My Hockey Alpha



Chapter 0684

Enzo

I was just sitting at the hotel bar, trying to smooth out my nerves before I tried calling Nina, when I suddenly felt a delicate hand on my shoulder and an all-too-familiar voice.

"Well, well... fancy meeting you here, Enzo."

I turned, and that was when I saw her: Mila.

"Mila?" I asked, jumping up without even really meaning to. "What are you doing here, in my hotel?"

She paused for a moment, brushing a strand of hair behind her ear before she took a deep breath and spoke. "Can we talk?" she asked. "I heard you came to town, and... I wanted to clear the air."

I was silent for a moment, weighing my options. My wolf bristled inside of me; a warning.

"No," I said firmly. "No, I don't want to talk. Please, just... leave me be."

But Mila was steadfast in her attempt. She took a step forward. I had nowhere to go with the bar right behind me, so I was trapped. "Please," she said softly. "Listen, Tim told me what you said, and... I realized that I was really awful for what I did. But I'd like a chance to explain."

She paused then, taking in a sharp breath as she gazed up at me. "Please," she repeated.

I stared at her for a few moments longer, unsure of what to say. Part of me wanted to tell her to buzz off, but another part of me actually wanted to hear her out. We were in a public place, after all. Maybe it would be okay to just talk to her.

"Fine," I growled, sinking back down onto my stool. "You've got thirty seconds to explain yourself."

Letting out a sigh of relief, she perched on the stool beside me. I studied her face, searching for any sign of insincerity. But her striking eyes were shining with remorse. She seemed sincere so far, at least.

"Go on," I urged, folding my arms across my chest. "Clock's ticking,"

Mila nodded and drew in a breath. "Listen, I... I know that what I did the last time you were here, the way that I tried to force myself on you, the way I threatened you, was awful of me." She paused, laughing wryly and licking her lips. "I'm not asking for forgiveness. But I do want to tell you how sorry I am, and how it'll never, ever happen again."

I narrowed my eyes. "I wasn't planning on forgiving you, Mila," I growled. "And unless you've got an actual explanation for why you thought it was okay to do what you did, I don't want to hear it."

Mila looked down, her checks flushing a deep shade of red as she twisted a silver ring around her finger. "Okay," she whispered. "Look, I know it's no excuse, but... I just went through a bad divorce. It brought out this horrible anger in me Lately."

She met my gaze squarely then. "I guess, in my mind, I thought we clicked. Then, I saw how happy you are with your wife and part of me wanted to destroy it."novelbin

"I'm sorry to hear about your divorce," I said stiffly.

Mila gave a sad half-smile. "Thanks. It's been a nightmare. And it's no one;s fault but my own. I guess I'm still learning how to handle all these new feelings. Again, not that it's an excuse for what I did, but... I want you to know that I really do plan on making it up to you."

I paused, eyeing her cautiously. She was still staring down at her ring, a sad look in her eyes. In that moment, I actually felt a little bit bad for her.

"Well, I appreciate you making the effort to apologize," I told her. "And I wish you the best in working through everything. But there's no need to 'make it up to me'. I quit today."

Mila's head jerked up, and her eyes widened. "You quit?" she breathed. "Tim didn't tell me..."

I nodded. "I need to return to Mountainview," I said. "This isn't a good work environment for me."

"No, Enzo," Mila said, her eyes misting over, "please don't quit. The team loves you. And I can tell how much you love this job."

I rubbed the back of my neck, feeling a bit uncomfortable beneath her gaze. Yes, it was true; I did love that job, and the team loved me. But it wasn't right for me. I wanted to be home, with my pregnant wife. And I couldn't work alongside Mila, no matter how much she apologized.

"Sorry," I said matter-of-factly, "What's done is done. I need to be at home with my wife."

Mila looked crestfallen. "Are-are you sure about that?" she stammered. "You clearly have so much passion for this." When I nodded, she made one last desperate appeal. "I'll resign instead, if that helps! The team needs you here. They can find another doctor."

Her words, although shocking, did nothing to change my mind. "No need," I said. "I've made up my mind." She pressed her lips together and asked quietly, "Well then... Mind if I buy you a farewell drink at least?"

I hesitated, my eyes flitting down to the now-empty glass that I hadn't realized I was still holding in my hands. The Idea of taking a drink from Mila, after what she had done, wasn't exactly tempting. But, even my wolf agreed that she seemed genuine, and besides....

I could just watch the bartender prepare it. That way, I'd know it was safe.

"Sure," I finally said. "I guess I could do that. Just one?"

Mila's face lit up. "Of course! My treat."

Before I knew it, we were both holding glasses of whiskey. I had watched the bartender prepare it right in front of me, and there was no doubt in my mind that it was safe to drink.

And despite the uncomfortable company, it seemed as though Mila was trying, at least. We chatted as amicably as we could, talking about movies, books, TV shows.... anything except the elephant in the room.

But finally, my glass was empty. My conscience was clear, and my one drink was finished. I stood, grabbing my jacket off of the back of my chair.

"Thanks for the drink," I said, nodding to her. "Have a good one."

Suddenly, Mila shot up from her seat. "Wait!" she called out, causing me to stop and turn.

I narrowed my eyes. Before I could say a word, she suddenly stepped closer and wrapped me in a brief, fierce hug. I stiffened under her touch, and was about to push her away; but then she pulled back, her cheeks slightly flushed. "Thanks for listening tonight," she said softly. "And for giving me another chance. I wish you all the best, Enzo. Your wife is so lucky to have you."

I nodded, taking a step back to put some more distance between us. "Thanks, Mil-"

But then something happened. Out of seemingly nowhere, my head felt fuzzy, and Mila's face swam in front of me. There was that glint in her eyes again. Something red. Something evil. Something that almost looked... like a snake? Or a lizard, maybe?

Yes, that was it. A lizard. A dragon, almost.

"Mila... What have you..."

"Oh, no, Enzo," Mila said, stepping forward to touch my arms, a mock look of worry in her lizard-like eyes. "Here, let me help you back to your room..."