Chapter 3
Bayleigh
We need snacks. I sign to James as we head to the entrance of the arena.
Agreed. He signs back. Pretzel and beer for me. My implant crackles at the wave of noise rolling through the entryway, but it never gives me anything useful. Too many voices, too much echo. I rely on James’s hands, not the tech buzzing in my ear.
I want popcorn. But as I think about it, popcorn dunked into some nacho cheese sounds even better. I wonder if they’d let me buy just the cheese?
I can’t wait to get to our seats. All those sweaty hockey players—shoulders like mountains, thighs that could crush watermelons.
Forget the pads; I know what’s under them.
It’s a smorgasbord out there. All I need you to do is get your fine-ass brother to hook me up with one of them.
James presses a hand to his heart, eyes going dreamy, and I have to bite back a laugh.
Well, you have a better chance of him hooking you up with someone than I do. I sign, just as I trip over my own feet and James has to reach out and grab me before I crash to the concrete floor. My eyes shift up and see a group of five women pointing my way and laughing.
My vision clouds, and I’m thrown back into the past.
“Look at her. She’s pathetic. Did you hear her talking to her brother? What alpha in their right mind would want her?” Amy says to her loyal followers. “Someone kill me if I ever sound like that.”
She knows I can read lips. It’s why she’s looking right at me, making sure she says each word clearly.
Amy had her sights set on my brother. He’s an alpha, comes from a good family, and according to everyone, handsome.
To me, he’s just my brother. She could’ve had him too.
But she screwed up, and he overheard her making fun of me.
“Right? Can you imagine what an alpha would think with her begging for his knot sounding like that?” Erica speaks next, her face cutting over to me. I should look away and ignore them. But I can’t.
“That’s why her scent match rejected her,” Amy adds, and my heart cracks.
My scent match. I never imagined I’d have one, but then he sat down beside me at orientation my freshman year at college. Joseph was so handsome, and his blackberry scent wrapped around me. A week later he was with Amy.
Everything was perfect for those first few days. I even thought he’d accepted me being deaf, and I felt a moment of security and shared with him that I could speak. He was so happy until he heard me. Then, he rejected me in front of everyone.
James bumps my shoulder before taking hold of my arms and turning me to face him. He grips my chin in his hand, tilting my head upward.
“Stop. Wherever you zoned out to, put it in the past.” He knows my life has been rough, and that I was picked on a lot in my younger years. He’s my best friend. I couldn't hide it from him. Not like I can with my voice.
I nod in response.
“Those bitches wished they were half as hot as you. Jealous, that’s all they are.
I mean I would be too, after getting a look at you, and well, you do have me as the perfect arm candy.
” James winks. I shake my head before wrapping my arms around his waist, hugging him tightly as I bury my head in his chest.
I pull away from him, my fingers flying gracefully through the air as I sign. I know. Who doesn’t wish they had a beta who was as hot and stylish as you? Now, I want popcorn, nacho cheese, and a Pepsi.
James smiles widely, the corners of his mouth going from ear to ear as his grayish blue eyes twinkle. Just the sight warms my heart.
We head to the concession stand and wait in line as we continue to sign back and forth. Sometimes he turns to look at me, so that I can read his lips and he can talk. Inch by inch, we move closer to the counter.
The longer we’re in the line, the more people pack in, the harder it is for my implant to handle the noise. It glitches in and out, trying to process too many voices at once. I stop even trying to rely on it and keep my focus on James instead.
I get it. Hockey games are full of excitement. But none so much as when the Scorpions and Krakens go head to head.
I’m so lost in thought I don’t realize we’ve moved to the counter until James gently takes my hand, pulling me closer to him.
Gazing up at him, I see he’s giving our order, and I watch anxiously, making sure that the attendant is getting my cheese.
Not having it is the only thing that can place a stain on this day. Well, that and the Krakens losing.
James hands me the bottle of Pepsi, and I slip it into the pocket on my jacket, then I take the popcorn and nacho cheese from him.
The cheese is in a cup, so I’m able to drop it into the bucket of popcorn, leaving one hand free to keep talking to James.
He, on the other hand, has his hands full with the nachos, a can of beer and a box of peanut M&M’s.
He makes sure I’m looking at before he speaks. “Let’s go get our seats and root for who we think has the hottest ass.”
I use one hand and quickly sign. As long as it’s not my brother.
“Sorry, Bayleigh. I can’t make any promises. He’s not my brother and well, his ass is…” He sticks the can of beer under his arm, lifting his free hand to his mouth, biting his knuckle. “I’ve seen him walking around your place in his boxers.”
I shake my head, faking like I’m gagging because ewww. That is not an image I want in my mind.
We head toward the steps that’ll lead us to our seats. My head is facing him so that I can read his lips as he talks animatedly. Thankfully, he’s moved on from my brother to Nelson, the goalie for the Krakens. Now, his ass is one I’d love to talk about, see, and even take a bite out of.
James is talking faster than normal, but I find myself proud that I’m actually able to keep up. Normally, I don’t have to work as hard with him or my family because they’re also signing. I think I may ask James to do more talking without signing so I can get even better at reading lips.
I’m so engrossed in concentrating on catching every word that James is saying that I’m not paying any attention to what’s around me. I’m confident that if there is any danger lurking ahead, James will let me know.
But he doesn’t, and I’m mid-laugh when I slam right into a wall of pure steel, making me stumble as my bucket of popcorn and cheese crashes to the floor. I’m able to catch my balance, but my heart drops at seeing my tasty treat scattered beneath my feet.
When I look up, I see the most stunning cerulean blue eyes I’ve ever seen attached to a ruggedly handsome face. Dark stubble shadows his jaw, and his mouth, full, expressive—moves as he speaks, my focus locking there without permission.
As my eyes trail down to his chest, I see his body is muscular, and I swallow hard.
His scent hits a second later—sandalwood and something warm underneath it—nothing sweet, nothing needy.
I can feel the heat creep to my cheeks and can only imagine how red I must look before my eyes go back to his face and I see his lips moving.
“Do you always walk without watching where you’re going?” His lips move fast, clipped, and my chest tightens as I scramble to keep up.
I don’t answer, though. I can’t. And if I did, I doubt he’d even understand what I’m saying unless he knows sign language.
“Hello? Are you ignoring me?” He waves his hand in front of my face, and all I can focus on is how plump and kissable his lips are.
I shake my head no and make a fist, rubbing it on my chest. The sign for sorry, just in case he knows ASL. I mean, I can’t just presume he doesn’t.
“You’ve got to be kidding me. You bump into me and then just stand there like nothing happened.” He raises a brow. “Cat got your tongue? Are you deaf or something? No one has fucking manners anymore.”
My stomach drops, that old familiar shame curling tight before I can stop it.
James immediately takes hold of my arm, pulling me close to his side.
My eyes shift over to him, and I can see the scowl on his face.
But with him trying to be in front of me, it’s hard for me to read his lips.
So I step forward, shifting my body so I can look between the two of them.
He hands me his nachos, freeing his hands.
James steps toe to toe with the alpha, whose sandalwood scent wraps around me.
“She is deaf, you asshole, and she just apologized in sign language,” James signs furiously as his lips move.
My body stiffens, scared of where this interaction may go.
While I know James is strong and can handle himself, the other guy is larger than him and an alpha.
“Do you always talk like a rude caveman to ladies you run into? And yeah, I said you, because you could’ve been watching where you were going as well. ”
The alpha’s face goes white as he shifts his focus back to me.
“You’re right. I’m so sorry. It’s just as much my fault.” He watches as James signs his response to me. Then, almost as if his instincts suddenly kick in, his eyes drag the length of my body. “Are you okay? Hurt?”
Instead of reading his lips, I focus on what James is signing to me.
I give him the barest of smiles as I sign.
It’s okay. I’m fine. James translates for him, and I hand the nachos back to James so I can use both of my hands.
I was busy trying to read James’ lips and wasn’t paying attention to where I was going.
But you shouldn’t be so rude in the future.
Accidents happen. My eyes drop to the floor where my popcorn lies.
God, I was looking forward to it. The alpha’s eyes track where I’m looking.
“Let me buy you some more popcorn to make up for being an ass,” he offers, the corners of his lips turning up.
I shake my head, because I don’t need him to do that. But James isn’t having it.
“Yeah, it’s the least you can do. Make it an extra-large bucket with salt and butter, and she needs nacho cheese,” he rushes out.
He looks at James, then raises his eyebrows, questioning the order.
I quickly sign. The cheese makes the popcorn better.
“She thinks popcorn dipped in cheese is the best thing ever. I was supposed to find out today if she was right, but some tree trunk thought it would be a good idea to knock her off balance and cause her to spill her food.” My eyes are glued to James’ lips, and I have to cover my mouth because it’s so funny how he’s acting all big and bad.
“Maybe I’ll have to get some to try as well. Wait right here and I’ll be back,” he says before rushing past us toward the concession stand. My eyes stay glued to his ass as he walks away, and when he looks over his shoulder and sees me staring, I can’t help but blush.
James taps me on the arm, getting my attention. “Now that’s an ass to drool over. Nelson might have some competition.” We both laugh, and he nods his head toward the stairs. “Come on, let's go to our seats.”
I gesture in the direction of the hot, rude stranger.
“He can find us in our seats.”
I hold up my hands in confusion before signing. How?
“Oh, trust me, Bayleigh. He’ll find us.”
Not wanting to argue with what he’s saying, I fall in step beside him as we head for our seats. But if he doesn’t find us, James will be making a trip to get me my popcorn.