DAKOTA

How is everything going?

Good

I hope you're having fun

So much

Miss you <3

You too

Throwing my head back against the headrest, it makes a loud banging noise that startles Connor.

"What the hell, Kota?" He accidentally hits the breaks.

"Sorry," I mumble.

When we hit a stoplight, he turns to look at me. "Are you good?"

"I know he's probably busy, but Parker didn't call or text me when he got to Nashville last night, and now I'm getting two-word responses."

He gives me a weird look, "really?"

"Yes, really Connor. Why the fuck would I be complaining if he wasn't?" I don't mean for it to come out that rude, but I'm both annoyed and hangry, a dangerous mix.

Connor is quiet until we pull into our favorite diner. "He's been sending me pictures all morning," he admits.

I just stare at him.

"Have you tried calling him?"

"Of course, I have. He just sent it to voicemail before it could even ring twice."

He rests a hand on my shoulder, "don't overthink it. Let's just go get a milkshake and eat until we puke."

This is why Connor will always be my number one. Growing up, I had intense social anxiety, and he never let it take over my life. When we'd go out, he would make me talk to strangers, and every time I started to shut down, he'd fill me with so much food that I couldn't think about my nerves.

After we order, Connor looks a little bit nervous before he speaks up. "Have you heard back about any apprenticeships?"

"Um," my eyes fall to my milkshake. "Yeah, but nothing too serious yet."

"I'm calling bullshit, but I'll let it slide since you're having a rough day."

"Can I ask you something?" I change the subject.

"Always."

"Is something going on between you and El? I've been meaning to ask for a while, but I've been waiting until it was just you and I."

Connor's eyes widen, and he leans back, stunned. "What did she tell you?"

"Nothing," I smile, "but I can tell by the look on your face that there is something."

"There is," he nods. "But nothing too serious," he smirks, using my previous words against me.

I point a butterknife in his direction. "Keep talking or I'll tell Brooks, and we both know he'll be relentless."

"We're just talking, Kota," he shakes his head, chuckling.

My eyes narrow, "have you kissed her?"

"No! I'm not that terrible," he sighs. "She broke up with Josh a month ago, I don't want to rush her."

"Con, I love you, but you're an idiot." I roll my eyes, "I can tell she likes you, and she's definitely not going to wait around forever."

He throws a straw wrapper at me, "leave me alone. We don't all move at lightning speed."

I just shrug, not being able to deny that Parker and I didn't waste time in our relationship. And now I'm thinking about him again. Fuck.

I'm also thinking about Josh, and the conversation with Lincoln yesterday that's been eating away at me.

"If I tell you something, you have to promise not to tell anyone."

"Okay," he laughs, looking confused.

"I'm serious, Connor. Not even Parker or Ellie," I plead.

"Not even Parker or Ellie," he agrees.

"Lincoln told me he overheard Josh saying that he was going to hurt me after the break when you guys go on your long away trip," I rush out, words barely comprehensible.

The guys have only been playing home games since before Thanksgiving break, so in January, they'll be gone for a fifteen-day stretch.

Connor just stares at me, saying nothing. It's honestly scaring me.

"Please tell me I just heard you wrong, Dakota."

I look back down, twiddling with my napkin on the table.

"Dakota."

I just shake my head, giving him the answer he seems to need, and jump when his hand smacks the table.

"Fuck!" He runs a hand through his hair, looking stressed.

This is why I didn't want to tell you.

It sounds really stupid, but part of me is convinced I could take down Josh if I really had to. I feel like some fight or flight response would kick in and he'd end up with crushed balls or a broken nose. Plus, I bought more pepper spray after I left the gym yesterday.

"Parker and Ellie don't know anything?"

"No, I don't want to stress either of them out. He needs to focus on hockey and she's been freaked out enough with all her vet school interviews," I explain. "It would be selfish of me to add even more to their plates."

Connor leans forward, resting his hand over both of mine, successfully stilling them. "This isn't something to sweep under the rug, Kota, this is a serious threat."

"I know," I whisper.

"I'm not going to tell Parker yet," he decides. "He needs to focus on what he's doing with the Predators this weekend, but I can't promise to keep my mouth closed when he comes back. I need you to understand that."

I tilt my head back, taking a big breath of air.

"I would also like you to stay at the house tonight, and for the time being, unless Parker is staying over at your place."

"Con, there's no need for that. We live on the third floor, and the only people with keys are you, Ellie, and I."

"It's either that or I sleep on your couch," he says firmly.

"Then I guess you're sleeping on the couch," I decide. "And when nothing happens, you'll see how ridiculous you're being right now."

He goes to argue back, but the waitress comes over with our food, effectively ending the conversation.

~

Normally, I fall asleep in fifteen minutes when I'm alone. If I'm sleeping with Parker, I barely last five minutes with him calmly rubbing my head and back. Tonight, it's taken me three hours to empty my brain enough to sleep.

Between Lincoln yesterday, Parker not texting me back, and Connor sleeping on my couch right now, I feel like the universe is spinning and I'm caught in its orbit.

My phone wakes me up not long after I do fall asleep, and I'm livid when I answer. "Who the hell is calling me at two in the morning?"

"Uh, hey baby," Parker says on the other end of the line, the background loud. "Did I wake you?"

I sigh, "yes but it's fine. How is everything going?"

"So good, Kota. I realized I forgot to call last night, I'm so sorry," he yells over the music.

"That's okay. Where are you? I can barely hear a word you're saying."

He yells at someone, the sound muffled, before talking back into the phone. "What was that, love? Sorry, one of the guys just asked me something."

"It was nothing," I try to keep my voice calm, but fail when it comes out snappy. "You sound busy, I'll text you in the morning, goodnight," I don't even give him the chance to respond before I hang up and toss my phone.

It starts ringing seconds later, and I have a good idea who's calling. I let it continue to ring, though, shoving a pillow over my head to drown out the sound as I try, and fail miserably, to fall back to sleep.

When my alarm rings six hours later, I have five texts waiting for me:

Baby, please pick up the phone

I'm so sorry

I miss you so much

call me when you wake up

I need to hear your voice. Please, Dakota

I don't call him back. Instead, I throw on workout clothes and sneak past Connor on the couch to go for a much-needed walk.

Listen, I know he's busy with the team and everything. So I know I'm being selfish, wanting his attention. But why was he texting Connor all day yesterday while I was getting half-assed responses? And then when he finally does call me, he's out at some bar and gets distracted not even ten seconds into it.

The whole thing makes me realize that this is exactly what will happen if I don't try to follow him next year. I was worried about the possibility before, but now I realize it would be my reality.

As I round a corner, a dog comes out of nowhere, flying past me. "Oh my god! Hi, sweet thing," I kneel down, urging it to come closer once it stops. It stares at me hesitantly, taking small steps in my direction once I sit on the ground. Once close enough, I can tell he's most definitely a boy, and he looks like a pit bull.

"It's okay, I won't hurt you." He sniffs my hand for a moment, the must decide I'm trustworthy as he plops his head into my palm. I smile brightly, softly petting his head. I sit like this for a few minutes, gaining his trust before I slip off my jacket, tying it around his body in a makeshift harness.

Luckily, the guys' house is pretty close, so I just take the dog there, talking to him the whole way about my problems. I don't have a key to the house, but I know where they keep their spare, so I make the decision to let myself in.

"Ahh!" My hand slaps over my eyes, burning from the sight of Brooks balls-deep in some girl on the couch. "So sorry," I squeak, ushering the dog upstairs.

"Hey Kota, cute dog," he says between grunts, still thrusting into the poor girl.

Once I finally make it into Connor's bathroom, I shoot him and Ellie a text asking her to come over but tell her to use the back door to avoid the situation currently happening in the living room. The dog is just staring at me, tongue hanging out the side of his mouth without a care in the world.

He stinks, though. So I just send up a silent prayer that he won't kill me and turn on the bath. With all the shit going on right now, the universe must be taking pity on me because he jumps right in, barking and splashing the water with his little nose.

Ellie and Connor show up right when I begin to towel dry the pup, and Connor immediately heads back out to buy him some essentials to keep him alive until we find his owner. If he even has one.

"How mad do you think Con would be if we let the dog in his bed?" Ellie looks up from her spot on the floor, smirking.

"I'll just bake him a cake," I laugh, running and jumping under his covers, the excited dog following me.

Ellie and I lay on either side of him, giving him as much love as we can until Brooks comes in. "This looks comfy, can I join?"

"Have you showered?" I narrow my eyes at him.

"Of course, I'm not a monster," he acts offended.

Ellie smiles, "get over here, Brooksie."

He bounces to my side of the bed, climbing in and spooning me so he can pet the dog laying by my stomach. The comfortable space allows me to finally get some much-needed sleep, but I keep a strong hold on Brooks' arm, trying to keep him from leaving me too.