AllFreeNovel
Share Us
I sit with the boys at our usual table and watch as they go hard on the beers, especially Shorty, who for some unknown reason, absolutely loves Micky’s. It probably has something to do with the easy pussy he gets here.
Rather than calling the waitress over, I head up to the bar to order a drink, and Charli practically boots the new girl out of her way to be the one to serve me. She pours me a drink and hands it over with a flirty smile that has me ready to take her up to her apartment and nail her on the kitchen counter.
Despite having my drink in hand, I find myself sitting at the bar, chilling out with my girl as she works. A moment passes before Charli glances up and subtly nods behind me. “Head’s up,” she mutters. “You’ve got company.”
Glancing over my shoulder, I find Jaxon making his way over here, and it’s clear I’m his target. I let out a heavy sigh, knowing this is it. He’s been riding my ass all week, and I’ve managed to avoid his questions, but something tells me my time has run out.
He takes the seat next to me, nursing a beer in his hands. “Hey, man. What are you doing all the way over here? There’s a party going on, and we’re the guests of honor.”
Shit, what the hell am I supposed to tell him? “Just chilling out with Charli here,” I say, motioning behind the bar to Charli. She turns at the sound of her name and gives Jaxon a nod before getting back to work, not liking having the attention on her.
I down the rest of my drink and subtly check the time, knowing I’m going to have to leave for my fight soon, but I also know it would be way too shady to just get up and leave without a word.
“Let me guess. You’ve got somewhere to be?” Jaxon says, letting me off the hook, though the disapproval in his tone has something tightening in my gut.
Shit. That just made me feel like the biggest douchebag around. I wish I could be honest with these guys, but our whole relationship would change. I know they sense I’m hiding something from them, something big, and that makes them question my loyalty to the team. But I can’t tell them, not yet. Besides, the second they realize my heart is somewhere other than on that ice, the game will change. They won’t see me as their teammate, their family . . . I would just be some guy who happens to be wearing the same jersey.
With a sigh, I look up at him with regret, hating how deceitful I have to be. “Yeah. Sorry, man.”
He’s silent for a moment before finally asking the question that’s been on his mind all week. “Is there something you need to talk about?” he asks before getting a little more serious. “You’re not in any kind of trouble, are you? I can’t have shit coming down on the team, especially now we’re getting closer to the finals.”
If only he knew.
“Nah,” I tell him, shaking my head, trying to make light of the situation. “No trouble. Just got stuff going on.”
He seems to take my word for it before flicking his gaze back to Charli. I can practically see him trying to work it out. It’s like he knows there’s some kind of connection between us, but he has no idea what.
I don’t know why I haven’t told the boys about me and Charli. I guess, at first, I wanted to keep my fighting life and my hockey life separate, and Charli was put firmly on the fighting side, but that’s not the case now. She comes under a whole new section. She’s my fucking girl, through thick and thin. She’s so much more than a fucking side I can put her on.
“Alright, man,” Jaxon says, getting up off the stool and wrapping this shit up. “You know where to find me if you need anything.”
I give him a nod, taking his comment for what it is—an open invitation to spill my fucking guts. “Thanks,” I say before turning away. I give Charli a quick wink and she blows me a kiss before mouthing “Good luck.”
“Hey,” I hear Jaxon calling after me. I turn back around and practically have to lip-read over the noise of the bar. “Don’t show up to training covered in bruises. I need your head in the game if we’re going to take out the championship again.”
Yeah, the fucker definitely knows.
I give him a tight grin. My head in the game? My head is always in the fucking game, no matter what. He should know that by now. “Sure thing, man,” I say before ducking out the side door, and heading back up the alley to my truck, reminding myself how lucky I am to have it back.
