8.

: Good luck on your game today son!

: Break a leg sweetie! Not literally. :)

: Don't break ur nose! Goodluck. <3

And several texts came in coming from friends and family wishing me goodluck for my first game this season. We're facing the New York Rangers tonight.

I'm riding the team bus on the way to Madison Square Garden where the game is about to be held. Andrew Ladd who's sitting next to me is also busy on his phone, probably texting his family.

While me on the otherhand is scrolling through all the text messages hoping that one of them is from Jade. She's not been at home since Sunday, Tori told me she's on a business trip. But I have a huge feeling that she's been avoiding me.

She hasn't return any of my texts yet, all my calls go straight to voicemail. I know that business trip she told Tori was bullshit.

I think this was all because of Pauline.

When I arrived home Sunday from practice, Pauline was in my room butt naked asking me to fuck her and give her a chance.

That night after I kissed Jade, I am convinced enough that I do like her.

So I threw Pauline a text that same night, saying my apology about me being rude to her during our last dinner, telling her the truth that I have no interest on her even before those dinners we have together. I didn't mentioned about Jade, because Pauline is already emotional, it'll might get things worst for me to provide an explanation about it's not you, it's me.

But she didn't take it, instead she went to my room naked the next day and that's what Jade saw. I knew that since Tori told me when I arrived that Pauline scared Jade, based on the screaming she heard upstairs.

I sighed pulling another message box and text Jade for the millionth time.

: game day today. U watching?

I sighed again, knowing that she won't text back. Crap! I am so pathetic I realized as I back read the whole texts I've sent her in the past two days.

: where r u?

: when will u be home?

: kinda nervous for 2morrow's game.

: Hope ur doing, ok.

: bought u a bunch of teabags, btw.

And so on...

Sending a girl a lot of texts is a sign of desperation, but I don't care! I'm desperate for her anyway. Few minutes passed and still not hearing from her, I decided to shove my phone back on the pockets of my black suit and decided to close my eyes to relax a bit.

I sighed.

"Nervous?" Andrew asked.

"A bit." I said because I am and kind of disturb at the same time because of Jade.

"Don't be Gary." He said calling me by our team's usual endearment of each other. "Just make sure you won't break your nose and lose a teeth." He mockingly added.

I snickered and elbowed him. My teammates have been mocking me about how unlucky I am on every game, especially last season. I have been constantly getting hit on the face by sticks and pucks on most games, I'm surprised my face is still on one piece though after all of those.

We reach at the arena getting welcomed by Islanders and Rangers fans waiting for us to take pictures on and sign on their jerseys. I took time on mingling with the fans a bit right before heading inside the arena.

This kind of moment still feels strange to me even after years of playing on the NHL, but I like meeting fans. They are one of the million reasons why we play the game, they pay for our jerseys, they give us the platform to do the things that we love and payback to the community. So taking pictures with them, signing their jerseys and posters are the least we can do.

As I head down to our team's locker room, my phone beeps and the heavy rock I have been carrying in the past few days disappeared when Jade's name appeared on the screen.

: Best of luck!

That's just it.

A good luck.

A short message, yet good enough for me to feel better and feel way more motivated to win the game.

--

And we lose the game...

First game of the season and we already lose!

The Rangers are unstoppable this season, they definitely want to bounce back I can tell. On the drive home on our bus, my teammates are all blabbing about what should we do and the things we should work on for the upcoming Game two.

Ander and one of the Alternate Captain Cal Clutterback have been giving the two rookies on the team some pep talk to never hesitate on taking shots on the ice at the back of the bus and I didn't bother to engage on any conversations right now, and so is Andrew who's napping next to me.

I guess, I'm not the only one who's upset about the game though. But it's still the pre-season and it's still the game one and Coach Trotz was right back in the locker room earlier. We still have game two to kick their butts off!

When Ander and I arrived home. Tori greeted us with a sorry face as she opened the door for us, kissing her husband.

"Awful game huh?" She said.

"Nah. It's fine! We still have game two." Ander answered.

I didn't stayed for long watching the two lovebirds. I went straight to my bedroom and change for sweats and cotton black shirt, I then went to the kitchens to have some tea to help me relax.

Jade have encouraged me to drink tea rather than coffee and I honestly ended up loving it leading me to ridiculously finish two mugs or three every day.

I wonder if she's home already.

Speaking of which, she suddenly appeared on the hallway heading back to her room. She's kind of a bit surprised when she saw me on the mini-kitchen making myself a tea.

"Hey!" I said trying to sound casual because, hell! My heart just jumped at the sight of her. Jezz! It's been only three days and I already miss her.

"Hey." She greeted back weakly. "How was the game?"

I kinda feel disappointed hearing the question because it means she didn't watched my game.

"We lose." I replied sipping on the tea.

"Oh." She said unfazed, all of the girls I'm with usually drops everything to go comfort me and plant me with kisses but based on Jade's look at the moment she's not interested on giving me that. "Sorry for that."

I sighed that wave of disappointment. "Nah, it's fine. There's still game two."

She nodded. "Well, I gotta go. Have a good night Mat."

She was about to enter her room but I stopped her. Shit! Why is everything feel so awkward right now?

"Jade?"

She looked back on me. "Yes?"

I sighed in complete frustration and walked towards her. "Can we talk?"

"We're already talking."

Damnit! Why does she have to be sarcastic? And what's up with that rude tone?

I'm standing few inches from her dying to touch her but when I tried to, she slightly backed away and I was hurt seeing that.

"Are you upset?" I asked feeling a bit hesitant now. "With me?" I added.

"Why would I be upset?" She asked. I totally can't read her right now.

"Because of Pauline?"

She's silent for like five seconds right before answering. "What about her?"

"Last Sunday... When you saw her in my room naked."

She snorted. "Oh that!" But I don't see the old playfulness in there as she plasters a grin. "Already forgotten."

I sighed again because I can still feel real awkwardness between us. And as per usual, I wasn't able to stop the words coming out from my mouth. "Then why do I feel like you're avoiding me?"

She furrowed her eyebrows. "If I'm avoiding you then I'm definitely not talking to you right now."

There she goes again with her sarcastic remarks but instead of seeing humor on her brown eyes, I see nothing.

"But you're not been home for days--"

"This isn't my home."

"--you're not returning any of my texts and you didn't answered my calls."

"I was on a business trip, Mat. Don't expect me to be on my phone twenty-four seven and-- why are we even arguing about this?"

"Because you've been avoiding me!" I didn't mean to raise my tone but I am frustrated by the way she treats me right now.

"For the nth time, I'm not avoiding you." She said clearly maintaining her cool. "Eversince I moved here we barely see each other. So why would you feel like that?"

"Jade we're not like this before." I closed the gap between us and tried to hold her.

"Don't touch me." She said and I just heard my heart cracked into two.

"Jade I--"

"Are we done?" She cuts me off without looking at me.

I wasn't able to utter any words because everything that's happening right now feels wrong. Three seconds passed she walked past me hearing her door slammed shot.

I don't understand what just happened at all.