Chapter 10
Chapter Ten
JASPER
It’s early. Practice doesn’t start for another few hours, but I needed to come in and clear my head. Ever since the gala, I’ve been spinning out. Finding out that the woman I’ve been talking to knew who I was this whole time?
It feels like a betrayal. I don’t care that she’s the world’s biggest pop star. I hate that she lied about knowing who I was.
I need to put Quinn out of my head. Or is it Genevieve?
I feel like such an idiot to let myself get played like that.
Throwing my bag into my locker with a little more force than necessary, I stalk off to the weight room.
It’s blissfully empty.
Grabbing a set of weights, I start my normal workout routine. Today, the burn is welcome. I need it.
It helps clear my head, pushing away all thoughts of the gala and the woman I’ve been talking to these last few months.
By the time I got home that night, there were messages waiting for me from her. I couldn’t bring myself to look at them—I was too mad. Still haven’t, if I’m being honest, no matter how tempting they are.
Dropping the weights and grabbing a heavier set, I move on to lunges. Until a towel swats me in the ass.
“What the fuck?” I set the dumbbells down, turning to find the guys behind me.
“What’s got you in such a mood this morning?” Bode asks.
“Who says I’m in a mood?”
He exchanges a look with Marcus. “Oh yeah, obviously not in a mood.”
I wipe the sweat from my brow with the bottom of my T-shirt.
“You’ve been in a mood since the gala,” Bode says.
“Just tired, is all,” I lie. “I’m fine.”
I am not ready to get into a discussion about this.
“You know, you keep saying you’re fine, but I’m finding that hard to believe.”
“All I want right now is to focus on my workout and look ahead to playing against Carolina. What’s wrong with that?”
“Nothing,” Graham says.
“See?” I point at him. “He agrees. Nothing wrong with wanting to keep up with the younger kids so the fans won’t give you shit.”
“You know you don’t have to prove anything to anyone, right?” Dax says.
“I know.”
“So then why are you here so early pushing yourself?”
“You’re here early,” I retort.
“Practice starts in thirty minutes. Not that early,” Bode says. “How long have you been here?”
Shit. A lot longer than I thought.
“All I want is to keep my head down and play my game. I know I’m not cutting it like I used to.”
It’s no surprise that my game isn’t up to par as I’m getting older.
“No one said that,” Marcus tells me.
“Yeah, but every time I come off the ice and sit on the bench, fans yell at me about how terrible I’m doing.”
Marcus scoffs. “Has Coach Andrews said that?”
“Well, no,” I bite out.
“Then don’t worry about it. You’re doing just fine.”
“Right.”
Except it doesn’t feel like I am as I head over to the treadmills and fire one up. There’s too much going on in my head right now. I’m pissed that Quinn lied to me. I’m mad that my game isn’t up to my usual level. I’m pissy with the fans.
I’m just over it all right now.
Lately, the person who I would talk to about this is Quinn. I told her everything. I mean, I used to be able to talk to the guys about anything, but with all of them falling in love, I don’t want to be a burden.
It’s the hard part of not having any family. No one that I can turn to and talk to about these kinds of things. It’s like I’m being left behind and I don’t quite know how to deal with that.
At least I have Zucchini. But she has to like me because I feed her and pet her.
Jabbing at the treadmill button, I increase the speed.
The pounding underneath my feet feels good. The burning and stretching in my legs and lungs keeps driving me forward.
This. This is exactly what I need right now.
Except it comes to an abrupt end when Noah stands in front of me, pulling the safety magnet off.
“What the fuck, man?” I glare at him.
“Tell me what’s going on.”
Looking around, I see that the other guys left.
“Why does anything have to be wrong? I’m—”
“If you say fine one more time, I’m going to deck you.”
“Really? You would punch me?”
“Well, no, not really.” He shakes his head. “But everyone knows when someone says they’re fine, they’re not actually fine.”
“Excuse me, Mr. Hayes?” One of the team secretaries walks into the weight room, looking very out of place in her pantsuit.
“Yes.” I grab the towel hanging from the bar of the treadmill and drag it down my face, trying to make myself more presentable.
“This came for you.”
She thrusts a box into my arms before scurrying out.
“Thanks,” I call out, even though the door is closing behind her.
“What’s that?” Noah asks.
“Beats the fuck out of me.”
Too bad it wasn’t Coach Andrews needing me so I could get out of this conversation with Noah.
Grabbing one side of the box, I rip it open. A note addressed to Casper sits on top of two neatly wrapped items in pink tissue paper. I grab the card and open it to an unfamiliar scrawl.
Casper,
I know you don’t want to talk to me, but I’m hoping you might still be feline a connection and this will break the ice…again.
>
You started it, buddy
Is that what I am to you?
I hope not…
Hopefully my good humor wasn’t what made you hesitate
It was my past
Are you done being hesitant? Because I want to *officially* meet you and not have you hesitate
No more hesitating
I really like you, Jasper, and I don’t want to screw this up again
Dinner?
Really?
Yes. No more hesitating
How about tonight then?
I’m free
How about my place?
Considering you might cause chaos anywhere we go, it might be the safer bet
Only because I get to meet Zucchini
She’ll be happy to meet you too
You still have my address from before?
Yes
No more ghosting
I’ll be there
Good
Because I’d hate to rename you Casper The Friendly Ghoster
Aren’t you funny
There’s more where that came from
I can’t wait