He stood beside the boards, disgusted with himself and drinking his Gatorade, when Jakob and Alex came out on the ice.

“Adler, what’s up with you, dude?” Alex asked as he skated around for a moment, “First on the ice, first to bed. It’s weird. You okay?”

“I’m fine,” he answered as he put his drink down, grabbing his stick before heading out to the middle of the ice.

“No, you’re not. What’s up?” Alex asked again, looking over at Jakob. Jakob just shook his head.

“Leave him alone, Welch. He’s obviously in a mood,” Jakob said, skating off.

Shea sent Alex a look before following Jakob around the rink for a second warm up.

After practice, Shea sat back at the hotel while everyone else went out for lunch. He made it a point everyday to send Elli an email with a video attached of a song that reminded him of her. He was looking through his playlist when Jakob came into the room, throwing himself on the bed beside Shea’s. Jakob and he always shared a room on the road; they had been doing it for years.

“I thought you went out with the guys,” Shea said, scrolling down his list.

“Nah, thought you needed to talk.” Shea looked up, confused.

“Huh?”

“You know, talk, where your mouth moves and words come out.”

“Shut up, ass**le, I know what talking is. I just don’t know why I need to talk.”

Jakob shook his head, a small smile on his face, “Dude, you’re moody as hell lately. I don’t know what your problem is, but let it go. Did you and Elli get into a fight or something?”

“No, I just…I don’t know.”

“What’s going on with her, dude? You don’t call to go out anymore, and you are always with her. Is it really that serious?”

“Yeah, it is.”

“Really?”

Shea looked up at his long time best friend. He knew it wasn’t the norm for him to have a serious relationship, but he changed when he met Elli.

“Things are different now, Jake. I’m not the guy I was six months ago.”

Jakob laughed.

“Well, no shit, Shea. I knew that, but are you seriously for real about her? I mean, we all know I’m for real about any girl I get involved with, but are you?”

Shea didn’t even have to think, he just nodded.

“I am, I love her.”

Jakob grinned as he nodded.

“Good, you’re getting older, you need to settle down.”

Shea cringed.

“I never said anything about marriage, Jake.”

Jakob laughed, pulling his computer out from under the bed.

“You didn’t have to. You love her, so it will only be a matter of time. Since this is the one and only girl you have spent more than a day with.”

Shea just shook his head, “You sound like my mom.”

“She’s a smart woman.”

Shea smiled as he looked through his playlist. Jakob was so easy going, so easy to talk to. That’s probably why he was Shea’s best friend; he had always been good to Shea, and Shea was always good to him.

Everything was quiet until Jakob started screaming. He jumped up, tearing apart the room.

“What the hell are you doing?”

“I need my phone!” he yelled.

Shea pointed to the TV, where his phone laid right beside Shea’s.

“Ahh, thanks!” he yelled, picking it up, he then pushed some buttons, as a huge grin came across his face.

“Hey there,” he said into the phone as he sat down, “I saw your status. Oh no, you don’t. Don’t deny it, baby girl, I saw it! Haha, I hate to say this baby, but I told you so. Haha, okay, love you, alright, bye.” Jakob smiled over at Shea. “Harper changed her relationship status to dating me.”

“That’s awesome, dude.”

“I thought so.”

Shea couldn’t have been happier for Jakob, even if he thought the guy was crazy. They sat back in their bed, looking at their computers. Shea decided he would make Elli a playlist and send it to her for her iHome. He was just starting it when his phone rang. It was Grace.

“Hey Sis.”

“Hey! How are you doing today?”

“Good, tired, about to take a nap after I send Elli this email.”

“Cool, I’m so glad you have learned how to use that stuff. Ryan just loves his emails from you.”

“Yeah, it was about time, huh?”

“Well past it,” Grace said, laughing.

“Have you seen Elli or talked to her?”

“No, I’ve been meaning to, but I’ve been so busy. I’ll call her Monday, maybe she’ll want to do lunch with me and the kids, then go shopping for a little while.”

“Sounds good, make sure you do. I miss her.”

“I know you do,” she acknowledged, “Ready for the game tonight?”

“Yup, you guys gonna watch?”

“But of course, thinking you might win tonight?”

“I hope to.”

The Assassins had lost every game since they had been on the road. Shea just didn’t understand it; it was like his head wasn’t in the game or something. He hadn’t had one point the whole time they had been out, nothing. It was embarrassing.

“You need to; you haven’t been playing too good.”

Leave it to Grace to tell him the truth. He knew he had been sucking lately, and even Elli wouldn’t comment on it. She just avoided the whole topic and talked about something else.