lot, ever vigilant for anything that might hurt my girl.

I settle her in the passenger seat and she sighs, settling in the warmth of the car. I slide in and eye her, smiling. “You are so beautiful, Angel. I missed you like hell today.”

Her smile grows like the sunrise coming up over the mountains around us. “I missed you too.”

“Let’s get you home.” I start the car and we head to her place, slowly, wrapped up in the eerie silence of the cold, white streets.

But I’m relieved to have her here with me, knowing that she’s safe and that I’ll make sure she stays that way.