Luna #2
Something flickers through his eyes, and his hand tightens around the straps of his bag slung over his shoulder.
“No,” he says roughly.
“Sorry. I didn’t mean…”
“No, you’re fine,” he sighs, cutting me off before hesitating briefly. “There was once,” he confides quietly.
Before I can ask him what that means, the door opens again, and Cayden walks out dressed in a similar suit to Thane. His damp hair curls around his neck, and my stomach does a little somersault when I see his green eyes burn brighter when he sees me.
“You have press?” Thane asks, getting Cayden’s attention.
“Yeah, did you already do yours?” His eyes dart to Thane before he walks over to me.
“I got away with a small interview before I hit the showers,” Thane smirks.
Cayden slips his fingers through mine, taking my hand. Thane sees the movement and his lips form a tight line as something dangerously haunting crosses his features. It’s gone and replaced with his usual steel armor seconds later.
“I’m headed out,” Thane says, looking away.
“Going to Breakaway for a bit?” Cayden asks.
“I told Kane I would have a drink with him. You?”
“Nah,” Cayden says with a small smile as he meets my eyes. “Think we’re headed home after press.”
Thane nods as his jaw tightens.
“Have fun at Breakaway,” Cayden says, turning to go in the opposite direction.
“Yeah,” Thane replies, clearing his throat and walking away.
I watch him disappear down the hall, and an ache in my chest begins to form. Something tells me he’s not going to Breakaway to celebrate, but going there so he doesn’t have to go home.
A woman, probably in her mid-fifties, with Bolts’s credentials around her neck, appears just then, interrupting my thoughts about Thane and pushing them to the side.
“Blade,” she says, pushing her dark glasses up on her nose and giving him a no-nonsense look as she tucks her clipboard under her arm.
“Stevie,” he mimics back.
“Don’t you Stevie me. You were supposed to be in press ten minutes ago,” she says, giving him a hard stare.
By the way she carries herself, I can tell she’s used to putting six-foot-four hockey players in their place.
Her eyes blink in surprise when she notices me standing here as she takes in Cayden’s hand in mine. “Who’s this?”
“Luna.” His lip twitches at the corner as he looks at me. “This is Stevie, one of our PRs,” he explains.
“It’s nice to meet you,” I smile.
She peers at me through the top of her glasses, and I get the feeling that Stevie isn’t easy to win over.
“That’s to be determined,” she mutters, glancing at Cayden.
“Luna’s with me, Stevie. You want me in press, then she’s coming.”
“Fine,” she mutters, turning and walking away.
“I don’t want to cause any problems,” I whisper as we follow Stevie down the hall. “I can wait here.”
“Not going to happen,” he chuckles softly. “Stevie’s just protective. Once she knows you’re not here for the name on my jersey, she’ll warm up.”
“I actually admire that. It can’t be easy keeping you guys in line.”
“No, I don’t suppose it is,” he laughs. “Hayes alone is a full-time job.”
“I can see that,” I giggle.
We stop in front of the press room, and Stevie turns to us.
“You know the drill, Blade. Twenty minutes and try not to say something that I’ll be busting ass to cover up for the next few days,” she says, causing him to roll his eyes.
“And you.” She turns her gaze to me. “Stand with me in the back and no talking. It’s bad enough you are going to draw attention with his jersey on, we don’t need you saying something that could hurt his career, too. ”
I feel Cayden stiffen beside me, and I place my hand on his arm to let him know it’s okay. She’s just doing her job, and I get that.
Opening the door, Stevie ushers us in, but when I go to drop Cayden’s hand and follow her, I’m pulled back to his side as he smiles down at me with a mischievous look in his eyes.
“What are you doing?” I whisper, feeling the cameras start to flash around us.
“Drawing attention,” he smirks as his lips press to mine in front of the whole world to see before breaking away with a grin.
“Stevie is going to kill you,” I say quietly, fighting a smile.
“Let her try and bury that in the media tomorrow,” he winks before walking over to the table lined with mics.
I nervously scan the crowd, and the reporters look just as stunned as I am as they video record the whole thing.
My face heats up as I quickly walk to where Stevie is standing. She’s watching my every move as I stop next to her and turn toward the front to watch the interview.
“I stand corrected,” she murmurs under her breath.
I turn toward her voice, and she’s watching Cayden deflect personal questions and stick to the game win. A small hint of a smile tugs at her lips, surprising me.
“I don’t understand,” I shake my head.
She’s quiet for a minute, watching Cayden answer another question about the final save.
“That man sitting up there?” she says softly. “That’s the one everyone knows.”
I look back at Cayden and see his eyes drift to me before going back to the reporter.
“Blade,” I say quietly, seeing the way he controls the room.
Stevie nods beside me.
“The goalie. The athlete. The guy who can shut down reporters easier than most people can breathe,” she says, her lip twitching before continuing.
“But the man who just kissed you in front of the entire room, knowing how much work that creates for me tomorrow?” She glances over at me, and a brief smile appears. “That’s Cayden. And I haven’t seen him in a very long time.”
My eyes drift back to him as he finishes up his interview, but I don’t see the goalie everyone else sees sitting behind that mic.
I see the man who sits through pink tea parties for his daughter.
The man who leaves notes on my pillow.
The man who still carries scars that no one else can see.
I see Cayden…I always have.