17. JENSEN
17
I ’m staying in the car while Rae is inside to grab us some snacks when I pull my phone out of my pocket. I sigh when I notice the dozen calls from Emily before I see the missed call from my agent.
It feels weird to not belong to a club. I told the Coach right after we won the Cup, and when he asked me why, I couldn’t give him an answer. I don’t know why I don’t wanna play for the Knights anymore. Frankly, it makes no sense, because all I ever wanted to do was play hockey and now I’m quitting a team before I know where I want to go in the first place. But the last couple of months I’ve had this anxious feeling that I needed to do something else.
To play somewhere else.
Curious, I call him back, holding my phone close to my ear in anticipation, as I nervously tap my finger against the wheel.
My jaw ticks in excitement, knowing there has to be some serious interest from different teams. The dial tone sounds harsh until Kay answers the phone.
“You’ve been ignoring me, Jensen,” he speaks, a bit grim. “Heard you’ve been busy.”
“If it makes you feel better, I’ve been ignoring everyone. What do you got for me?” I ask, running a hand through my hair.
I have no desire to waste time with small talk and certainly not to discuss whatever might be going on with Rae.
“There are offers from the Bruins, the Penguins, and the Devils.” The words come out of his lips as if he’s telling me the items on a McDonald's menu, and my ears heat up at the sound of it.
He’s shitting me.
He has to be.
“I think I heard you wrong, Kay. Because I could’ve sworn you just said the Devils . As in the Jersey Devils?”
He keeps quiet, and a sharp pain of agony going through my chest. With impeccable timing, Rae gets back into the car with a smile splitting her face as she holds up a bag of gummy bears and some barbecue chips. I send a small smile her way, then pinch the bridge of my nose.
“Come on, Kay,” I drag out the words, feeling fucked. “What was the one thing I’ve always said?”
“No Metropolitan Division.”
My frustration echoes through the car. “That’s three teams from the Metropolitan Division!”
There is no chance in Hell I’m going to move back to the East Coast. You might as well ball and chain me right now and put a fucking gag in my mouth while you’re at it.
“What do you want me to say, Jensen? These are the teams that are interested right now. You just won the Stanley Cup. You’re wanted back home.”
“I sure as fuck am not going back home,” I counter, adamantly.
“Just think about it for a few days. They are all offering a shit ton of money.”
He keeps quiet for a moment while I tighten my grip around my phone, the anger now feeling like a firecracker up my ass, ready to take off.
“I don’t care about the money! I’m the best defender in the league right now, Kay. You find me a team in a different Division, or I’m going to find myself a different agent!”
He sighs through the phone, but I shake my head, even though he can’t see me refusing to budge.
“Come on, you’re being an asshole, Jensen.”
Slamming my fist on the wheel, the fire bursts inside of me. “Watch me be an asshole if you don’t find me a different team!” I roar, then I hang up the phone, letting the device fall in my lap.
No fucking way am I going to play in the Metropolitan Division, no matter how much they’ll offer me. I’ll be signing my life away, and that’s not going to happen.
Not now.
Not ever.
“Bad news?” I spin my head to Rae, who’s cautiously eying me.
“That was my agent.” I run my hand through my tousled hair. “All East Coast teams.”
She nods her head, then places her hand on my arm, trying to comfort me.
“That sucks, but it’s only been four days. There will probably be more.”
Her gentle touch seems to calm me down, and my frustration is getting pushed to the back of my head. When she squeezes my bicep, a tug lifts the corner of my mouth.
“Yeah, you’re probably right.”
Calm the fuck down, Jensen. She’s right. I haven’t even announced my departure. If the world finds out I’m looking for a new club, I’m sure more will make me an offer. But it doesn’t stop the ounce of fear I have from growing, wondering if I made the wrong choice.
“Well, and if that’s not the case... you can always just go into witness protection.”
“I’m pretty sure that’s only for when you testify against a criminal.”
“You have money,” she huffs, flipping her hair. “You can make it happen.”
I start the car, laughing. “Shut up, dork.”
“Just saying.” Her shoulders shrug, before propping her legs on the dash and opening the bag of gummy bears in her lap.
“I don’t buy it, you know?” She eyes me with suspicion as she brazenly purses her lips before popping a gummy in her mouth.
“Buy what?” I ask, curious.
Pointing at me, she moves her hand up and down. “This. You.”
“What about me?” Amused, my eyes widen.
“Your whole asshole attitude. I think it’s one big act. A way to keep everyone at bay. But deep down, you’re a good guy.”
I snort.
“You are!” she bellows. “I can see it when you talk about your sister. You love her. Your brother too. They mean the world to you.”
“Of course, they do. They are my siblings.”
“Na-ah. You can hide it from me. But I see it. I see you, Jared James Jensen.”
It’s not even a question. It’s a statement. One that makes my heart expand, even though I’m trying to keep it as small as possible, making sure no one can step on it. But somehow, she hits her target with just three words. I see you.
“I’m a piece of shit.”
“You’re not.” She pauses, and I glance over at her. “You just act like one.”
I smile at her, soaking in the kindness in her eyes, making sure I keep the look she’s giving me forever imprinted in my head. She might be wrong, but that doesn’t mean I can’t cherish this moment forever.
The ringing of her phone echoes through the car, and she startles at the loud sound of it. “For Pete’s sake,” she murmurs with a southern drawl that has me laughing, shaking my head as I look at the dashboard to see who it is.
June.
“Who is that?”
“My aunt. Hi,” Rae says when she presses a button to answer the call. Her voice is soft and she kinda shrinks, sinking deeper into her seat.
“Rae, honey, Johnny tells me you're bringing these two boys home. Is this true?”
“Uhm, yeah.”
“And you’re dating one of them? What’s his name?”
Her cheeks grow flushed, panic lacing her eyes.
“Err, I’m sorry. I can’t hear you.” She makes a cracking sound, and I watch her, entertained. “We’re driving into a tunnel. I’ll see you Friday. Love you!”
Before June can say anything else, she leans in again, hanging up the phone by pressing the button on the wheel as I stare at her with amusement.
“Keep your eyes on the road, hockey boy .” She glares, rolling her eyes.
“Nothing. Very original, the whole tunnel thing. I bet that wasn’t suspicious at all.”
“See, this is one of those moments where you act like an asshole, but you don’t have to.”
“There is no fun in that.” I wink, and I swear I can see her breath hitch.
“Just drive.”