AllFreeNovel
Share Us
I swung through half-heartedly, barely playing along with her game.
“You call that a swing?” Her warm hands landed on my back, positioning herself directly between my legs, and she moved my fist down the bat. I didn’t need her help with my form, but I was sure as shit not going to stop her. Screw batting. This was what I needed right here.
She stepped away as if she could hear my thoughts. “Swing through. Don’t stop when you hit the vase.” Her bossy tone had me biting my bottom lip. I usually liked to be the one in charge, but her confidence was sexy as hell.
She walked around the cart, pulling out an enormous vase and setting it up before taking a seat on the sofa a safe distance away.
Something about her got to me, and I felt my walls lowering with the intensity of her attention. The last few days were rough. Rocky, my dickhead agent, was all over me about my image. I was still reeling after that last call. He was pissed about Sid and my little race in the halls. Said that I need to control my image better. When I refused, he laid the guilt on thick and went on and on about how it was important to build recognition for my brand and how I needed to be seen as a safe bet.
Frustration built in my chest, and I followed Sid’s directions, swinging through, and connected hard with the vase. All the pressure transferred from me to the shattering glass, and a smile lit up my face.
“You like it?” Sid sounded unsure, and I didn’t like the hint of doubt in her voice.
“Yeah, Sid, I like it.”
She clapped her hands. “My turn.”
She rolled her shoulders, preparing to bat next, bringing attention to the skin just above her collar. Her scar barely peeked out, and I wanted to run my fingers across it. I stepped away before she could notice where I was staring.
Over the next hour, we chatted about unimportant things and settled into a rhythm as we set up more glass to break. There was an easy way about her that was as contagious as it was addictive. Most people peppered me with questions about hockey and my future playing in the NHL. She let me talk about it at the pace I wanted. She talked about her plans and how she couldn’t wait to get her career started, and how she thought her mom would be proud.
I sat beside her on the old couch. “Of course she’d be proud, Sid. You’re doing amazing.”
There was a soft pink hue to her cheeks that she tried to hide from me, but I was paying attention. She reached into her bag, and my gaze caught on the bare skin where her shirt escaped her skirt’s waistband. Fuck, I wanted to run my thumb along that strip, but my thoughts were cut off.
“It’s not much, but something to take the edge off.” Sid handed me a protein bar, oblivious to my thoughts. Her words took on a different meaning in my head. The pressure was gone, but there was something else growing here.
She didn’t ask what was up with me, but there was a question in her eyes. I rolled my shoulders and tried to explain the thing that was eating me alive. “Do you remember six years ago when a high school kid died street racing?”
“Yes, it was all over the news.” Her voice was soft, barely a whisper.
“He was my best friend, Marcus.” I took a deep breath, calming the ache that built in my chest. “Not only did we play together, but he was the reason I got into hockey.”
She didn’t push me, just waited for me to continue.
“After he—” I closed my eyes.Breathe. “After he died, I decided I would do whatever it took to fulfill his dreams of making it to the pros. Since I was on the second line and practiced a lot with Marcus, I naturally took over for him. Sometimes it feels like I’m living his life for him, and I’ll never amount to who he would’ve become. You should’ve seen him. The way he could skate scared the shit out of guys in college.” I rubbed my trembling hands over my face and raked them through my hair. “I’ve been struggling with my game lately. I’ve got to figure it out before people start to notice—”
Her soft hand slid over my jaw and tipped my gaze to meet hers. “It’s beautiful that you’re honoring your friend… but Jax, you’re your own person. Don’t get so caught up in living his dream that you forget your own.” Her eyes were bright with unshed tears, but there was no pity there, only understanding.
Sidney pulled her legs onto the sofa, and her shoulder leaned further into mine. She was right. This was exactly what I needed, but I couldn’t help worrying about why she needed this place to begin with?
TEN
SIDNEY
There wasa big A on my computer screen.
“I won the bet, Sid. Pay up.” Jax’s voice was low near my ear, and I had to fight back a shiver. I slid a small piece of paper toward him and caught my breath when my finger ghosted across his. My pulse thrummed when he pulled away, opening and closing his fist.
His voice was barely above a whisper. “That’s rule number three. How long do you think your other rules will last?”
I rolled my eyes, not bothering to respond to that.
He looked at the paper and smirked. I jotted down my number in purple ink and the wordsDon’t abuse iton the note.
His breath fanned out against my neck once more before he finally took a deep breath and leaned back in his chair. He gave me the thumbs-up gesture, shocking a laugh out of me and effectively breaking the tension.
I stage-whispered, “I wish I’d have gotten that on camera. Could’ve gone viral on Instagram.” That earned me a full-belly laugh. The sound had my heart stuttering—
