PART 2
CHAPTER ONE
The night ended with Aaron and a bottle of whiskey in his bed after he chose a low-key dinner with his family to celebrate the first win of the season. The team had headed to their favorite bar to eat and have some beer, inviting him along, but Aaron didn’t want to drain the energy from the room.
Sure, he’d faked it through the interviews and smiled as he boasted about the scores and the defense. Aaron had seemed like the picture of a professional, standing with the coaches and some of the players as they laughed and carried on about some of the finer points of the game.
He couldn’t help but to feel her eyes on him as she watched the festivities from the bench, trying not to make any eye contact that would break his facade. One look into her sad eyes would break him, and Aaron wasn’t ready for that yet. He didn’t know what it was about this woman but the time that he’d spent with Holly had gotten him hooked, both his body and his mind. She challenged him while she turned him on and few had ever done that to him in the past.
His mom had looked at him in surprise when he offered to take all of them to one of the best steakhouses in the city, sharing a long glance with his father.
“Son, this is your team and you should celebrate with them. Your heart is still on that ice.” Glen told him, making Aaron laugh bitterly inside of his head. His heart felt more like it was still with Holly in his apartment the day before.
“I’m not in the mood for the crazy. I’m an old man now, Dad.” Aaron replied, smiling around at his family. “I owe you for this, too. I don’t know where I’d be if it wasn’t for you guys.”
“You’d have found your way, Aaron.” Glen said calmly, both of them men feeling tears in their eyes. “I’m proud of you.”
“Thank you.” Aaron replied gruffly, slinging an arm around his mom. “Want some grub?” The kids started squealing and jumping around him in response while his sisters smiled at each other, asking if he was sure that he could handle it. They made their way out of the crowded arena as he glanced back to see Holly watching him, her eyes bright and shimmering as their gazes locked.
Aaron woke up in his bright bedroom, blinking as his head started pounding. Fucking hell but the whiskey was coming back to haunt him. After dinner, everyone else had headed home and he’d followed suit before finding himself alone and miserable. Instead of dealing with it like an adult, like he should have, Aaron broke out the bottle and started drinking as he watched highlights of the game and tried to force himself into that mindset. He tried to reason with himself why he was better off single as he always had been, free to do what he needed to do. He’d gotten sloppy drunk and passed out in his boxers and tee shirt like he would do in college.
Aaron was embarrassed as he slowly sat up, taking slow breaths and trying to figure out what he was capable of. There wasn’t anything pressing today, with just a practice scheduled and an away game the following night over in Philadelphia. Aaron didn’t need to travel with the team, though he had planned to upon the purchase when it was close and convenient. He loved the game and he wanted to be as much a part of it as he could.
Right now he just needed to recover. He glanced around as he stood slowly, his stomach lurching as he closed his eyes. “Asshole move, Neller.” He smiled wistfully at the fact that he called himself by his last name as it was done in the league. There was a beeping sound from somewhere in the room and he sat back down to look around slowly, seeing his phone on the mattress next to where he was sleeping. He reached over gingerly to grab it, standing up for some much needed water from the fridge along with a few Advil.
Water first. He took it to the couch, breathing in the air from the open window as he took a seat on the couch and ran a hand through his hair. Aaron glanced at the screen to see a few notifications, unlocking it to skim through them. There was a lot of congratulation themed messages on every form of his social media, along with Goggle alerts and emails. There were even a few texts that he decided to read, cringing when he saw the thread with Holly’s name. He’d been a jerk to her, starting an argument about the night before while drunk and senseless as he read through her concerned responses. The last one must have been after he’d fallen asleep, asking over and over if he was alright.
Well, fuck him. Aaron took a deep breath and another long sip of water before he stared forward for a few moments. He needed to say something, to do something. He started typing an apology, sounding weak and unfocused as he read it with a scowl on his face. Aaron had brushed off a lot of girls this way yet he found himself having trouble apologizing? What the hell was happening to him?
It was Holly. He could still smell her in the apartment if he inhaled deeply enough. Aaron could still feel her tight around him, clinging to him as she reached her intense orgasms as he heard her cries.
He forced himself back to reality and shook his head, composing something that sounded sincere and responsible, as opposed to what he’d sent last night. Apparently, he’d tried to sect her along the way as well, making him shake his head. He hit send and sat quietly, wondering what would happen from there.
Aaron wasn’t ready to let her go, not yet. They couldn’t out themselves to the world but they could spend time together and get to know each other. He imagined nights spent at his apartment as he closed his eyes and took a slow breath, feeling his stomach growl softly. Food. That might help.
The phone chimed, making him jump as he opened his eyes to see that it was a friend from college congratulating him on the win. “Yeah, yeah, yeah.” Aaron grunted, staring at it as he waited.
He stilled as the phone rang, displaying her name. “Holly?”
“I can’t believe you just dropped off the face of the earth like that last night. You were a goddamn mess, Aaron.” Her voice was emotional and high and he closed his eyes. “What the hell are you trying to do to me?”
“I don’t know what I was trying to do to myself, Holly. I hated last night…well, the part where I couldn’t do anything more than talk briefly with you. All I wanted to do was go in your room and hold you for a minute, kiss you hello. I had to hold back on all of that and it was harder than anything I’ve ever done.” Aaron told her, getting more confused with every word. “You’ve gotten to me. I don’t know how but something other than hockey has gotten under my skin. I need more of you.”
“I wanted the same, Aaron. You looked so handsome last night and I felt like I was nothing there.” Holly admitted, making him launch into another apology. “It wasn’t as much you as I’d like to let you think. It was me as well. I know that I’m falling for you and I’m scared to death.” Her voice softened as she took a breath. “I know that we shouldn’t be doing this at all.”
“I can’t stop.” Aaron admitted, relief flooding him when she told him the same. “I have to see you.”
“You sound like you’re in bad shape,” Holly noted as he ran a hand through his hair.
“I am. I was an idiot last night and I’m sorry, baby. I can’t do that again.” Aaron couldn’t tell her that enough and she sighed at the other end.
“Would you like some food? I can bring something.”