How did you get this number?
The response came almost immediately.
Unknown:
I have my ways
Of course he did. His brother had my number, after all. Growling under my breath, I stabbed out his name, adding him to my short list of contacts.
Me:
There’s nothing to talk about.
Jude:
You sure about that? I’m gonna be at your games for the next few weeks
Fuck. I hadn’t even thought about the fact that Jude would be there, in the stands, watching me play, both of us pretending that he was just another face in the crowd.
My thumbs flew over the keyboard as I tapped out a reply.
Me:
Stay away from me
Jude:
Easier said than done. My brother’s your teammate, remember
He was right, but it didn’t mean we needed to voluntarily speak to each other.
It was too fucking dangerous.
Me:
Stay away. I mean it
Jude:
We should at least speak about it. After that I’ll stay out of your way
Me:
No
My phone buzzed with another text, but this time, I didn’t even bother unlocking my screen. Leaving it on my kitchen island, I headed down to the gym in my building.
I could physically drain myself with exercise, but there was nothing I could do to get rid of the memory of green eyes watching me from the stands, or the way Jude had looked when I’d pressed him against that wall.
The truth was, I wanted him then, and I still wanted him now.
7
Jude
The out-of-town car park was deserted, just as I’d hoped it would be. After dinner, I’d made an excuse to Brayden about being jet-lagged and needing an early night, and then I’d pulled up my maps app and searched for a place I could meet Cody and not have to worry about being seen by anyone. I’d been sitting here in my rental car for twenty minutes, watching the sun set behind the Calgary skyline as I waited for him to reply to my latest text—the third one I’d sent since his last response to me.
Maybe he wouldn’t come. Maybe he was just going to ignore my messages. Maybe this was his way of telling me to fuck off and leave him alone, which was probably the best option, if I were honest with myself.
