I put my phone back down, glad that another message doesn’t pop up.
I just hope Aaron isn’t following where I am on social media, not that he would even think to come visit me. And I wouldn’t want that. I think the time to block him has definitely come.
Regardless, I decide to be a bit careful about posting exactly where I am or what I’m doing, just in case. It’s kind of hard to do, given the following I’ve built up, which is definitely largely because of him. He never let me forget about that, either.
It’s Jay behind me that breaks my reverie.
As I turn from the balcony, I see him heading toward me, dressed in light blue jeans and a white T-shirt. He shakes out his wet hair and I smile at the fact he’s still wearing his slippers.
“Good evening,” I joke, pressing my lips together. I love making fun of how freaking long it usually takes him to get ready. Some things definitely don’t change.
I re-tuck my phone into my back pocket, eyes flicking down the full length of his well chiseled body and back up, finally landing on his baby blues. They’re as clear as the sky today, and showing nothing but mischief, a slight crinkle in the corners.
“Are you ready to go?” he asks, with that cute little head tilt he does so well.
“I’m ready to kick your ass on the ice.” I give him a grin of my own that can only rival his competitive edge.
“Kick my ass?” he laughs, clutching his chest in a fake fit. “You’re funny,Little Princess,has anyone ever told you that?”
It makes me smile hearing him say the nickname he’s always had for me since the day I met him. He alternates betweenJJ,Sweetheart and Princess,sometimes he even putslittlein front of it. “Quite frequently, actually,” I retort.
He snorts with laughter. “Give it your best shot.”
“Fine. I will.”
“You think you have the upper hand because you’re small and fast?” he says, placing a hand on his hip.
His tanned, chiseled jawline shows a day or so of stubble, a cute scruff he obviously didn’t get around to shaving. And Jay is always pretty much clean shaven and smooth. It suits him either way, but like this, he looks a little unkempt and way more wild than the baby face I know and adore.
“I can get the drop on you any day, hotshot.”
“We’ll see,” he jibes, jangling his keys in the air. “If you’re ready, let’s go.”
CHAPTER 4
Jay
Five minutes ago…
I press my back onto the bathroom door. A sharp pain in my chest rising so fucking quickly it takes me by storm. Anxiety maybe? I do my best to shrug it off. I haven’t had that in years.
And why would I be anxious, anyway?
Maybe it’s because my mom has been calling since we won the Stanley Cup and I don’t want to answer her. She left a voicemail right afterwards about just wanting to say hi and how good I looked out there on the ice. And maybe we could catch up in the future, and how she’d been in rehab and was sober now.
I don’t believe a word of it, of course. She never could stay off the wagon for long.
A few text messages flew back and forth between us, but I will never believe she’s turned over a new leaf. And I don’t want to see her.
Maybe my anxiety has nothing to do with my mom. It could be because I can’t get my best friend’s sister, who’s out in mylounge room, out of my freaking head since I slowed danced my hard on right into the back of her a couple of months ago.
I run a hand over my face because I know I can’t go there with her. But she’s all I’ve been able to fucking think about. Being here in my kitchen this morning, making me breakfast, looking beautiful and excited about spending the afternoon with me, isn’t helping my psyche one bit.
And it isn’t because I don’t want to spend it with her. I just don’t want things to get complicated between us.
I still can’t work out how in the hell I blacked out so hard last night and why I totally forgot about Jade coming over this morning.
I glance down at the bulge in my pants.
