Chapter 26
Though truthfully, I may have put a little extra energy into the checking drills, needing some kind of physical outlet for my internalized aggression.
But when the whistle blew and we were all dismissed, nobody-not a teammate or coach-had noticed anything off about me. Or if they did, like I expected Coach Davidson had, they didn't say anything.
It was only after I'd showered and changed that I figured the jig was up, when Nyberg came over to clap me on the back.
« Dude, you coming to Schmidt's for video games and beer ? »
Or not.
« Uh, I don't think so, » I said, pulling my phone out of my pocket to check the time. It was just past five, and while I still had nearly two hours before I was expected at Lia's, there was no way I could keep up this emotional façade for more than a few more minutes. « I already have plans. »
He raised an eyebrow suspiciously. « Plans ? Today ? »
« Yeah, I'm heading to Lia's later. »
« Wait-« His eyes bugged out. « -seriously ? You've got a date planned for Valentine's Day ? »
Valentine's Day. Shit. I really hoped Lia wasn't expecting tonight to be about a ridiculous holiday, because I really didn't need that kind of expectation on top of everything else right now.
I shook my head vehemently with denial. « No, » I gritted out. « No, you've got it wrong. We're just ordering pizza and watching a movie or two. There's nothing special about it. »
The last Valentine's Day I actually cared to celebrate had been years ago, with someone I liked nothing more than to forget these days. But it had been about flowers and chocolate, with reservations at a fancy steakhouse for dinner. Tonight was the complete opposite of that. It was chill. Casual. Not romantic at all.
« Does she know that ? » Nyberg asked, looking as though he didn't believe a word I said.
And while I had no way of confirming that she did, in fact, know tonight had nothing to do with Valentine's Day ; I really, truly, hoped she did.
At five minutes to seven, I pressed the buzzer to Lia's apartment and heard her voice crackle over the speaker moments later.
« Hello ? »
« It's me. »
« Come on up, » she said, and the door to her building's lobby beeped open.
Stepping inside, I was just about to let the door close behind me when I saw a delivery man, pizza in hand, looking to follow me inside.
« Any chance that pizza is for Lia ? » I asked, holding the door open for him.
« I've got two actually, but yeah, one's for Lia in apartment 406, » he replied, glancing down at the receipt as the both of us headed to the elevators, stepping onto the open one waiting. « You the boyfriend ? »
« Something like that, » I replied, not wanting to complicate things as I fished a ten and a five out of my wallet. « Here, keep the change and I'll save you the trouble of door-to-door delivery. »
« Sounds good to me, man, » the guy replied, handing over the larger of the two pizzas as the elevator stopped at the fourth floor. « Have a good night. »
« You too, » I said, stepping out and heading down the hallway to Lia's apartment.
Knocking on the door, I waited a few moments for Lia to pull it open, only to be both surprised and relieved to see her in a pair of sweatpants, her hair up in a bun, and her glasses perched on her nose. To me, that meant she didn't see tonight as a Valentine's Day date, and I was grateful.
« Hey, » I said, shrugging off my jacket as I handed over the pizza. « I hope you don't mind, I intercepted the pizza guy on the way up. »
« You didn't have to do that, » she replied, a warm kindness shining in her eyes, « but thank you. »
« No problem. »
« So, » she started, closing the door and leading me into the living room, « I've got Netflix pulled up on the TV and I promise, this apartment-« Putting the pizza down on the coffee table, she spread her arms out wide, gesturing to the space around us, « -is a completely hockey free zone tonight. »
An appreciative smile pulled at my lips. « Thanks, » I said as I walked around the back of the couch, my eyes scanning the room. I hadn't been to her apartment other than to pick her up, and other than a few cute trinkets filling the open space, the thing I was most surprised to see was her desk. Which, besides the two screens and the keyboard, was covered entirely with pens, papers, and small sticky notes-all of which I assumed contained information pertaining to her defense. Nodding over to the mess as I took a seat, I asked, « Did you get much work done today ? »
Because even though it was a weekend, I knew how determined she was to formulate the best findings she could for her presentation.
« A bit, yeah, » she admitted, « though I should tell you to pretend that part of the apartment isn't here. It's a bit of a minefield to most people. »
I shrugged. « I think it shows that you're serious about your work, and clearly passionate enough to jot down any idea that could help you get to where you need to be. »
« Interesting way of looking at it. » Her lips curved into a smile as she popped open the pizza box and motioned for me to grab a slice. Picking up the remote, she said, « Tell me to stop when you see something you like. »
If I was in higher spirits, I might've turned to her and made a suggestive comment-alluding to liking her quite a bit-but I stayed quiet. Taking a bite out of my slice, I sat back, my eyes scanning the screen, yet barely registering the movies.
Until The Mighty Ducks popped up on the end of a row of family film recommendations.
« That was the first hockey movie my parents ever showed me, » I said, unable to stop the admission as it came spilling out.
Lia's hand froze on the remote as she glanced back and forth between me and the screen a couple of times, a quizzical look on her face. « Mighty Ducks ? »
I nodded, casting my eyes down to my lap. « Yeah. They put me in a playground league when I was four, and since I was small for my age, I couldn't really hold my balance all that well. And though I don't remember it, my parents love telling others about how I supposedly wanted to quit at the end of that first year, since I wasn't all that good. Until they showed me The Mighty Ducks, and then I apparently stopped at nothing to be the best in my hometown. »
Peeking over her way when she stayed silent, I saw her expression soften as she tucked her legs up underneath her and turned to face me. Her gaze strong yet understanding as she reached out a hand to rest on my knee. « Derrick, did you want to talk about it ? » she asked softly. « I know I might not be the best person to talk things through with, but I can be a soundboard if you want to vent. I can listen. »
« I know. I know, » I said, running a hand through my hair before dropping my head to rest against the back of the couch. « And I'm sorry I kind of shut down the last time you tried. I just don't think I'd really come to terms with it yet. I mean, I still haven't. » I sighed. « How can I when my life could be uprooted completely in less than ten days ? And I can't do anything. All I can do is wait, staring the trade deadline in the face, and wait for the front office to make a decision. »