Page 82 of The Chase

“Bad?”

“I don’t want to talk about it.”

I watched the muscles in his jaw tick, and I knew he was trying to hold his tongue. “You’re gonna continue to go, though, right?”

“Yes,” I gritted out and ignored him to watch his twin sister on the ice.

TJ put a hand on my leg and squeezed it through the tights I wore under my skirt. I warmed at his touch. I loved when he rested his hand on my thigh like that because it made me feel protected. The small gesture told me I was his, and he would always be there for me.

I realized I was being pissy with TJ for no reason. I opened my mouth to apologize, but it died on my lips when Dinah exclaimed, “Holy fuck!”

I watched the ice, but it was a shift change, and nothing too exciting was happening yet. “What’s wrong?” I asked.

“Philly got a PHF team,” she said.

Benny turned around at that. “Seriously?”

“Dude, yes!” Dinah almost screamed. “We HAVE to convince Rox she needs to try out!”

Benny got a wild look in his eyes. “Yes!”

“Roxie would kick ass in that league, but she won’t do it,” TJ argued.

I finished my dinner and got up to throw the paper container away in the trash. When I came back to our seats, I stood next to Benny in front of the glass and watched Rox on the ice.

“She’s afraid playing in the pro league would make it harder on your relationship. It’s already so difficult with you guys on the road all the time,” I explained to Benny.

“But they don't travel as much!” he argued.

I poked him in the chest. “I agree, but you gotta convince her. She’s wiping the ice with everyone tonight. She needs to be playing at a higher caliber.”

I walked back over to where TJ was sitting, and he pulled me into his lap. I wrapped my arms around his neck and kissed him. Sparks always flew when TJ kissed me but especially after he’d been on the road.

I pulled away and rested my forehead against his. “Hi.”

He gave me the famous Desjardins smirk. “Hey, baby girl.”

“You wanna get out of here?”

He slid me off his lap. “Bye!” he called to his friends while he dragged me out of the rink.

That made me laugh. So much for wanting to support his sister.

We spent the rest of the night in each other’s arms, and it distracted TJ enough that he didn’t ask about therapy again. I’d admit I did it on purpose. I loved TJ and how supportive he was of me talking to a professional about my issues, but I didn’t want to rehash all the unwanted emotions that bubbled up to the surface today. I didn’t want to admit to him I was unsure and scared about going back.

He stroked my hair as I lay naked in his arms and held onto him. “Baby girl?”

“Yeah, T?” I murmured as I buried my head into his chest. This was exactly what I wanted from him tonight. To be held in his arms while he told me everything would be okay, even though I was cracking at the seams.

“I’m proud of you for going today. Promise me you’ll go again?”

He tipped my head up to look at him, and the worry I saw etched across his face almost broke me. I didn’t want him to be consumed with worry because of my mental state.

I nodded. “Tristan?”

A smile curled around his lips at his first name coming out of my mouth. “Yeah, baby girl?”

“I just want to be held tonight. I don’t want to talk about it.”