Say Something
Ten
Claude slammed around the Flyers practice arena the next morning, throwing his things into his locker stall with more force than necessary.
"Where's Danny?" He growled at Max at the locker beside him.
"I'm right here," Danny stated calmly as he entered the room. He crossed to his stall and set his car keys and phone on the shelf before setting down his bag. Claude advanced on him and swung his arm back to punch Danny. Scott grabbed him and pulled him back.
“What the fuck?” Scott yelled. “What is wrong with you G?”
“He stole my girl,” Claude spat out. Every eye in the locker room darted between Claude and Danny. Danny stared back at Claude who glared at him.
Claude exploded in a rage. “You kissed her! You fucking kissed her at your house, at Zoe’s party! And you played me when I brought her and Livvie over to your house!”
Danny swallowed and took a step towards Claude. “Maybe we should discuss this later, in private,” he said firmly.
“Fuck that and fuck you!” Claude turned and stormed out of the room. Scott followed him and Max turned to Danny.
“Do you want to tell me what’s going on or do I need to call Zoe and have it out with her for not telling me?” Max asked.
“Don’t be mad at her, Max. It’s my fault for not listening to her sooner.”
“Are you and Gwen seeing each other?”
Danny shook his head. “No but I have feelings for her.” He sighed. “I promised her I wouldn’t let this come between Claude and I.”
Max clamped a hand to Danny’s shoulder. “You will fix things with Claude eventually. Just give him time. Probably lots of space too.”
Practice was tense and Claude refused to speak to Danny or look at him. Danny showered and changed and escaped the practice facility as quickly as he could. He tried calling Gwen but her phone went straight to voicemail. He drove to Zoe’s office and rode the elevator to her floor. He stepped off and was greeted by a perky blonde at the reception desk.
“I’m looking for Gwen,” Danny said as he approached the girl.
“Is she expecting you?”
“No. My name is Danny. If you’ll just tell her I'm here?” The girl glanced at her computer and then at Danny and a sad smile crossed her features.
“I’m sorry but Gwen is in meetings all day,” she said softly. She gazed at him apologetically.
“Fuck,” Danny muttered to himself. “Is Zoe in?” He asked her.
“I can call her office to see if she is available,” the girl replied, picking up her phone.
“I’ll find her,” Danny said before striding past her and down the hall. Gwen’s office door was shut and he hesitated, tempted to barge inside but he resisted and continued on to Zoe’s office. Her door was open and he stepped inside, sliding onto her couch and stretching out across it with a sigh and a muttered string of obscenities. The receptionist appeared seconds later. Zoe waved her away.
“It’s fine, Kelly. Danny is always welcome and can show himself back whenever he wants,” Zoe said to the girl. “Can you close the door please?” Kelly nodded and closed the door, retreating quickly to her desk.
“What the fuck, Briere?!” Zoe half shouted at him. “Max called me after practice and told me what happened.” She pushed back from her desk and crossed to the couch. Danny swung his feet to the ground, his head in his hands and Zoe sat beside him. “Danny,” she said softly. “What in the hell am I going to do with you?”
He smiled sheepishly at her. “Gwen isn’t answering her phone. Is she here?”
“She’s here but she doesn’t want to see you.”
“You have to help me.”
“I can’t, Danny. Not with this one. Look, you know I want you to find someone but I can’t be caught in the middle of you and Claude. Max is already pissed that I knew you liked her and about the kiss. I adore you, you know that. But Claude is just as special to me. All of guys are, even if you are my favorite.”
“Claude is pissed.”
“No kidding, dumb ass. He likes Gwen too. You couldn’t have made this easy and just asked her out when you met her, could you?”
“I should have. God I was stupid to let her age stop me.”
“I tried to tell you.”
“I know, I know. I should have listened.”
“Do you want to go grab some lunch and talk?” She glanced at her watch. “Max should be here in like ten minutes and you can come with us.”
Danny shook his head. “No, you enjoy your time with him. We leave for that road trip tomorrow. You two need some time together.”
“Give Gwen some time, Danny. She’ll come around,” Zoe promised.
"Where's Danny?" He growled at Max at the locker beside him.
"I'm right here," Danny stated calmly as he entered the room. He crossed to his stall and set his car keys and phone on the shelf before setting down his bag. Claude advanced on him and swung his arm back to punch Danny. Scott grabbed him and pulled him back.
“What the fuck?” Scott yelled. “What is wrong with you G?”
“He stole my girl,” Claude spat out. Every eye in the locker room darted between Claude and Danny. Danny stared back at Claude who glared at him.
Claude exploded in a rage. “You kissed her! You fucking kissed her at your house, at Zoe’s party! And you played me when I brought her and Livvie over to your house!”
Danny swallowed and took a step towards Claude. “Maybe we should discuss this later, in private,” he said firmly.
“Fuck that and fuck you!” Claude turned and stormed out of the room. Scott followed him and Max turned to Danny.
“Do you want to tell me what’s going on or do I need to call Zoe and have it out with her for not telling me?” Max asked.
“Don’t be mad at her, Max. It’s my fault for not listening to her sooner.”
“Are you and Gwen seeing each other?”
Danny shook his head. “No but I have feelings for her.” He sighed. “I promised her I wouldn’t let this come between Claude and I.”
Max clamped a hand to Danny’s shoulder. “You will fix things with Claude eventually. Just give him time. Probably lots of space too.”
Practice was tense and Claude refused to speak to Danny or look at him. Danny showered and changed and escaped the practice facility as quickly as he could. He tried calling Gwen but her phone went straight to voicemail. He drove to Zoe’s office and rode the elevator to her floor. He stepped off and was greeted by a perky blonde at the reception desk.
“I’m looking for Gwen,” Danny said as he approached the girl.
“Is she expecting you?”
“No. My name is Danny. If you’ll just tell her I'm here?” The girl glanced at her computer and then at Danny and a sad smile crossed her features.
“I’m sorry but Gwen is in meetings all day,” she said softly. She gazed at him apologetically.
“Fuck,” Danny muttered to himself. “Is Zoe in?” He asked her.
“I can call her office to see if she is available,” the girl replied, picking up her phone.
“I’ll find her,” Danny said before striding past her and down the hall. Gwen’s office door was shut and he hesitated, tempted to barge inside but he resisted and continued on to Zoe’s office. Her door was open and he stepped inside, sliding onto her couch and stretching out across it with a sigh and a muttered string of obscenities. The receptionist appeared seconds later. Zoe waved her away.
“It’s fine, Kelly. Danny is always welcome and can show himself back whenever he wants,” Zoe said to the girl. “Can you close the door please?” Kelly nodded and closed the door, retreating quickly to her desk.
“What the fuck, Briere?!” Zoe half shouted at him. “Max called me after practice and told me what happened.” She pushed back from her desk and crossed to the couch. Danny swung his feet to the ground, his head in his hands and Zoe sat beside him. “Danny,” she said softly. “What in the hell am I going to do with you?”
He smiled sheepishly at her. “Gwen isn’t answering her phone. Is she here?”
“She’s here but she doesn’t want to see you.”
“You have to help me.”
“I can’t, Danny. Not with this one. Look, you know I want you to find someone but I can’t be caught in the middle of you and Claude. Max is already pissed that I knew you liked her and about the kiss. I adore you, you know that. But Claude is just as special to me. All of guys are, even if you are my favorite.”
“Claude is pissed.”
“No kidding, dumb ass. He likes Gwen too. You couldn’t have made this easy and just asked her out when you met her, could you?”
“I should have. God I was stupid to let her age stop me.”
“I tried to tell you.”
“I know, I know. I should have listened.”
“Do you want to go grab some lunch and talk?” She glanced at her watch. “Max should be here in like ten minutes and you can come with us.”
Danny shook his head. “No, you enjoy your time with him. We leave for that road trip tomorrow. You two need some time together.”
“Give Gwen some time, Danny. She’ll come around,” Zoe promised.