Chapter Three

Duke

Sitting on the edge of the bench in the locker room, still in my gear, the smell of sweat and ice clinging to me like a second skin. Sounds of laughter echo around, but I can't stop thinking about her. Her laugh echoes in my ears, bright and irresistible, and her eyes sparkled behind her mask.

We shared only a few hours of passion. We made a promise: No strings attached. It was supposed to be a one-time thing, something to savor without the complications of emotions. But, one week later, I'm still thinking about her.

"Hammer!" Ryan's voice cuts through the haze. He's leaning against my locker, arms crossed, a smirk dancing on his lips. "You gonna play today or just skate around?"

I roll my eyes, but he's not wrong. My mind has been somewhere else since the night of the party.

"He's daydreaming about his masked girl again." Simon chimes in, joining Ryan.

I glare at the two of them. They seem not to remember how they acted when they were falling in love with their wives —not that I'm falling in love with anyone.

"You need to focus on practice. We have a big game coming up, and we need you sharp."

I nod, trying to push down the emotions just thinking about her evokes. "I know. I'll get it together."

I try, I do, but practice sucks. I'm missing passes, fumbling the fucking puck, and can hear my teammates' laughing at me as I make mistake after mistake. What the fuck did this woman do to me?

After practice, I'm back in the locker room, with my mind reeling. I have to get it together. I'm looking for something in my bag and the mask pops out.

"Still hanging on to that thing, huh?" Simon calls out, smirking as he catches sight of the mask.

"Carrying it around can't be helping your focus, dumbass," Ryan adds with a chuckle.

"You need to let it go. There are plenty of other girls out there. Let's go out and have some fun. We can head to O'Connell's and you can meet someone else." Spike suggests.

"Or drink your problems away." Adds Ryan.

Laughing, I finish packing up my stuff and leave my teammates behind. I don't want to forget her. I want to understand what it was that made that night feel so special and why I can't get her out of my mind. Is it because she left me? Is this just an ego thing?

The guys are right about one thing. I need to get my shit together and focus on the game. This is the reason for my fucking rule. I've never focused on anything other than hockey. It's why I have the career I have.

Determined to let this go, I grab the mask and take it into my office. I take a picture and send it to our team chat.

HAMMER : Can you ask your wives and girlfriends if they know who this mask belongs to? If they don't, I'm throwing it away and letting this go. I can't do this anymore.

I walk away from the mask and head to my home gym. The last week feels like an out-of-body experience. The guys have made sure to pick up the slack at practices so I haven't been reamed out by Coach, but it's just a matter of time if I don't get my shit together.

I've been running on the treadmill for fifty minutes when I hear my phone ping with an incoming text. I run the last ten minutes with anticipation running through my veins.

When I check my phone the text isn't from the team chat. It's a new group chat I've been added to with Ryan, Simon, and their wives, Paisley and Tuesday.

PAISLEY : Do NOT get rid of that mask!!

TUESDAY : Do you know how much that thing cost? That mask was handmade.

SIMON : How do you know that? You better not have been wearing that mask.

TUESDAY : Simon, you moron, we were together at the party.

RYAN : Yeah, you fucked in my guest room.

PAISLEY : There was no reason to share that with the group, HG.

RYAN : They know what they did.

SIMON : So, how do you know so much about the mask? I've been bitching about Duke and his shit playing all week because of that mask and this woman. If you know who she is, tell the man so he can start playing like an actual professional again.

DUKE : As much as I enjoy your wives calling you out, if someone knows who was wearing this mask that night, please tell me.

PAISLEY : We can't.

RYAN : What?

TUESDAY : We promised.

I take a deep breath. I cannot yell at the wives of two of my closest friends. Can I?

DUKE : Can you let her know that I want to know who she is? You can tell her who I am. I want her to know.

RYAN : Do you honestly think that she doesn't know?

PAISLEY : We'll talk to her and let you know what she says. Goodnight.

Could she have possibly known who I am? I knew who all of the guys were, but we spent all of our time together. If she was a fan or someone in the hockey world she may have been able to figure it out easily. That leads me down another rabbit hole of who she could be.