“Come on,” I encourage her to get out of bed. “It’s obvious that your stomach agrees with the plan to get some dinner. I came home straight from practice, and I’m starving.”
She grabs the jersey I gave her and puts it on, over the tank top and leggings she was wearing in bed. “Is this ok?” she asks, pointing at her clothes.
“You’re perfect.” I smile.
I haven’t given my jersey to a girl since high school. Of course, fans wear my number six jersey all the time, but this is different. For a while, I really thought I didn’t care about this stuff. But I like it. I like to see my name and number on Bex.
“Do we have a minute?” she asks, heading to the en-suite bathroom. “My face is a complete mess. I can’t be seen in public like this.”
I enter the small bathroom, stopping behind her and meeting her eyes in the mirror above the sink. The red blotches and the puffiness caused by her crying are gone. “If you want to put on makeup, I can wait. But don’t do it for me. You’re perfect the way you are. Beautiful.”
I hope she knows I mean it.
A small smile curls the corners of her soft lips. “Thank you, Jamie. But if we’re going to be seen together, I don’t want to tarnish your image. We want people to think you’re off the market and not interested in hooking up anymore. No one will believe that if your girlfriend looks hideous.”
I grab her hips, turning her around to face me. Her body is trapped between me and the vanity cabinet. The urge to lift her to sit on the edge of the sink and kiss her is strong, but I resist it.
“Fuck them. Fuck anyone who has nothing better to do than to worry about what other people do and what the fuck they look like. You could never be hideous. You’re beautiful with or without makeup. And actually, if you don’t feel like going out to eat, I can order us some takeout and we can eat it here.”
“Why would we do that?” she chuckles. “The entire point of us going out is to be seen together.”
Her hand lands on my chest, and I cover it with mine. I like her touch and I wonder if she can feel how fast my heart is beating. Hopefully she can’t feel the way my cock has taken notice of her nearness, beginning to harden in my jeans.
“We’re friends, right?” my tone is serious and she nods. “Then our fake relationship can wait for one night. If you don’t feel up to going out, we’re staying in.”
Bex shakes her head. “No, let’s go. Going out will take my mind off of all my past life drama.”
I wrap my arm around her shoulders. “Yes, ma’am.”
Going out is fine by me, because it means I get to kiss her. When I saw Bex for the first time, I was disappointed that she was so hot. The team’s bro-code is clear about not messing with a teammate’s sister. But what do you know? Sometimes the universe works in mysterious ways.
Chapter16
Public Displays
Connor
“I’m out.” Keene says, taking the tray with his empty plate. “I’ve got a paper due Friday and I should really get cracking on it. Professor Cantucci is a hard ass, especially with athletes. He makes a point of not giving us any preferential treatment and he doesn’t accept any excuses. I’ve had trouble concentrating these past few days, but the house should be empty right now.”
I follow his scowl all the way to the end of the line of people that are waiting to fill their cups at the fountain drink station and spot Jamie and Bex.
“With them out of the way, I should have at least an hour of total peace.”
I nod in agreement, my eyes glued to the number six on Bex’s back. “Yeah, Cantucci takes pleasure in athletes failing her classes. I took her Intro To Art class last year, and it’s an experience I hope to never have to repeat.”
Keene is mightily pissed off at how Luke managed to get his way about Bex moving in.
Truth be told, I’m not as mad about it. Sure, the way our captain handled the situation was a little underhanded, but I get the pressure he was under. If I had been in his shoes, I would have done exactly the same. When he asked us if Bex could move in and stay in his room, I genuinely voted no because I was worried about the consequences if anyone reported us. The housing administration is quite strict here, especially after the fire that destroyed the Zeta house a while ago. So while having a guest for a couple of days is tolerated, allowing someone who doesn’t go to school here to live in a dorm is grounds for serious trouble.
I felt like an asshole to say no, but any blemish on my record could put in jeopardy my chances of going pro. I was drafted by a team in New York my freshman year. But unlike Jamie and Luke, my team didn’t hand me a contract right off the bat. That’s being negotiated by my agent as we speak, and my behavior needs to be above board if I want everything to go well.
Luke was right that I have a trust fund and if I don’t get an NHL contract, it isn’t the end of the world, at least financially speaking. But my father is a retired NHL player and as his only offspring, the expectation is always been that I would follow in his footsteps. It isn’t a problem because thankfully I love hockey and playing professionally has always been my dream.
The pressure, however, is insane. People think that having a famous father who paved the way for me is an advantage. And in some respects, I think they’re right. I learned how to skate before I learned how to walk and affording ice time and the gear has never been an issue. It’s also true that my dad still has many contacts in the pro world. But being a nepo baby isn’t all that’s cut out to be. My famous last name attracts attention, and the eyes of every scout have been on me since I started playing in the kid leagues. But that attention alone doesn’t get you drafted and, sure enough, it doesn’t get you a spot on a pro team roster. If you don’t have what it takes, a famous name means nothing. Actually, at this level, being my father’s son is a hindrance. I’m always compared to him. Every time the press talks about me, his stats are shown side by side with mine. It’s almost as if I’m only worth something if I perform better than he ever did.
So while I like Bex, I couldn’t risk fucking everything up. I’ve worked my entire life to show the world that I’m worth more than just the name on the back of my jersey.
My eyes have been glued to Bex this entire time. I observe as she fills her cup with Diet Coke. When she turns around, Jamie wraps his arm around her shoulders and lowers his head to kiss her.
