Chapter 52 Freya
FREYA
Once I have a drink in my hand and have settled into the vibe of the place, my anxiety begins to lessen, the knots in my stomach loosen, and my shoulders relax.
This place is incredible, or at least, the VIP area is. I haven’t been brave enough to go over to the balcony yet and look down. Knowing just how many people are down there puts me off.
The crowd outside was terrifying, and it took me back to a place I’d happily never be again.
Despite Cole's firm and protective hold, memories of times gone by assaulted me.
Back then, I thought I was living my best life. I had no idea that I was a glamorous media stunt.
I happily trailed behind him, gazing at him in awe.
I only vaguely knew who he was before I met him in Vegas.
I’ve never really been a big music fan. I listen to the radio in the car or the kitchen, and I can sing along to a lot, but I never know the song titles or the artists, other than the really big ones.
But the moment I was dragged into his orbit, he was the only thing I knew, the only thing I was allowed to see.
My life consisted of nothing but Rowan Conaway and the Rusty Trinkets.
Pain lashes at my chest as I think about those times when I truly believed that I’d found the one.
Shame follows the pain, along with regret.
I wish I could look back at my time with Rowan with fondness.
I got to experience so much more than I ever thought I’d have the opportunity to.
Maybe one day that’ll happen. But it isn’t going to be any time soon.
The need to tell Cole what my life was really like, who was responsible, burns through me.
He has done nothing but support me. He deserves the truth; he deserves to understand just how messed up it all was.
I might be recovering, but it’s always going to be there.
If things work out and we attend more events together, I’m always going to be looking over my shoulder.
Hell, there could even be a time when we’re at the same event.
It’s unlikely; I don’t ever remember him socializing with athletes.
He was too focused on climbing the music industry ladder to spend time with people who couldn’t give him a leg up.
“Freya?” Cole says softly. I blink, my vision clearing, and I find him ducked low so he can stare straight into my eyes.
His brows are pinched in concern, and his lips are pressed into a thin line.
“We should leave,” he states when I don’t respond.
“There will be a back exit somewhere. We can find it, and I’ll call us an Uber to take us home.
We shouldn’t have done this. I shouldn’t have asked you to—”
I reach out and press two fingers to his lips, silencing him.
“I needed to do this,” I assure him.
“Goddamn, Whirlwind,” he groans, understanding just how hard fighting fears can be.
If anyone knows, it’s Cole. He’s spent his entire life fighting against the life he was handed. And now, he fears letting anyone close. I see them tormenting him sometimes, see him questioning whether his teammates, his friends, really can be trusted.
“I want to stay. I want to enjoy our night.”
His eyes light up with pride and adoration. The sight smacks me right in the chest, making me even more determined to put my past aside and to enjoy my time with him and his family.
“Okay,” he says. “How about we finish these, and then go dance?”
My brows shoot up. “I didn’t think you danced,” I tease, remembering the last time I pulled him onto the dance floor.
“Hey, now,” he says, acting as if I’ve offended him, but I can see the twinkle of truth in his eyes. “You already know what these hips can do.”
I bite down on my bottom lip. Watching Cole Hansley warm up his hip flexors is the thing of every woman’s fantasy. Suddenly, the image morphs to one of him in bed, on his hands and knees on top of me, and his hips moving just like that…
I squeeze my thighs together as heat spreads through me.
What we did before leaving the apartment…
wow. Or should I say what he did, because other than being a willing participant, I didn’t exactly do anything.
I did thoroughly enjoy myself, though. It was also the perfect way to get me out of my head about what the night was going to hold.
In those moments, only two people existed.
It was us against the world…or maybe the kitchen island…
I snigger, amused by my thoughts and a little delirious from the stress—and drinks—of tonight.
“I can’t wait to see your moves on the dance floor, Handsy,” I tease.
He smirks, shaking his head before he sips his beer.
As we stand at a table, the others drift over. And as my cocktail goes down, I get a little braver and step up to the railing that allows us to see the gyrating bodies beneath.
The place is packed.
Bright, colorful strobe lights move across the crowd while reflections from the numerous, huge glitter balls hanging above us dance across every surface.
I scan the sea of people, searching for anyone I might know.
I tell myself I’m looking for Vipers’ players, but deep down, I know that’s not true.
I’m looking for him and his entourage. As if he’d be down there with the “normal” people.
He’d only attend something like this as a special guest with a one-way ticket to the VIP area.
Somewhere down there are Rett, Killer, and Hayden. The look on Hayden’s face when Rett wrapped his arm around his shoulders and dragged him in that direction was hilarious. He was clearly excited, but also a little terrified.
I get it. Rett is a big character, and Hayden clearly hero-worships him.
I just don’t know if Hayden is strong enough not to get swallowed up by Rett and Killer and the way they live their lives.
Hayden might want the hockey life, and from what I’ve heard from Cole, he wants to embrace his popularity with the bunnies, but he seems too sweet to do the whole hit-it-and-quit-it thing.
I sense someone step up beside me, and the second their sweet scent hits me, I know it isn’t Cole.
Glancing over, I find Hailee next to me, also with a cocktail in hand.
“They’re over there,” she says, pointing directly to the center of the vast crowd.
I follow her finger, and yep, right there, center stage, is Rett, Killer, Hayden, and a couple of other guys I also recognize as Vipers.
“I’m sure they’ll have given me a few new gray hairs before sunrise.”
I fully turn to her, taking in her beautiful dark curtain of hair. “They’re just having fun,” I say. Although the instant the words roll off my tongue, I regret them.
“They could still have fun without the scandal that’s going to keep me busy tomorrow.”
“Maybe tomorrow will be different,” I hedge.
“And maybe pigs will fly. Honestly, have you ever looked up Everett Donnelly online?”
I shake my head. I try my best to stay away from anything that includes fake news and made-up stories that ruin people’s lives on a daily basis. I came to the decision not long after leaving Rowan that ignorance was bliss, and I haven’t turned back since.
“No, but I can imagine,” I confess.
“Seriously, the day he was traded, I received a message from the PR Director at the Bandits wishing me good luck.”
“Oh, wow. That’s…something.”
“His life got significantly easier the day that trade was announced. Mine…not so much.”
“I’m sure upper management know what they’re doing,” I say.
“On the ice, yeah. Off it though…” She lets out a heavy sigh.
“You’ll figure it out. Maybe he’ll find a girl and settle down.”
“What did I say about flying pigs?” She laughs. “It’s fine. Donnelly might just be right about something; those boys sure stop me from getting bored.”
She takes a sip of her drink, and we both turn back to the dance floor beneath us.
“Anyway, I didn’t come over here to talk about those idiots. I wanted to check in on you.”
“Oh…um…I’m fine,” I lie.
“Freya,” she breathes before turning to face me again.
“I’m good at my job. I pride myself on knowing what’s going on with our players and predicting what is going to cause them, and in turn me, issues.
I would be failing in my position if I didn’t do a little research on the woman who seems to have stolen our goalie’s heart. ”
“Oh,” I force out as a lump crawls up my throat, although I’m not really surprised. It was clear the moment she looked at me in the limo that she knew. It was naive of me to think she wouldn’t have typed my name into Google the second she learned what it was.
“I must say I was shocked. I was under the impression that you were Coach’s next-door neighbor. I had no idea what I was going to stumble across.”
I cringe. “Yeah, I…uh…”
“It’s okay, Freya,” she says, reaching out and squeezing my forearm gently in friendly support. “I do everything in my power to protect our boys and the organization. Now you’re with Cole, that includes you. I’ll keep an eye on things and intervene where possible to protect you both.”
“Do you think he’ll—”
“You know him better than me,” she starts, making me scoff. I’m not sure I ever truly knew Rowan. “But I know how his PR team thinks. They don’t care if it’s good or bad press. They just want album sales, and the more noise around his name, the better.”
“Wonderful.”
“Look, I might be wrong. I work in sports PR, not music. But I think you should prepare yourself for backlash. There’s a good chance that your photo is already out there.
You walked in tonight with Cole Hansley.
He never goes anywhere with a woman. People will pick up on that and the way he was holding you.
I’d put money on your name being exposed by sunrise, and I want you ready. ”
I nod, all the while acid sloshes in my stomach.
I thought my days being under the spotlight were over, but somehow, I’ve managed to land myself straight back in the place I tried so hard to run from.
“I’m on your team here,” Hailee says softly before divulging a plan that might help do some damage control should Rowan—or his team—decide to take the low road. Which, let’s be honest, is pretty much inevitable.
By the time Cole comes over and leads me to the dance floor, my head is spinning.
Hailee wants us to release our relationship to the world, but I’m not ready. We’re not ready. We’ve barely started, and now she wants everyone else to have an opinion.
“You’re so beautiful,” Cole says as he tugs me into his body, pressing our hips together. “And this dress is driving me fucking crazy, Whirlwind.”
I stare up at him, my eyes taking in his features, my body relaxing in his hold.
Everything will be okay. As long as he doesn’t let go, everything will be okay.