Chapter 24 #2
“They’ll make it.” M leans into the camera a little closer. “They’ve got you.”
His words of encouragement grant the tears clinging to my lids permission to fall.
“How is tendy?” An immediate cringe comes across his expression. “Er…Groffee.” He repeats the facial cower. “Um…Groff? Is it Groff?” The hand not propping up his head scrubs his face. “Thayne? I should probably call him Thayne, aye?”
I offer him a small nod.
“How’s he holding up?”
“He’s…” the ache in my chest deepens, “doing the best he can.”
“Trying to put on the brave big brother face for Bronskie?”
“Yeah.”
“How is he really?”
“A wreck.”
“How bad?”
“Bill Withers.”
“Huh?”
“There will be no sunshine when she’s gone,” my other half retorts upon joining the convo. “I appreesh the reference, Gillybean.” He drags the chair on the opposite side around so that we can be side by side. “And for lettin’ me catch a few Zs.”
“Why aren’t you still catching them?” I ask the instant he’s settled in his seat.
“Grams kicked me out.”
“What?!”
“Yeah, hot bro nurse came in, so her grandson needed to go.” Short snickers shake his shoulders at the same time he winds an arm around mine. “Apparently, my cock blockin’ skills ain’t ones she’s interested in seein’.”
“Bronny knows them well.”
“That’s cause he can’t be alone for five minutes without tryin’ to whip his dick out for a broadskie.” Light laughs leave us both prior to him turning to face the camera. “Coach.”
“And as your coach, I have a responsibility to communicate to you certain information.”
Irritation trails itself up my spine, convincing me to lower my jaw in preparation of ripping my brother a new one.
“The Camelot game came to an emergency end under the guise of being rescheduled.”
Our eyebrows launch into the morning sky alongside our tandem croaking, “What?”
“Due to the altercation off the ice and the family emergency that took not only the player but the victim elsewhere, both GMs agreed with the league that rescheduling was the best option. The league – and the PA – were both informed of the situation and the charges that have been officially filed with DPD. DPD will be in contact with both of you this week via video chat – because you are not available in person – to conduct follow up interviews if necessary and maintain communication about the progress of your report. Hennington – who has left you a voicemail – wanted me to inform you both that she will not be letting this matter go unchecked. Dixon has been tasked with making sure this case is handled in a timely manner or outside sources will be tapped to ensure that it does.”
“Legally?” I whisper more to Jukes than M.
“Bes’ not to ask when it comes to Hot Rocket or Dix.”
“You do know how dirty that sounds, right?”
“Def Leppard would probably take an EP credit.”
“The press,” my brother announces louder to recapture our focus, “is aware that you are taking a leave of absence from the season; however, Ramirez, the Octotwat that she is – Hennington’s words – has already taken it upon herself to speculate rumors regarding you sleeping with my wife instead of my sister. ”
The gasp out of me propels me forward. “No…”
“Yeah, not my favorite headline to read after getting my ass handed to me by the owner of my franchise for putting my personal feelings before the boys, but,” he tosses a hand in the air, “that’s how the puck dropped.”
“Oh…M…”
“The boys have your back and their Slayers are at the helm, ready to do anything, buy anything, deliver anything needed, and so forth.”
Jukes politely nods. “Appreesh.”
“Now, as the brother of the Slayer you have…” M suddenly sits up a little higher, t-shirt covered torso noticeably straightening, “I wanna extend my apologies for your suffering.” A sympathetic head shake is given.
“Losing someone you love is not the type of shit you’re ever prepared for even when you’re theoretically given time to become prepared for it. ”
“It really ain’t.”
“And I also wanna apologize for what I said to you. About you. How I said it. Treated you. The sitch. Th-”
“Don’t.”
“What?”
“Don’t.”
M and I swiftly cut our stares over to the smiling, weary faced individual sitting next to me.
“Look, Coach-”
“Mil,” my best friend casually corrects.
Thayne tilts his head to the side in question.
“When we’re off the ice and not in the barn and don’t have crests on our chests, call me Mil, like my fam does.” He folds his hands together on the counter space in front of him. “And I’ll call you Thayne like my sis does.”
“She calls me Jukes,” he teasingly announces and shoots me a wink, “but the rest of your fam calls me Thayne.”
His eyes relocate to me. “Our entire family knows?”
“Yeah…” I guiltily confess. “Mom and Dad found out first.”
“And they managed to keep this shit a secret?!”
“Impressive, right?!”
“For Dad, especially! You remember how hard it was for him to keep even Christmas presents a surprise?” Post us sharing in laughter, a feeling I have admittedly missed and one I need now more than ever, M questions, “Now, why don’t you want me to apologize for being a fucking pheasant?
You wanna drop the gloves? Sort it out that way?
” His shoulders innocently shrug. “We can.”
“No.” My finger point is immediate and firm. “No.”
“Nah,” Jukes sweetly brushes off at the same time he gently pulls me closer by my shoulder to resume being in his arms, “one tilly a season’s plenty for me.”
“Then…what?”
“Ain’t no need to apologize ‘cause despite bein’ a coach now, you’re a d-man.”
M’s mouth slightly cracks in response.
“And you’ll always be one at heart.”
My brother fights the urge to grin.
“That’s all you were tryin’ to do for your sis, and I can’t hate on that even if I do wish you would’ve given me a little more Aretha.”
“What?”
“Respect,” effortlessly gets interjected by me.
“Ultimately,” Jukes continues, thumb stroking my shoulder in approval of speaking his language, “I knew your ‘Screaming for Vengeance’ Judas Priest style wasn’t really about me.
It was about feelin’ like you failed the job of keepin’ your baby sis away from buds like me, but I swear, I ain’t like any of the pylons that might’ve made a move in the past. I’d rather slice out my own heart with my blades than ever hurt her.
And while the d-man in you screams she needs someone to protect her, the truthskies is…
Gillybean stays on her Gloria Gaynor shit. ”
“’I Will Survive’,” I inform just in case the reference missed him.
“You really do know a shit ton of music. Why did I think coffee was all you knew?” mutters M before getting back on the topic at hand.
“But yeah. You’ve got a gino. I wasn’t pissed it was you.
I was pissed it was any pylon who puts on skates.
I always wanted better for her. She always deserved better. The best, ya know?”
“Yeah, except it’s not your call who that is, M,” defensively leaves me.
“Yeah, I…” his lips momentarily pull to one side of his face, “I…get that now. And I guess I never realized how much I make everything about me. Or how much you’ve sacrificed for me.
Or keep sacrificing. Or how much I don’t make the same plays for you.
” Sadness leads to him bouncing his shoulders once more.
“I need to do better. You deserve better.”
“She deserves the best,” Jukes lovingly insists.
“And between you both, I’ve got it.”
Thayne leans over to plant a sweet kiss on my cheek, washing away the last of the animosity lingering in my system.
“Uh…” M light heartedly begins, “anything else you wanna get off your chest?”
“Just one thing,” I good naturedly start, “and it’s pretty fucking huge.”
Two sets of nervous stares latch onto me.
One very loud, dramatic sigh, shakes my seat. “Jukes smokes a better Sunday brisket than you.”
Thayne lets his head dip back in raw, unfiltered laughter while my brother disapprovingly shakes his head. “You’re just sayin’ shit to be hurtful now?”
“Ask Mom.”
“Oh, I’mma ask Mom,” he sniggers out. “And Dad.”
More laughs leave me as well as my boyfriend showcasing the outcome I always hoped for.
I wanted them to get along.
This whole thing to be easy.
And maybe it didn’t happen with ease, but I now know without a doubt, our time together doesn’t have to be awkward or uncomfortable or something worthy of multiple seasons in a telenovela.
“Text me later, aye?” M’s requests precedes a big yawn. “I need a couple winks pre pracky.”
“Def,” I retort with ease.
“All the love.” He lets his gaze oscillate between us. “For the both of you.”
“You too,” we reply in unison.
Our ending the video chat prompts Jukes to stand and announce, “I’m gonna go grab us some brew.” The early morning sunshine capturing his smile swells my heart further. “They’ve got a full service LMC here meanin’ I can grab you your favorite peppermint mocha.”
It’s impossible not to swoon. “I’ve missed having coffee with you, Jukes.”
“And I’ve missed bringin’ it to ya.” He dismisses himself on a loving wink.
Getting my laptop along with my other work materials tucked away occurs faster than Thayne’s return; however, I don’t mind.
I like watching him linger.
I love admiring how incredible his ass looks in his gray sweats and how delish he looks with facial hair fuzz littering his jaw.
Gahhh, I know it’s wrong – timing considered – to be thinking of how much I miss that scruff between my thighs, but who could blame me?!
This is our longest dry spell to date.
We cannot and will not make a habit of it.
My boyfriend’s inevitable return comes with the unexpected surprise of our drinks in old-fashioned latte cups rather than the to-go style we’re accustomed to, yet instead of acknowledging them, I choose to do what Grams suggested yesterday. “I’m sorry, Thayne.”
He carefully slides our drinks onto the table. “For?”
“For not telling M sooner.” His fingers tug the chair over so that we’re face to face rather than side by side.
“For not expressing why waiting really mattered to me. For disregarding what it meant to you. For not asking why it meant so much. For even considering for a second about lying in regard to the best person that’s ever come into my life to the one of the people who I love the most. For-”
“Stop,” slowly drawls the man in front of me. “You don’t need to be apologizin’ either.”
“I do.”
“You don’t.” Jukes stretches his hand across the space to capture mine.
“I mean, it’s nice and I apreesh, but after listenin’ to Bronny talk to Dubs about school and lacrosse and his buds, I realized that you and M are like me and my baby bro.
Seein’ him have a life not in my shadow is amazin’, but I didn’t realize jus’ how hard it was to have.
Hockey players we don’t…we don’t always realize how much of themselves the people we love really give up for us to live the life we dream of.
Were you bein’ selfish wantin’ to keep what we have all to yourself?
Yeah. Was I selfish for wantin’ to show it off?
Yeah.” Another bashful, almost boyish smile slides into place.
“I think bein’ selfish is jus’ one of those things that happen when you’re in love, Gillybean.
We jus’ gotta treat it like any other skill we wanna strengthen.
We gotta work at it. Train.” My knuckles are lifted to his lips for a kiss.
“I should probably start with bein’ a little less impulsive. ”
“God, no,” escapes alongside a lean forward.
“I love that about you and how you bring that out in me and have taught me to trust my own instincts whether it’s about food or music or not hiring someone simply because their resume looks good on paper while my gut is telling me they won’t be a good fit for my team. ”
Jukes flashes a crooked grin.
“I don’t want you to change that. I just…really…need you…to sometimes…stop…and hear the voice you helped me find the courage to have.”
“I’ll do my best to do that, if you will try a little harder to tell me what is you need me to really hear.”
“Deal.”
“Sign, seal, and deliver it then,” he salaciously teases prior to possessively cupping my face with both his palms. The tips of his fingers anchor themselves into the edges of my neck, to re-mark me with his touch, to reiterate the same unyielding tenacity his tongue is now diving into my mouth to deliver.
Moaning and groaning and moaning again are attached to me grabbing a fistful of his sweatshirt, but unfortunately, he abruptly pulls back.
Chortles. “As much as I wanna hear you keep doin’ that for me, Slayer, there’s something else I want more. ”
Confusion widens my hooded stare. “What’s that?”
He gently guides the mug to be closer to me, revealing a question mark made out of the silky, thick microfoam used to make the designs on top.
“Grams told me to do what is it I feel like I’ve been waitin’ forever to do ‘cause we really don’t know how much time we’ve got left on the clock, so…
” Jukes carefully pulls an engagement ring around the saucer to the front of the cup resulting in my hands flying upwards to catch my gasp.
“I told you when we first met, I would marry you. You thought I was kiddin’.
Simply flirtin’. But I knew. I knew you were meant to be mine ‘til the end of time. And I knew I was gonna have to put in the work ‘cause Gramps always said the things in life worth havin’ are the ones you do that for.” Thayne gingerly peels my left hand away from my face.
“And I hope you know I’ll never stop puttin’ in the work for you, Gillybean.
That I always wanna put in the work.” His thumb caresses the space waiting for the jewelry.
“I have waited my entire life to ask you this question.” Scooting the chair back to drop down to one knee is effortlessly done.
“Will you let me be your man…now and forever?”
Between the classic Richard Marx reference and the round, yellow diamond ring – a reminder of his favorite flavor of jellybean – there’s no denying this is truly a him designed proposal.
One he put thought into.
Further proves his point about always putting in the effort for me.
Us.
How could I say no?
Why would ever I say no?
I’ve spent my whole life dulling my voice for others, so now that I’ve got it?
I’m damn sure gonna use it.
“Yes,” leaves me in almost air prompting me to repeat the word much louder and more urgent and more enthusiastically.
“Yes!” Winding my arms around his neck precedes me saying it one last time.
“Yes, Thayne Groff.” Our lips feather together as I speak the language he loves most by offering him a song in my answer.
“I will be your woman. Always and forever.”