Chapter Thirty-One Real #2
My eyes drift over him again without meaning to and I take in the strong line of his shoulders, the relaxed confidence in the way he sits, and the quiet authority in his voice as he steers the conversation toward something that fits us better.
God, he makes my stomach flutter.
What’s more, he doesn’t make a show of it. He jumps in to take care of me so naturally, it’s like he was always meant to play the role of doting, caring fiance.
By the time we’re finished, we’ve set a date and have the caterer booked. Mrs. Vaughn is thrilled, displaying more excitement than I’ve ever seen from her.
“I’m going to call Iris and fill her in on everything,” she declares as Jayce pulls out my chair and I stand. “I’ll tell her hello for you, dear.”
I arch a brow, surprised. “Oh… sure, thank you.”
Just how close have our mothers gotten in the last couple of weeks?
“Goodbye, Mother,” Jayce says, wrapping his hand around my waist and leading me out of the dining room. “I’ll let you know when I show Sutton the venue, and if she approves it.”
“Yes, do that,” she calls after us. “I’ll see you both later.”
Jayce grabs my coat and helps me put it on, then we make our way out of the house and to our car. Once we’re both inside, he releases a breath and turns to me.
“You okay?”
I smile at him and nod. “Yeah, I’m good.”
Which is the truth. Despite Mrs. Vaughn’s intimidating presence and the web of lies we continued to weave all morning, I’m not feeling as anxious or guilty as I thought I would.
Jayce’s protectiveness as he stuck up for my preferences didn’t feel fake.
He wasn’t acting or putting on a show for his mom.
Whatever our arrangement might be, Jayce really cares for me.
“All right then.” He lifts my hand and presses a quick kiss to my knuckles. “Let’s get you home.”
Jayce drives us back to the penthouse. We don’t talk much, which is good, since it gives me breathing room to decompress from the morning with his mother. Jayce pulls up in front of the building, and shifts into park. He seems almost distracted, and I chuckle.
“You’re already getting into hockey-mode, aren’t you?” I ask.
He looks at me and gives me a guilty grin. “Sorry. I always get a bit intense on game day.”
“Oh, I know.” I let out a laugh. “I recognize your ‘locked-in’ face. It’s all right. I’ll let you get to the rink.”
“I’ll see you at the game, yeah?”
Grinning, I nod. “Of course. Um…thanks for all this, today. For everything with your mom, I mean. I really appreciate it.”
When he brushes his fingers along my cheek, the light touch makes me blush.
“You know I’ve always got you,” he murmurs. “You don’t have to worry.”
He drops his hand and reaches into the backseat to grab something, then brings forward a folded bundle and hands it to me.
“Wear this tonight.”
Frowning, I unfold the bundle. It’s a jersey…his jersey, though it’s a design I haven’t seen before.
“This is for me?” I gasp, looking back at him.
“Yeah, I figured it was time you got your own so you didn’t have to keep wearing my old ones.” He chuckles like it’s no big deal, but we both know it kind of is.
“Thanks.” My heart is racing and I’m grinning like an idiot.
“You’re welcome.” Reaching out, he runs his fingers through my hair, then gently tugs a teal strand. “Don’t hide this tonight, Starling.”
Heat unfurls in my belly and I feel tongue-tied, but I manage to nod and murmur, “Yes…sir.”
He smirks and lets go of my hair. “Good girl.”
Blushing furiously, I get out of the car, clutching the jersey against my chest as I hurry into the apartment building.
Later that evening, I make my way to the arena.
Getting ready had taken longer than usual tonight, mostly because I’d stood in front of the mirror for a good five minutes debating what to do with my hair.
In the end, I’d pulled the top half back into a loose twist, leaving the rest down so the teal underneath showed through in bright streaks against the dark brown.
When the arena lights catch it, the color will really pop.
Just like Jayce wants it to.
The thought sends a small flutter through my stomach as I grab my bag and head out.
My phone buzzes just as I step out of the car in the employee parking lot behind the arena.
Grace: You better be on your way!
Skyler: We’re already inside!
Rylee: The guys are doing warm-ups so if you miss it that’s on you, lol.
Skyler: Also, Grace is already on her second drink.
Grace: LIES!
Grace: It’s my first.
Skyler: It’s a very large first. Practically a bucket.
I laugh under my breath as I type while walking toward the entrance.
Sutton: Fear not! I just got here.
Sutton: Walking in now.
Rylee: Good, because Jayce already asked where you were.
My pulse jumps at that.
Grace: He liiiiiiikes you.
Skyler: Man looked around like a lost puppy when he didn’t spot you.
Rylee: We’ll meet you by security!
I bite my lip, but I’m still grinning like an idiot when I arrive, the girls are waiting for me just past security.
The second Rylee spots me, she looks me up and down and squeals. “Oh my God. Oh my God!”
Skyler gasps dramatically. “Ooooooh, that’s the new design, isn’t it? Hasn’t even been released as merch yet. Sutton, my girl, Jayce fucking looooooves you.”
Her words echo in my head as we walk, sending a strange ripple through my chest. I know Skyler is just teasing, but hearing someone say that out loud does something to me.
A tiny spark of hope flickers before I can stop it.
What if…?
No.
I shove the thought away and shrug, trying to play it cool even as my cheeks are burning. “Oh, please, it’s not that big of a deal.”
Grace shakes her head as we make our way into the press box.
“You’ve got his jersey,” she says. “An exclusive, never-before-seen design that I’m sure he had to pull a few strings to get his hands on before anyone else.
That’s not something you do for an arrangement.
That’s fucking real, especially for a hockey boy.
” She purses her lips in a pout. “I don’t even have one, and my man’s the freaking captain. ”
“Plus, we all see how he looks at you,” Rylee adds. “He’s obviously obsessed with you.”
I laugh, trying to shrug their words off, but they have my stomach flipping and my chest feeling tight. They’re exaggerating…they have to be. Jayce is too cool and collected to be obsessed with anything…especially me.
I can’t read too much into any of this, even if the thought of Jayce wanting me so much sends a delicious tingle up my spine.
“Jayce is a great guy,” I say, aiming for nonchalance. “Super thoughtful and takes good care of me. It’s still just an arrangement, though.”
I’ll admit the words sound flimsy as I say them and the truth sits heavy in my chest. I don’t want this to be fake anymore, and I don’t want there to be an expiration date. Part of me knows I should probably bring up my feelings to him, but every time I think about doing that, I stop myself.
What if he only says what I want to hear out of guilt?
What if he thinks he owes me something after everything that’s happened between us?
I don’t want that. I don’t want Jayce to stay with me because he feels obligated. As silly and cliche as it might sound, I want him to choose it. Choose me.
After everything he’s done, the way he pays attention to me, and the way he notices when I’m nervous before I even say anything has this feeling so real.
He steps in during wedding meetings when my anxiety starts creeping up and I can’t find the words.
He quietly makes sure I’m comfortable without making it obvious to anyone else.
I love that he makes me smoothies in the morning, plugs in my laptop when I forget and leaves it charging on the counter, and writes little notes next to things I’ve misplaced.
I love how he wants to watch me dance in the gorgeous room he built for me and will sit in there almost everyday when I practice.
Most of all, I love that he’s seen me at my worst and still wants to help me.
That night after my mom left, when I’d completely fallen apart, I hadn’t expected him to know what to do.
Honestly, I hadn’t expected him to stay, but he had.
He was patient, calm and careful with me as he tied me up.
The feel of the ropes against my skin flashes through my mind…
the steady, grounding pressure as he tied them, and the way his voice stayed low and reassuring while my breathing slowly evened out.
I’d never imagined something like that could calm me down or that I’d trust someone enough to let them see me like that. With Jayce, though, it hadn’t felt scary. It’d felt safe.
Which actually makes the thought of not being with him hurt a whole fucking lot. But it’s my own fault I’m in this situation.
“Whatever you say,” Rylee chuckles, clearly not believing me.
My nerves are buzzing as the game starts and the crowd grows immediately thunderous around us. Night games are always the wildest, and the energy is intoxicating. It’s the fucking best.
The Night Hawks come out aggressive, pressing hard, and the crowd feeds off it. The excitement of a repeat at the cup has been building for a while now, and it seems like the fans are getting crazier and crazier each game as a result.
I hardly pay attention to the crowd around me, though. I barely even talk to the girls as I watch the game.
As I watch Jayce.
I lock onto him right away. Within the first play, he steals the puck near center ice, shrugs off a check like it barely registers, and sends a clean pass that sets up the first goal. The arena explodes, and I’m on my feet, screaming with everyone else.
Rylee grabs my arm. Skyler’s yelling. Grace’s grin is feral.
The second period is chaos. Jayce takes a brutal hit against the boards, and I gasp as worry instantly seizes me.
A fight nearly breaks out near the crease, gloves half-off before the refs charge in.
Jayce takes a shot that makes my heart stop.
He goes down hard, slides a few feet along the ice before pushing back up, jaw set.
Thankfully, he skates it off and takes the next shift like nothing happened.
The third period is brutal.
The score is tied, two to two, and the opposing team is bearing down hard on our boys. When Jayce hops the boards for his final shift, my breath catches. He’s focused, locked in, eyes tracking the puck.
It all happens so fast.
A scramble in front of the net. A rebound. Jayce crashes the crease, jamming his stick in…and the puck slips past the goalie.
Goal.
The crowd detonates.
The final buzzer blares and people jump to their feet. My heart feels like it might break out of my ribs. Jayce throws his head back and lets out a triumphant roar as his teammates swarm him.
Suddenly, Jayce breaks away from his team and skates toward the glass in front of the press box. He takes his helmet off and grins at me.
Something inside me just snaps.
I’m on my feet and moving before I can think better of it, pushing through the small opening at the boards when he reaches it. He barely has time to react before I throw myself into his arms and kiss him.
Cameras flash and the crowd roars louder.
Jayce freezes for half a second, clearly stunned, but then his arms come around me and hold me tight against him as he kisses me back. Everything else seems to fade away and nothing matters but the two of us.
It doesn’t matter how this started, or how it’s going to eventually end. Right now, at this moment, it’s real.