Meet the Billets [Luke Hemmings]

33. Making Amends

LUKE
After saying goodbye to Mila after her and I headed to the rink early to... practice, I was already dressed and ready to sit on the sidelines one final time, waiting for the rest of the team to arrive. Though I didn't expect the only person to walk through the doors to be Ashton.

Sure, we've seen each other at the last few games and practices, but he'd never hesitate to keep his mouth shut and exist as far away from me as possible each time. I wanted nothing more than to talk with him, but even with some time and space it seemed as though he had no interest in speaking with me.

I decided to remain silent, collecting my belongings from the bench as flashes of the last half hour clouded my mind. Mila's perfect body bent over the bench, reading my last name across her back, looking so pretty for me in my jersey...

My thoughts were quickly interrupted when I turned back around, colliding chest first with Ashton. He froze in his place, slightly annoyed as I scrambled to catch my phone as it slipped from my grasp, but failed miserably when it fell to his feet face-up. As I looked to the floor I noticed the screen light up, catching a glimpse of the time. Everyone should be here by now, where the hell were they? I'm not sure how much longer I can stay in here alone with Ash before he kills me. The look on his face alone was enough to make my stomach sink, especially after he bent down to retrieve my phone, chuckling a bit as he glanced at the new notification,

"It's Mila, you better answer," he stated blankly, handing it back over to me.

"I'm sure it's nothing," I tried to play it off, thankful that I had my message previews turned off.

I wanted nothing more than to see what she had to say, but I feel as though there's a time and place, and right now was neither.

"Sure seemed to be something at the fundraiser, or Christmas, maybe? Oh! Or what about when we were painting—" he began but I cut him off,

"Ash, please," I pleaded, already feeling guilty enough for the entire ordeal.

The guilt didn't seem to end there though, as I watched him take a seat in the exact spot I'd just fucked his ex-girlfriend on. Pressing my lips together, I waited for him to speak up again, but he didn't.

"Listen," I sighed, taking a seat beside him, "I know that this isn't going to mean much, but I'm really fucking sorry, Ashton. You have no idea, I-I tried my hardest to just push the feelings that I had for Mila aside but—"

"Luke," he interjected, "I really don't want to hear it. And I'm not trying to be a dick, I'd just rather not hear about all the feelings you've had for Mila the entire time we were together. It hurt, and you were my friend... My teammate. I asked you if you had feelings for her and you said no. I just needed you to be honest with me and you weren't," he shook his head, staring at the floor, "Neither of you were..."

"But I'll be okay," he added, turning to face me, "I shouldn't have started that fight with you and I sure as hell shouldn't have spoken about Mila like that. I was mad and jealous... and you just scored and I-I don't know, it just all came out. I shouldn't have done that."

"I deserved it, Ash," I said simply, "And I would've just taken the punch and let it be if you hadn't said anything about her," I said truthfully, "She feels fucking awful, dude, and if you're going to blame anyone, blame me. Mila didn't mean for any of this to happen— neither of us did. But I was the one who pushed. She told me to screw off and I didn't."

"She should've told me this when it was happening, Luke," Ash sighed.

"I know, and when you're ready I think that's something you should talk about with her. I know she's been dying to talk to you," I admitted, despite the awful feeling the thought of them talking brought to my stomach.

I know it was probably stupid—I already have her, she loves me. But I couldn't help but think about the what-ifs.

What if when they talk Mila realizes that she made the wrong decision? What if Ash wins her back?

"I'm not really ready to talk to her yet," he mumbled, standing back up as our team finally filed in.

"I get it, just know that I'm really fucking sorry Ashton," also standing up.

"I'll get over it," he nodded with a forced grin.

He extended his hand for me to grab, pulling my shoulder to his briefly. I shot him a genuine smile, content with our conversation. Just as he began to walk away, he added,

"This doesn't mean we're friends again, Hemmings. But we're okay. I'll see you on the bench," he nodded one final time before walking over to Max near the showers.

There was a bitterness laced to the latter part of his sentence that I knew wasn't aimed towards me, but at the fact we still haven't played. I know this was killing him just as much as it was me.

I released a shaky breath I didn't realize I was holding, finally unlocking my phone to read Mila's message.

Peach: hey lu is my shirt still there?
i'm still in yours so i totally forgot it :\

My heart dropped, scanning the floor quickly, silently praying that nobody's found it, starting with Ashton. We just got to a slightly better place and I wasn't about to let him find his ex-girlfriend's shirt somewhere in here. It took me a moment until I spotted it in a ball underneath the bench. I snatched the soft, knit material, quickly shoving it into my bag.

I shot Mila a text back letting her know I found it when the door swung open again. My coach entered, locking his eyes with mine almost immediately.

"Hemmings," He ordered, waving me over.

I glanced around at my teammates hoping to get clued in on what was going on, but they all offered me small shrugs as I made my way over to the door.

"What's up, Coach?" I asked, silently praying this conversation didn't have anything to do with the fact I just had my unofficial girlfriend bent over in the locker room.

"Giordano's ankle's shot. You're in tonight," Was all he said, already beginning to walk away.

I stood there in shock, excitement washing over me for a moment before pausing,

"Wait, Coach," I followed behind him before my brain could tell my heart to stop.

He turned back around, silently waiting for me to continue,

"I think Ashton should play tonight," I suggested with a nod. He looked at me like I was crazy, almost unsure as to why I'd throw out the opportunity to play.

He shrugged, walking back towards the locker room. When we reentered, he called out,

"Irwin suit up, I need you on right wing tonight, you think you can handle that?" he asked, clapping his hands together.

I couldn't help but grin at the wide smile that formed on Ashton's face as he nodded frantically, jumping out of his place to get changed, "You got it, Coach."

I sighed, taking a seat on the bench, glancing in Ashton's direction one final time. However his eyes were already on mine, heading back over in my direction.

"Was this you?" he asked, gesturing to his uniform.

"Giordano's out and Coach needed someone. I said you should play," I said simply.

He smiled softly with a nod, "Thanks man."

I mirrored his actions, praying I made the right decision, "Don't thank me, just go win this thing."

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that's all i've got for you this week. 'paper rings' will be out soon:)

ily