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I can’t let him down.
Today though, I allowed Jayden to throw me off my game, and that can’t ever happen again. He won’t be there to support me when I’m a crying ball of mess because I don’t make the NHL. No, he’ll be playing, so why should I allow him to fuck with my game? As I fight back the tears, since disappointing my father is the one thing I refuse to do, I try to push away my nervousness. I thought the nerves were eating me up before, but as I get closer and closer to the locker room, my heart is sure to come out of my chest. I’ve never had to share a locker room with guys before, and I’m not sure what to expect.
When I reach the door, I can hear the guys in there laughing and cutting up. Sucking in a breath, I go to push the door open, but before I can, Dad is brushing by me, slamming the door back and then entering the room, causing the guys to fall silent. Following behind him, avoiding all eye contact, I go to the spot by the door that has been assigned as my locker.
“Another thing,” Dad yells through the locker room. “I forgot to tell you boys this earlier, but Moore will be sharing the locker room with you and she will live in the same house with you. Do I approve of this? No. Will I kill anyone who touches her? Yes.” He lets that sink in and then says, “That’s it. See you boys bright and early. Eight a.m.”
As Dad leaves, everyone turns to look at me. Since some of the guys are already naked, I put my head down as I fall onto the bench before reaching down to take off my skates.
“How the fuck do they expect us to share our space with this cunt?” I hear someone say, and I close my eyes, undoing my skates.
“What? Scared I’ll make fun of your small dick?” I say with as much gusto as I can manage.
Everyone starts to laugh, but then it just goes silent. Looking up, I see Jayden standing in front of me, his hands on his hips. But his eyes aren’t on me, he’s looking at the team. “Let’s get one thing straight. Like Coach said, she is part of our team. Do we call our teammates cunts? No, we do not,” he says, his voice carrying through the locker room. “We will not treat her like a pariah. She is our sister, I guess. We take care of what is ours, and if I hear one more person call her something derogatory, I will take you out.”
No one says anything, and all I can do is gape up at him. Snapping my mouth shut, I say, “I don’t need you to defend me.”
He nods, looking back at me. “You’re right, but this is my team, and they won’t disrespect their teammates.”
“It’s not your team,” I say, standing up. “Not yet.”
He scoffs, his eyes burning into mine as he crosses his arms across his very chiseled chest.
Not that I noticed or anything.
I don’t even see that the towel he wears is hanging low on his hips, that a little line of hair is going down to the spot I so desperately wanted to explore at one time. But no more. He is my enemy.
“You can try, but you won’t get it, Moore. Not while I’m breathing.”
“Then I guess I’ll need to cut off your air supply, because this team will be mine.”
I hear a few people laugh and even some oooh out, but Jayden doesn’t move; his eyes are glued to mine. Challenging me. “We will see.”
“Yeah, we will,” I say, glaring back at him. Shaking his head, he turns his back on me and heads to his locker. Which is right across from mine. Sitting down, he crosses his legs before leaning back in his locker, taking his phone out. Looking around, I see all kinds of expressions. Angry, annoyed, and even some look apologetic.
Actually only Jace and Markus look apologetic.
Sucking in a deep breath, I sit down and take my skates off, wiggling my toes before hanging them up. I’m about to lean back in my locker to wait until everyone is done, since I am not getting in the shower with thirty other guys, when Jayden’s voice carries through the locker room again.
“Where you going, McCarthy?”
Looking up, I see McCarthy pause and point to the showers. “I’m going to shower.”
“No. Moore goes first.”
Huh? What?
“The fuck? No way, I’m not waiting for her to wash her hair and shave her legs,” he spits back, glaring at me before looking back at Jayden.
“There are thirty-two of us and one of her. I don’t expect her to wait on all of us, and I really don’t think it’s appropriate for her to be in there with us,” he says before standing, towering over McCarthy. “So we will wait. Because that’s what a gentleman does, and I’m sure she won’t be long.”
“She can go home for all I care. I’m not waiting.”
“Yes, you are. Or like you suggested, you can go home.”
Sputtering, he glares before yelling, “Why are we making special accommodations for some bitch?”
Glaring, Jayden takes a step to him and says, “Because that bitch is part of our team.”
