Scoring One Night (Blue Ridge Mountain Hockey #4)

Aspen

T he dull ache in my ankle pulsed as I hobbled over to the door, wondering who could be visiting me at this hour. Swinging it open, there stood Liam, one eyebrow raised and a mixture of concern and amusement on his face.

"Did you really think you could go all day without someone checking up on you?" Liam smirked.

"Apparently not," I replied with a grin, stepping back to let him inside. As he entered, I couldn't help but feel grateful; being cooped up alone all day had left me feeling restless. I wasn’t used to doing nothing.

"Seriously, , how are you feeling?" Liam asked, his gaze drifting down to my injured ankle.

"Totally fine. Don't know why coach had me take the week off," I said, wincing slightly as I lowered myself into a nearby chair.

Liam chuckled, shaking his head. "You always were a terrible liar. Just take it easy, okay? Cillian is already getting on our nerves, barking at us not to hurt anyone else. Ever since he became team captain, he's been an even bigger jerk."

Cillian had always been tough to be around, but he's mellowed out a bit these past few months. But Liam never really liked him.

"That's how he shows he cares. He really doesn't want you guys screwing up like I did and ending up in the hospital."

"Perhaps, but we're working hard, yet he acts like we're not." Liam stared off in the distance.

"Not like me, huh?"

Liam shook his head. "That's not what I meant—"

I held up my hand. "It's okay. I wasn’t working hard that day. I was distracted, and I hadn't slept much the night before."

Or since.

What almost happened at the hospital with Melanie made me realize I wasn’t going to be able to keep things professional with her. It wouldn't be possible.

And with my hurt ankle and the possibility of getting on the International Games team, I'd be working with her every day. The coach wanted me back in two days to start my physical therapy, and that was when I'd have to face her.

Liam's head shot back. "Were you nervous about being on the short list? I had no idea."

"Sort of, but I was more nervous about... Uh, have you ever had a secret? I mean, something you couldn't share with anyone, not even your closest friends?"

He looked at me thoughtfully for a moment, his blue eyes searching mine for any hint of judgment. Then, with a deep breath, he nodded. "Yeah, . I've had my fair share of secrets."

I exhaled slowly, grateful he understood. If Liam, who always seemed so put-together and self-assured, could have secrets, then maybe I wasn't so alone.

"It's just... Lately, I've been feeling like I'm drowning in my own mistakes, you know? And sometimes I wonder if it's even possible to come back from them," I said quietly.

"I'm not going to lie, you do some crazy things." Liam chuckled. "But everyone knows you show up at the end. You're a great player and friend."

His admission gave me the confidence to reveal more about my own situation. "You know, ever since that night we all went out drinking, I've been feeling like my image is totally ruined. I'm worried it's going to cost me my shot at the International Team."

I promised Melanie I wouldn't tell anyone about what happened between us, and I meant it. But I could admit that the night out went too far.

"Ah, that night..." Liam chuckled, recalling our fun. "It was definitely one for the books, but I don't think it was as bad as you're making it out to be, ."

"Easy for you to say," I muttered, rubbing my injured ankle absentmindedly. "You weren't the one who made questionable choices after leaving."

"What?" Liam asked.

"Nothing. I just shouldn't have gone out drinking when the judges were to be at the practice the next day, is all I'm saying. I let having fun almost ruin everything. Maybe I did some things they'll find out about, ya know," I admitted.

"Look, ," he continued, his tone turning serious. "We all make mistakes, but it's how we bounce back from them that really matters. You're an incredible athlete, and one wild night isn't going to change that."

I nodded, but I couldn't shake the feeling that me being a good player just wasn’t enough. "I have a friend, Liam. A guy who's really good at, uh, math." I winced at the lame example.

"Who do you know that's good at math? And please don't tell me it's Emmanuel, because as of right now, I don't think he considers you a friend after what you did to Lydia's front yard."

"No, not Emmanuel," I glanced around the living room. "It's someone you don't know. In fact, no one on the team has met him. He lives in... uh, Niagara Falls."

"Canada?" Liam stared at me as if I was about to jump over the Niagara Falls.

"Yup, so this guy—"

"What's his name?"

"It doesn't matter. The point is—"

Liam snorted. "You're friends with him, but his name doesn't matter? This sounds sus to me."

"Fine, it's..." I glanced around the room. "His name is Ralph."

"Ralph who?"

"Ralph Lauren... uh, I mean Ralph Laurel. Yeah, Ralph Laurel." I smiled, proud of the name I came up with.

Liam rubbed his forehead and chuckled. "Okay, , this friend I've never heard of before, that just so happens to live in Canada, and strangely, has a very similar name as a famous fashion brand, is really good at math."

"Right." I leaned forward, making sure not to put pressure on my bad ankle. "He's really good at math. So much so, that he's made it to the finals of the International Math Games."

Liam stared at me for about thirty seconds. Blinking only once. "Wow. That's amazing," he said in a monotone voice.

"But he messed up. Uh, he got drunk one night and slept with a friend of his, who happens to now work for the Math Team he works for. But at the time he didn’t think much of it, as he's known her for a while."

Now Liam's mouth was hanging open. He wasn’t saying anything.

"Because Ralph has a chance to get onto the International Games Team. I mean, Math. The International Math Games Team. He fears having slept with the friend will not only jeopardize her job, but his chances of getting on the team."

Liam put his head in his hands. My story really got to him. I felt bad I had stressed him out; that wasn’t my intension.

But then I heard something. At first I thought it was coming from outside, but then I realized the noise was from Liam.

Liam threw his head back, and I realized he was laughing. A full body chuckle. The kind where you could barely get breath. Tears were streaming down the sides of his face.

After about a minute, he gasped, "Oh god." A few more chuckles. "Damn, , that was hilarious."

My lips thinned. "I wasn’t trying to be funny."

Liam ignored me. "I thought the Niagara Falls part was the most ridiculous, but then you named him Ralph Laurel. I nearly lost it when you said that."

I folded my arms and sat back, letting Liam catch his breath.

"Yes, so funny. I'm just a total fool."

"That's not it, come on." Liam patted me on the shoulder, but I saw him suck in his lips, trying to hold back more laughter.

"Okay, maybe I'm not good at storytelling—I never claimed to be an author. It's just, I promised I'd keep this a secret, but I need to tell someone."

"I get it." Liam nodded. "I'm assuming Ralph wants help with his problem."

I nodded, glad that Liam was at least humoring me.

"What Ralph needs to do is make himself invaluable to the Math team. Go above and beyond."

"I have... I mean, he has."

"No, Ralph has to do more outside of the team." Liam took out his phone and brought up a website, showing it to me. "This is an organization my family is involved with called the Rural Business Development. They do good work."

I was surprised Liam was showing anything that involved his family since he never talked about them. I wasn’t sure if they were even alive.

Taking his phone, I looked at the site. It was a philanthropic organization that helped small rural businesses get off the ground. It looked amazing.

"And they’re international, so it would be good for Ralph in Canada." Liam tried to suppress a grin.

I mulled over the idea, feeling a spark of excitement ignite within me. This could be exactly what I needed—a chance to prove myself, both on and off the ice.

"Think about it, ," Liam continued, his voice filled with sincerity. "This could be an opportunity for Ralph to show everyone that he's not just some wild party boy; he's a responsible adult who cares about more than just math."

"That actually sounds perfect. I never would've thought of something like that on my own."

"Hey, what are friends for?" he replied, grinning. "Now, about the friend he slept with?"

"That's the biggest problem of all," I said as my smile faded. "The problem with that is she wants nothing to do with me, but I can't stop thinking about her."

I was done with storytelling. It was time for the truth.