behind your back ~ andrei svechnikov

Chapter Eight

For the Hurricanes' first practice together, there were quite a few fans in attendance.

However, I could tell something was bothering both Jaccob and Andrei throughout the entire practice. Even though they play completely different positions on the ice (Andrei being a winger and my brother being a defenseman), you could tell that something was wrong between the two men. All probably because of me.

After I had texted Andrei to come get me after my brother left me standing alone outside of the team entrance door. Andrei didn't say anything, he just led me to the door leading to the rink.

I wasn't exactly sure what my brother was currently thinking. He could be mad, he could be confused, he could be distraught, he could be all of the above. I will hopefully find out in a few hours.

Since Andrei was my ride over to the practice rink, I was hoping he wasn't mad at me for getting yelled at by my brother. Considering that he was completely fine with walking in together after I had suggested it.

When practice got done, Andrei and I made subtle eye contact. He signaled me to come down to the ice level, for whatever reason I didn't know at the time. Probably to tell me how I'm getting home. If I had to call an Uber, that was fine.

I made my way down to ice level, and Andrei skated over by the glass.

"Meet me at the west entrance. I'll pick you up there," he said firmly, adjusting his white helmet.

I nodded my head, not giving him a smile. He looked tired, and if I had to drive him home, that would be alright with me.

He skated away and stepped off of the ice and out to the locker room.

Maybe he wasn't mad. Maybe he was concerned.

Once the fans started to file out, I followed the stream of fans and out to the west entrance that Andrei told me to meet him at.

I sighed as I sat on one of the Carolina Hurricanes themed benches outside of the entrance, watching various cars back out of their parking spots and exit the parking lot.

About a half hour later of just sitting alone on the bench and on my phone, Andrei's car pulled up and stopped where I was sitting.

I got up and got into the car, then Andrei drove off.

"I'm sorry." Was the first thing he said.

I looked at him, which he was focused on trying to get onto the street perpendicular to the current street we were on. He stopped at the stop sign, then glanced at me, causing us to make eye contact.

"I'm sorry about how your brother acted. I wish I was out there with you," he continued before turning left when the view was clear.

"I guess I should say that I'm not surprised that my brother reacted like that. I tried my best to deny everything, but he found out that we had slept together at his house and he even saw us kiss in the car before we went inside to the practice facility," I responded as I bent my legs and crunched myself into a ball, wrapping my arms around my legs.

Andrei sighed. "Did your brother say anything else? He basically just glared at me the entire practice," he said, setting the cruise control to sixty miles per hour.

"He was just in disbelief. I wonder if he's gonna call us over to his house and ask us to explain everything to him when we're both there," I responded. "I really don't want to talk to him right now,"

He nodded his head in agreement. "I understand. When we get back to my house, do you maybe wanna...I don't know, watch a movie or something? I can make up something to eat," he asked, though I wasn't sure if I wanted to be with Andrei for the rest of the day. My mood was basically killed when my brother screamed at me for being in a relationship with Andrei behind his back.