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“We had a one-night stand. I got pregnant, tried to contact him. He tried to contact me. We lost contact for five years. I thought he’d abandoned me, I hated him. But he didn’t even know he had a child because I raised Arthur,that’s our son, by myself, until he showed up at one of my work events and wouldn’t leave me alone until...” She wiggles her ring finger and clicks her tongue. “Now we’re finally back on track and getting our happy ending.”
I stare wide-eyed. Guess mine doesn’t seem so bad.
“Yeah, you win.”
She smiles. “I know.”
“You gotta tell us yours!” Birdie says.
Might as well be dramatic. “I was supposed to get married today. Camden was my ex-fiancé’s best man.”
The others cover their mouths in shock. “Holy shit.Today?”
I nod.
“Damn!” Micky exclaims. “Strong contender, you might have Raleigh tied.”
It’s not the place to discuss the whole thing, but I make Raleigh promise she’ll tell me more about hers later.
I explain he’s only taking me in because of my crazy ex, and he founded a charity that specifically helps women in my situation. Yes, we’ve developed a friendship, but he probably would have done this for any woman that needed a place to go. That’s the kind of person Cam is. I leave out the sexual stuff between us—and some of the uglier parts about Bryan—though I’m sure they can read between the lines.
Birdie sighs. “God, the poor puck bunnies are gonna be devastated.”
I groan. No matter how much I try to clarify why nothingwill ever happen between Camden and me, they still seem convinced we’re destined.
“Oh. No. What ever will we do?” Micky says deadpan in a staccato rhythm.
“Please. Stop. I can’t take it,” Birdie adds.
“Hey, as a formerbunny, they will not be devastated. There’s always fresh meat to go after. Well, except heisthe pretty one... Okay, they’ll be devastated.” Raleigh concedes, throwing her hand to the side.
“We’ll have your back in case they decide to attack.”
“Nobody is going to be attacking me because he’s still a free agent who is welcome to take home whomever he pleases.”
They give me puppy-dog eyes, and I laugh. “Come on, let’s watch them play. I promise it’s way more interesting.”
Not long after, the game heats up again and Camden scores a second goal. He’s on fire tonight! Seeing how talented he is in person is so different from watching it through a screen. He carries the puck with such skill and can turn on a dime. His skates are simply an extension of himself.
After the first period, they’re winning 2-1, both goals from Cam. They walk through the tunnel, and we sneak a peek at each other.
26
Seeing Jordan in the stands does something to me. And yeah, I play better when she’s watching.What’s up with that?I’m a cocky son of a bitch, but those goals even surprised me. If I get a hat trick tonight, she will definitely come to more games.
I adjust my gloves while sitting on the bench and squirt my water bottle in my mouth. I glance over my shoulder to see her, and she’s laughing with the other women. Her eyes wander over to me.
Having fun?I mouth.
She presses her hands to both rosy cheeks with a smile.So much fun. She gestures to the chatting wives, and mouths,Thank you.
I wink, and she winks back. Damn, she’s gorgeous. Seeing her in my shirts at home is one thing. It makes me want to fuck her. But seeing my name across her back? It makes me possessive.Makes me want to keep her.This is why the boys walk around with hard dicks whenever their women wear their number. What a messed-up phenomenon.
Not that Jordan’s my woman. Whatever she and I are, it’sour own unique thing. I don’t need to label it. She’s a nice girl who’s become a good friend, and we’re using each other for sex. We share this bizarre yet comforting camaraderie. I like who she is as a person, and she’s so effortless to be around. In fact, she’s one of my favorite people.
It started as a way to keep her safe with me, but now I’m the one who feels safe with her. And we enjoy each other. Why should it be any more complicated than that? I try not to think about the things I do for her that I wouldn’t do for other women. The way I treat her is different, I’m aware, but Jordan’s special. She’s my friend. I’d never let just any girl wear my first game jersey, but today was going to be a big day for her, and I wanted her to wear something meaningful—I just didn’t realize how meaningful it would be for me to see her in it.
I’m up next. I spray water in my mouth from my water bottle and spit it out again.
