Puck Princess (Houston Scythes Hockey #2)

16. Callie

16

CALLIE

Good morning, handsome. Didn’t want to wake you, but I’m getting an early start. See you at work. XOXO Callie

I leave the note on my pillow and sneak out of Owen’s apartment, trying to leave the remnants of last night’s dream behind me as I step into the hall.

But it wasn’t just a bad dream, it was my worst nightmare.

Quietly, I open Kennedy’s door. She’s still asleep, and I’m kind of relieved. I just want to take a shower, no questions asked. I also need fresh clothes because, again, I’m still straddling apartments.

I feel like I’m straddling everything lately, struggling to stay upright. At the very least, Owen is one of those things. That’s still something to be grateful for.

I hop in the shower, relishing the quiet time. But as soon as I open the curtain and reach for a towel, Kennedy barges through the bathroom door.

“Naked!” I scream, throwing a towel around myself.

“My house,” Kennedy fires back. “Yours is next door. Or did your boyfriend rock your world so hard you got lost?”

I tighten my towel around my chest and step around her. “I just needed a moment to myself and some clean clothes.”

“Well, I can offer one of those things. There’s a pile of your clothes on top of my dresser.” Kennedy claps her hands together. “Okay, here’s the plan: You get dressed while I make some coffee. I got those pumpkin spice pods you like. Then you can tell me what happened that made you run from your boyfriend’s bed at six in the morning after what sounded like a good night for you two.”

My face flushes in horror. “You could hear us?”

“I think the whole third floor could hear you. These walls aren’t even thin. You two are just loud.”

Fuck my life.

I throw on a pair of scrubs that are tighter now than they were a couple weeks ago and meet Kennedy in the living room. Clutching the warm mug of cinnamon spicy goodness between my hands, I take a deep breath.

“Spill,” Kennedy demands. “What happened.”

I don’t want to talk about it, but I have to. The dream is like a crushing weight on my chest.

“I had a bad dream.”

She winces. “The one where you’re massaging Michael Jordan and your fingers turn into hot dogs?”

“No, but thanks for reminding me of the second worst dream I’ve ever had.” I shiver. “No, this was different. I was back at my last job, but Owen was there. We were in my office, which was more private than the one I have now, and it was getting heated. Like… very heated.”

“So far, this sounds like a great dream. Keep going.”

“But then, he started getting aggressive. He was being rough and pushy. Even when Owen and I are on fire, he doesn’t act like that. He’s sweet and tender and careful.”

“God, rub it in, why don’t you?” Kennedy circles a hand in the air to hurry me along. “You two are perfectly matched sexual puzzle pieces, I get it. Move it along.”

I roll my eyes. “Anyway, when I pulled back, it wasn’t Owen.” I swallow down the knot lodged in my throat. “It was Spencer.”

“Oh, Callie…” Kennedy’s face crumples in sympathy, and I blink back tears.

It was just a dream, but… it didn’t feel like a dream. Even now, it plays back in crystal clear, high def, full color.

Spencer was looming over me, his hands claiming every inch of me. I fought, but I couldn't’ do anything to push him away.

I screamed for Owen, but Spencer just laughed, drowning out my voice.

No one is coming to save you, Callie. You’re all mine.

I shake away the memory, hoping this little purge will make it go away now. “I woke up screaming, and Owen held me while I fell back asleep. But it’s still kind of hanging over my head. I can’t seem to shake the bad feeling.”

Kennedy sets her mug down and scoots closer to me on the couch. “Callie, this is a sign. You have to say something. Clearly, you don’t feel safe at work right now. The man who assaulted you and got away with it is your newest coworker. Of course, you have a bad feeling.”

I’m still cupping my mug in my hands, taking comfort in the heat of it. “I don’t know…”

“But I do. You shouldn’t be afraid to go to work. You shouldn’t be walking on eggshells and peeking around every corner, scared of what might jump out.”

“But if I tell Owen, he’ll fly off the handle. He’ll do to Spencer what he did to Miles—maybe worse. It would jeopardize his entire career. He might never play again.”

“Okay, then tell my dad. Go to him in confidence. Tell him why it needs to be kept secret. I’m sure the team can pay to keep things confidential even if cops and lawyers get involved.”

I shake my head. “I don’t see how we’d keep it out of the press. Owen would find out.”

“So what are you going to do then, Cal? Wait for Spencer to strike again so you have fresh allegations against him? You know what he’s capable of?—”

“Of course I know what he’s capable of!” My words come out sharper than I intend, but the knives aren’t aimed at Kennedy. “But I don’t know, Ken. Everything is so tangled together. It’s like a knot in a shoelace that just can’t come undone.”

She puts her hand on my knee. “You gotta cut that knot out. Will there be damage? Yeah. But you can replace it. If you wait too long, if it gets too bad, the damage will be much, much worse.”

The trouble is, I have no idea who will be on the wrong side of that damage. If it’s me, I can handle that. But Owen? The Scythes? Uncle Randy?

I don’t want any of them to take the heat for my past.

“I’ll think about it,” I tell her. “I’ll try to come up with a plan. Until then, I’ll steer clear of Spencer.”

“Well, you better come up with a plan fast. The next game is in San Francisco.”

It takes me a second to understand what she means. When I do, my stomach drops.

I forgot the next game is an away game. It means being on an airplane with the team. It means hotels. It means very close quarters with no space to hide.

Fuck.

As soon as I get to work, I go straight to Miriam’s office.

I believe pregnant women can do anything. Using pregnancy to discriminate against a woman in the workplace is wrong. And illegal.

With all of that being true, will I be using pregnancy as an excuse to avoid getting on a tube of recycled air with Spencer Santos? Yes. Yes, I will. And I have no shame about that.

But the moment I bring it up to Miriam, she shakes her head. “I’m sorry, Callie, but several of the guys are in bad shape. More than one of them are carrying around doctor’s notes. We have to have a PT with us. If they’re injured, we can allow them to play so long as they have a ‘treatment plan.’ And as the PT?—”

“I’m the treatment plan.” I sigh, slinking back in my seat. Damn .

“In a few months, you’ll be grounded whether you want to be or not. But right now? You gotta go.”

I nod. “I totally get it.”

Miriam studies me from across her desk. “Can I ask you something? In full confidentiality.”

My heart picks up a little in my chest, but I remain cool as a cucumber. “Sure.”

“Is there another reason you don’t want to go?”

I shuffle mentally, scraping for a quick and believable answer. “I just get sick when I fly.”

“There’s no other reason?”

She’s digging into the no-go zone here. Her intuition is too strong. I don’t know what she thinks she knows, but I’m going to shut it down.

“Not at all. What other reason would I have?”

“You just seem… jumpy.”

“I’m tired.” That’s true.

My nightmare from last night lurks on the edges of my thoughts, and I have to clear my throat to scatter it away.

“With everything that happened with Miles, it makes sense, but you still seem like you aren’t yourself.” She gives me a tight smile. “I just want to make sure you’re okay. Is there anyone else making you uncomfortable at work?”

Alarms are sounding in my head. “Why would you ask that?”

“Woman to woman? In the sports medicine field, we always have someone treating us inappropriately. It’s a job I love that I also wouldn’t wish on anyone else. If you’re ever feeling that way, I want you to know you can report it.”

“Of course.”

She studies me then lets it go with a smile.. “Okay. That’s all I wanted to say. These boys are a rowdy bunch, but they can’t do shit without us. We gotta work together to keep them in line.”

Miriam’s interrogation is still looming over me when I push through her office door and run smack dab into Lance in the hallway.

Proving Miriam’s point about me being jumpy, I flail and let out a little shriek before Lance grabs my shoulders. “Whoa.”

“What are you doing just standing there?” I hurry past him, hoping Miriam didn’t see any of that. The last thing I need is to raise even more suspicions.

“Waiting to talk to you.” Lance keeps pace with me easily. “I overheard you talking to Miriam back there.”

His words nearly stop me in my tracks, but I press on.

“I heard you say you were hoping to get out of flying with us. I’m hurt.”

His playful manner tells me he didn’t hear the whole conversation and a wave of relief washes over me.

“No offense, Craven, but y’all smell.”

“I wear Old Spice. The lavender one.”

I spit out a laugh. “Old Spice makes lavender?”

“It’s part of their botanical line.”

“I’m sure the ladies love that,” I tease.

“Girls are so into the organic shit right now. And mixed with my natural musk, well, they can’t keep their hands off me.”

“Maybe you should try it around Kennedy.”

Then mention of her name seems to poke a hole in his ego. “With the way she treats me, I’d be better off trying to repel her than seduce her. Maybe I’ll wear garlic around my neck. I’m not convinced the girl isn’t a vampire.”

I have to laugh at that. And it feels good. I really like Lance.

As we walk into the training room, the conversation takes a left turn.

“Are you sure it isn’t anything else, though?” he asks.

“What do you mean?”

Lance shoves his hands in the pockets of his work out shorts. “I don’t know. Trouble in paradise with Owen or something?”

“Not at all.” I answer and I feel like it’s the first time today I didn’t lie to someone. “Owen and I are doing amazing.”

“Okay, good.” He blows out a relieved breath. “I feel like you guys have been through hell. But I also feel like you’re right for each other. Hell, I could see y’all getting hitched someday.”

“Slow down there, cowboy. We just started dating. We’re not in a rush. But between me and you? He’s the best thing that’s ever happened to me.”

Lance smiles and hugs me before heading over to the work out equipment to hop on a treadmill. He’s truly a great guy, and I’m glad he’s Owen’s best friend.

But then my heart hits the floor.

Standing next to the dumbbell rack is Spencer. He’s been there the whole time, and I didn’t even notice.

His eyes are locked on me—dark, angry… Possessive.

I turn away, willing my heart to slow down. I’m terrified I am going to have a panic attack.

Say something. I hear the voices of both Kennedy and Miriam in my head. Do something.

But even if I wanted to, even if I marched into my uncle’s office right now to spill it all, I don’t know that I’d have the bravery to speak.

When it comes to Spencer Santos, I am paralyzed.

When it comes to him, I’m always back in that closet. And I don’t know that I’ll ever be free.