Chapter 40 Freya
FREYA
I’m busy tapping out a message to Summer as I walk into the guest room after Cole left for the game. I’m not paying attention to my surroundings, so when I put my cell to sleep and look up, I’m shocked to find something waiting for me on the bed.
I stare at the fabric laid out before me with wide eyes.
It’s…it’s Cole’s jersey.
And it’s not like the one I was looking at in the team store. This is his real jersey.
My legs move on instinct and I find myself standing before it, my trembling hand reaching out so I can run my fingers over the fabric.
Does he…does he want me to wear this?
Nerves rattle through me.
If I turn up wearing this, then…then people will assume…
My heart rate increases as I stand there questioning what to do.
But there isn’t really an option.
If Cole put it there for me to wear, then…
Thirty minutes later, and I’m standing in the kitchen waiting for a message from Casey to say she’s here.
The weight of Cole’s jersey presses down on my shoulders, literally, and my heart continues to pound steadily, my nerves over stepping out of the apartment dressed like this running rampant.
The second Casey sees it she’s going to have something to say. I should have warned her. Sent her a picture of my new top.
I jump a mile when my cell buzzes in my hand, but it’s not the person I was expecting.
Parker: We’re outside, get that hot ass moving.
I frown at my screen. Shouldn’t she be at work?
I take a calming breath, throw my purse over my shoulder, and then walk out of the apartment.
“Good evening, Freya,” Melvin says as I exit the elevator. “Ah, I see you’re going to support our guy. He’s doing so well this season,” he says, his eyes going all soft like a proud dad’s would.
“He’s incredible,” I say before the honking starts. “Oh god,” I groan.
Melvin chuckles as he walks toward the doors so he can open them for me. “Your chariot awaits, Miss Price.”
“Thank you,” I say over my shoulder, as I approach the car. As predicted, both of them have wide eyes and even bigger grins at my outfit.
“Look at you rocking Cole Hansley’s jersey,” Casey teases, proudly wearing her own man’s name and number in the driver's seat.
“He left it for me,” I confess. “Do you think it means anything?”
They both share a look and a smirk.
“Oh yeah, Freya. It totally means something.”
“Where the hell are we going?” I ask as Casey drives Parker and me in the wrong direction.
“Just wait and see.”
“If I’m late back to the arena, I’m telling your father it’s your fault.”
“Fine. I can handle my father,” Casey teases. “But I’ll have you back on time. You need to see this, though.”
Confusion swirls around my head.
I should be used to it by now. It’s been the same way since I woke up with Cole wrapped around me the other morning.
I’ll admit, I may have freaked out a little. I just…I wasn’t expecting to wake up with his erection pressing into me.
That hasn’t been something that has featured in my life for a very long time and…yeah, I panicked.
He’s been really sweet to me since, but I can’t help but feel like he’s walking on eggshells around me.
As much as I like his caring side, I’m ready to put the whole disaster behind us and move on.
I’m busy trying to squash my crush so I can just focus on my job.
But every time I think I might be making progress, he turns up looking all hot and does or says something thoughtful, and I tumble straight back to where I started.
You should have kissed him, a little voice shouts in my head.
I’ve laid in bed every night since and relived that moment where it could have happened.
Do I regret it? Yes and no. As much as I might want to know what it’ll be like to kiss him, doing it under my parents’ roof would have been wrong, even if we did have my dad’s blessing in some weird way.
If it’s going to happen, then it needs to be—
No, it’s not going to happen.
“You okay?” Parker asks, and when I look up, I find she’s twisted around in the passenger seat, watching me.
“Yeah, great, thanks.”
“You’re lying,” she states.
“She’s horny,” Casey helpfully supplies, and I can’t even argue because, yeah, I am.
“Oh, I see,” Parker sings.
“Do we have to discuss this?” I mutter, my cheeks glowing with embarrassment.
“Um, yes. Now by any chance does this have anything do to with a certain goalie who bought you a car and demanded you wear his jersey to his game?”
Casey giggles in the driver’s seat as she drives into a multi-story parking lot.
“Has something happened?”
“No.”
“But you want it to?”
“He’s my boss.”
“Uh huh. You can cut that high road bullshit right out. This is us you’re talking to, Freya. We don’t give a fuck about the rules. Do you want him?”
Silence fills the car for a beat as Casey drives up ramp after ramp, taking us higher.
Finally, we emerge on the top floor of the lot, and she turns right and drives right toward the far edge that allows us an incredible view of the city and—
“Oh my good fucking god,” Parker breathes. “That’s…that’s my man practically naked on the side of a freaking building. God damn, he looks fine.”
“Thought you’d like it,” Casey says smugly, also staring out the window at her own man up there for the world—or at least the city—to see.
And they’re not the only ones fixated on the massive billboard because Cole is up there, too.
Fire shoots through my veins as I remember what it was like to have that hot, hard body pressed up against mine.
He looks incredible up there. But the gigantic image of him has nothing on the real thing.
“Yes,” I blurt, finally answering Parker’s question.
“Huh?”
“Yes, I want him.”
Both of them turn to look at me. There are wide smiles playing on their lips and a mixture of pride and excitement dancing in their eyes.
Honestly, it’s a relief to admit it—not only to myself, but also to them. It’s out in the open now.
“So what are you waiting for? Take him.”
“What if he doesn’t—”
“Freya,” Casey warns. She knows more about what happened between us than Parker does, so I’m hardly surprised when she speaks up. “That man is crazy about you. He’s waiting for you.”
“But—”
“No buts here. Just facts. I know you’re scared. But Handsy isn’t him. He’s…well…he’s Cole.”
I duck my head and smile because I know for a fact that I’m the only person in his car who really knows who Cole is. And something tells me that he has every intention of keeping it that way.
Excitement stirs in my stomach as I think about seeing him again, and I trace the number thirty-three on the shoulder of the jersey I’m wearing.
It’s been a week since I’ve seen him doing what he loves most without watching on a screen, and I’m desperate to get in the crowd and cheer him on.
“We should probably head back,” Parker says, letting me off all the questions I’m sure she’s desperate to ask. “If our boys aren’t ready to hit the ice, I’ll blame myself.”
“They’re ready,” Casey says confidently. “But before we go…” She grabs her cell from the center console and snaps a picture of the billboard.
I quickly do the same and send it to Cole.
Nerves collide with my excitement at the thought of him opening it and knowing that I’ve been thinking about him.
I don’t immediately send a comment to go with it.
But just before Casey backs out of the space, I tap one out and hit send before I can overthink it.
Freya: Told you it was hot.
The ride to the arena is fairly short, and I spend the entire time lost in my own head, full of thoughts of what the night might hold.
“You’re coming out with us after the game, right?” Parker asks once Casey has pulled up in her space.
“If Cole is, then yeah.”
“Tonight is the night, girl.”
My stomach knots.
“From what I’ve heard, you’ll have no complaints. Just don’t come moaning to us when your legs don’t work properly tomorrow.” And with that statement, Parker swings the door closed and takes off running.
“Ignore her,” Casey says, turning to me with a smile.
“It’s fine. I know he has a reputation.”
“This is different, though. You’re different.”
“Maybe, we’ll see.”
She stares at me, desperate to say more, but she keeps it locked down.
“Just think, maybe tonight will be the night you’ll get to experience being more than Cole Hansley’s little spoon,” she deadpans before pushing the door open. “Come on, we don’t want to miss warmups. You need to see those hips in action again before you commit.”
“Casey, my dad is coming tonight. Please behave.”
“Behave in front of the man who gave you full permission to bang that man into next week in his own house?”
“It wasn’t quite like that.”
Casey throws her arm around my shoulder. “It should have been, girl. It should have been.”
We both grab a drink before we find our seats.
“You look nervous,” Casey points out as we wait for the guys to take to the ice.
“I didn’t think I’d feel like this about someone else again. I thought he’d broken me.”
Casey shakes her head. “Not a chance. You’re so much stronger than that. You just needed some time to heal.”
“Some days I think I have. Others…I don’t know. I’m not sure I’ll ever be the same girl I used to be.”
“Maybe you’re not supposed to be? What if, after all this, you’re a better version of yourself?”
“I’m not sure.”
“I am,” she says confidently as shadows move down the players’ tunnel.
My heart jumps, and my stomach flutters with nervous excitement.
There are a few other wives and girlfriends waiting to see their guys. Some of them have kids with them, and I can’t help but smile as one woman holds her baby up before pointing toward his daddy as he emerges, ready to warm up.
“You’re imagining it, aren’t you?”
“Casey,” I sigh.
“It’s okay to dream again,” Casey says softly. “None of us will judge you for thinking about what the future could possibly hold.”
“But what if it doesn’t? What if I end up cast aside again?”
“And what if you don’t?”
As she asks that question, Cole bursts onto the ice, chasing Fletch and Linc around the edge with a wide smile.
The moment he turns toward where we’re sitting, he looks up, and I swear the world stops spinning.
His eyes hold mine, and the air crackles loudly between us.
It’s been the same for days, but we’ve both been skirting around it, pretending it’s not there.
It’s been torturous. I went home to sleep last night, hoping that being away from him would help, but the instant I stepped into my bedroom, he was all I could see.
And when I slipped into bed, his scent surrounded me.
It was worse than knowing he was only on the other side of the hallway.
It confirmed one thing for me: I’m screwed. Utterly freaking screwed.
I can fight it, as much as I might want to; I can try to insist on doing the right thing, but I’m pretty sure we’re just putting off the inevitable.
I give him a wave and immediately regret the pathetic move. But the second he sees it, his face lights up, and he lifts his gloved hand to wave back. His eyes drop to the massive jersey I’m wearing and a smirk appears on his lips.
“Oh my god,” Casey giggles next to me. “He’s so gone for you.”
Hope blooms within me. I want her to be right so badly.
After a few seconds, Cole drags his gaze away from me and sets about warming up. But I can’t say that the desire simmering through me lessens. Watching him out there is insane. And it only gets worse when he drops to all fours and starts…well…thrusting.
“I won’t judge you if you need a moment in the bathroom,” Casey teases.
“Casey,” I cry.
“What? Number fifty-five will always be my guy, but I’m not blind. Handsy is hot as fuck, and those moves…girl, you are going to be in for a good time.”
“Oh my god,” I mutter, dropping my head into my hands, but I’d be lying if I said I didn’t keep my fingers parted so I could continue watching him, imagining how that might look with fewer pads. And maybe a bed instead of an ice rink.
“What? We’ve all done it.”
“I don’t want to know,” I hiss, making her laugh.
“Probably for the best. It’ll make tonight better.”
“Casey, I—”
“Hey, kiddo,” Dad calls as he makes his way toward us.
Casey smirks. “Hey, Brian. Happy belated birthday. Freya was just telling me all about your night.”
Dad lights up, his eyes flicking to the ice, searching out Cole.
“Oh, it was so incredible. Did she tell you she brought Cole with her? I spent my birthday night eating Mexican with Cole Hansley. Never in a million years did I think that would happen. I still can’t believe it.”
I smile as I listen to Dad telling Casey all the things he and Cole discussed while my eyes track the man in question on the ice.
Every now and then, he looks up, and I feel his eye contact all the way to my core. Casey notices and elbows me teasingly, but if Dad sees it, then he doesn’t say anything.
By the time their warmups are over, the seats around us are practically full, and right before Cole steps off the ice, he turns to look at me.
‘Good luck,’ I mouth.
He nods, a coy smile playing on his lips behind his helmet.