4. Sloan
Sloan
I suck in a sharp breath as Cody slams the other player into the wall. There’s no way this doesn’t hurt him. When the guy takes a swing at him, I nearly scream out Cody’s name, but I stop myself at the last second.
Seeing him just on the other side of the glass in the penalty box…
Cody grew up. He’s no longer the boy I fell in love with.
He’s a man now. His dark brown hair is just long enough to run your fingers through.
The thick scruff covering his jaw is something I’ve never seen on him before.
The bright blue eyes staring at me are still the same though.
I couldn’t help but ask if he was ok. Even after I knew he was, I couldn’t tear my attention away from him. It’s so weird seeing him for the first time in years. I didn’t know if he still lived here and it felt weird to contact him after so many years apart.
I'm not dumb, I know we’re very different people now than we were the last time we saw each other. There’s a very good chance we won’t get along anymore.
“Cody! Are you ok?” A female voice screams. I watch Cody chuckle and turn around to tell the woman he’s good.
Following his line of sight, I see a woman who has to be related to Cody. They look too similar to not be. I don’t think it’s Charlie, she doesn’t look old enough to be Charlie, but there’s no way that’s Sophia… right?
“Sloan?” The woman’s brows draw together as she stares at me.
The next thing I realize, she’s climbing over people to get to me. She gets all the way down to me within seconds.
“Oh my gosh! It is you!” She squeals as she wraps her arms around me. “How are you?”
“I'm good… You’re not Sophia, are you?”
“Yup!”
“No! The last time I saw you, you were like this big.” I hold my hand around my stomach, though I'm sure Sophia was bigger than that. “How are you?”
“I'm great! I got married and opened my own bakery.”
“That’s so awesome. I know that was always your dream. Is it in Rosewood?”
“Yup! Mulberry Lane Bakery.” She beams proudly.
“Of course.” I chuckle. The whole family takes such great pride in Mulberry Lane. I love it.
“What about you? Do you live here again?”
“I moved back around a year ago.”
“And you didn’t contact Cody?” She frowns.
“No,” I say softly. “It didn’t seem right. We haven’t spoken in years.”
“Are you going to introduce me, babe?” Jude tries to meet my gaze over Sophia’s head.
“Yes! Sorry! Jude, this is Sophia. She’s an old friend of mine. Sophia, this is Jude, my boyfriend.”
The words taste bitter on my lips. I don’t want to be introducing him to someone in the Robinson family as my boyfriend. I never thought I’d see Cody again, but now I wish I was single. Which is stupid. He probably isn't single either.
“Boyfriend, huh?” Sophia gives him a tight-lipped smile. She clearly isn't happy about it.
“How long have you known Sloan?” Jude’s too dumb to realize she doesn’t want to talk to him.
“Since I was in elementary school. She dated my brother for a long time. They were head over heels in love with each other.” She doesn’t take her eyes off of me as she talks to Jude. “I don’t think he ever got over her.”
“Sophia…” I trail off, unsure of what else to say.
She glances over her shoulder at a very attractive man. She holds up a finger, telling him to give her a second.
“I should get back to my husband.” She tugs her phone out of her pocket and arches a brow at me. “What’s your number? I’d love to get together sometime.”
I sigh as I give her my number. I know better than to think she actually wants to get together with me. She’s getting my number for Cody, but how do I tell her no? Jude would question me if I refused to give her my number and things would get weird.
But do I want Cody contacting me?
“Awesome. I just texted you so you have my number too. After the game, you should find me. I can get you down to the locker room. Jax and Cody would love to see you again.”
Before I can respond, she’s climbing over people and returning to her husband. He smiles happily and presses a kiss to her lips. They look so happy together. So in love.
“Wait… Is she talking about Jax and Cody Robinson? Did you date one of them?”
I open my mouth to answer him, but another player slams into the glass in front of me. I gasp and my hand flies up to cover my heart. Jax smirks and wiggles his brows before skating away from me.
How is the entire Robinson family crashing into my life in one night?
“Umm… Yeah. I dated Cody,” I say softly.
“Wow.” Jude shakes his head with a big smile spreading across his face.
“What?”
“I'm dating Cody Robinson’s ex-girlfriend. This is awesome.”
I stare at him in disbelief. There’s no way he actually thinks that matters, right? Does he think he’s special because I dated Cody a long time ago?
Jude ignores me as he watches the game. He’s so lost in the action playing out on the ice, he isn't even paying attention to me.
“What is Cody like?” He murmurs, never taking his eyes off the game.
I sigh as I roll my eyes. I'm ignoring him the rest of the game. I don’t feel like discussing my ex with Jude.
Partially because it’s none of his business, but a large part of me feels like anything that happened between Cody and I was special.
It was so much better than anything I have with Jude and I don’t want to share it with him.
The last period of the game is intense. The player who tried to punch Cody, doesn’t let up.
He’s constantly on Cody and Jax. I don’t miss the way Cody puts himself between the other player and his brother.
He won't let anything happen to Jax, he was the same way when we were younger. He’d protect Jax with his life.
The last buzzer goes off and the crowd goes wild. It was a close game, but the Pythons pulled it off. They were able to keep the Wolverines away from the net, even though that player tried his hardest to get through them.
The angry opponent rushes towards Cody. I can see the fury in his eyes. He wants to hurt Cody and Jax. He took this game personally and he won't stop until he feels like he’s gotten revenge.
I watch in horror as he grabs Cody’s shoulder and spins him around to face him. Cody was laughing and smiling with his teammates, but his smile quickly fades. Before the player can make a move, one of Cody’s teammates lands a solid punch and the opponent tumbles to the ice.
The other Wolverine players rush the ice and I expect a fight to break out, but they drag their teammate off the ice without touching any of the Pythons.
“I swear I'm going to murder that jerk,” Sophia growls as she appears at my side.
“Calm down, baby. Cody and Jax know what they’re doing.” Sophia’s husband wraps his arm around her shoulders and tugs her into his side.
“Whatever. I'll just slit his tires the next time I see him,” she grumbles under her breath, making her husband chuckle. “Anyway… Do you want to go see the boys?” She goes from being livid to practically bouncing on her toes with excitement.
“Oh, um…” I try to think of something to say, but I'm coming up with nothing. I didn’t expect Sophia to seek me out after the game. I planned on sneaking past her and leaving without speaking to her again.
“You can seriously get us to the locker room?” Jude cuts in. The excitement is unmistakable in his voice.
“In the locker room? No.” Sophia scrunches up her nose.
“You wouldn’t want to go in there. It smells like sweaty skates and Axe body spray.
Don’t get me wrong, I'm not dissing Axe body spray, but mixing that with nasty boy sweat, it’s gross.
So, no, we’re not going in the locker room, but we can wait outside of it for Jax and Cody to exit. ”
“Oh, we don’t have to. I’m sure they’ll be tired after playing. We don’t want to bother them.” I try my hardest to get out of this, but Jude isn't having it.
“C’mon, Sloan. We might never get this opportunity again. Please. I want to meet them! This is like a dream come true.” Jude is practically begging. There’s no way for me to go home without raising more questions that I don’t want to deal with and Sophia knows it.
“Fine, but we can't stay long. We’re supposed to go out for dinner.”
“Don’t worry, I'm sure you’ll make it to dinner.” The smile spreading across her face is cocky and full of amusement.
We follow Sophia and… her husband? I don’t even know his name. I really need to ask. It feels weird to continuously think of him as Sophia’s husband and not have a real name for him. Sophia leads us through a maze of hallways until we stop outside of a door marked Locker Room.
“And now, we wait.” Sophia’s husband leans against the wall and tugs Sophia into his arms.
“I'm sorry, what’s your name?”
“Oh, I'm Pecker.” He grins.
“Excuse me, what’d you say?” Jude steps closer and frowns. “I thought you said your name is Pecker.”
“It is.” He chuckles. “Brad Pecker. Everyone calls me Peck or Pecker.”
I open my mouth to respond, but before I can get a word out, the door to the locker room opens and a few of the players file out. They’re mostly guys who don’t play on the first line.
My heart beats a little faster with each person who exits the locker room. I suck in a deep breath and blow it out slowly. I never thought I’d see Cody again. Now, waiting for him to come out, I feel like I'm going to throw up.
Sophia watches me carefully the entire time.
I'm not sure what she’s looking for, but I know everyone in her family sees too much.
She’s probably noticing how I'm off tonight. How my entire world has been flipped on its axis. How I keep wiping my palms on my jeans and nibbling on my bottom lip. Even though I know she’s watching me, I can't stop.
I'm fidgeting like a little kid who knows they’re in trouble.
The locker room opens and I swear all the air from my lungs is sucked out immediately. I don’t breathe. I don’t move a single muscle. Honestly, I think my heart has stopped beating because Cody Robinson is walking my way.
I take in the way his hair is a little longer on top.
The strands are still wet from his shower and the ends are curling.
His cheeks are still rosy from the cold air on the ice, but it does nothing to take away from his angular jaw and five o’clock shadow.
I want to reach out and run my fingers over his stubble.
His bright blue eyes lock on mine and I swallow hard.
Seeing him without his gear on, I take in his broad shoulders that taper into a trim waist. He’s wearing a black henley with the buttons undone. Dark jeans hug his thighs, showing off just how much muscle he has from skating nonstop.
“Sloan,” Cody breathes. He stops right in front of me and stares down. He isn't sure if he should hug me or keep his distance.
“Hey, Cody,” I say softly. I decide to put us both out of our misery and step in for a hug.
He doesn’t hesitate to wrap his arms around me and tugs me tightly against his body. His woodsy scent overwhelms my senses and has me squeezing my eyes shut to memorize the feel of being in his arms.
We hug for far longer than is probably acceptable. Jude clearing his throat is the only reason we step apart. Cody tucks his hands into the pockets of his jeans and drops his gaze to the ground.
Before I can say anything, Jax pushes through the door with excitement. In usual Jax fashion, he’s the center of attention and has everyone feeling right at home with him.
“If it isn't Sloan Weathers!” He shouts, sweeping me into a hug. “How have you been, sweetheart?” He lifts me off of the ground and spins me in a circle before setting me on my feet again.
“I'm good, Jax. How are you?” I chuckle as I stare up at him. He hasn’t changed even a little bit.
“I’m living the life! What are you doing back in Rosewood?”
“Oh, she lives here,” Sophia cuts in before I can respond.
“Oh, really?” Jax raises a brow in my direction. “And how long have you been back, Sloan?”
“About a year?” I squeak out as my gaze drifts to Cody.
He’s leaning against the wall with his hands still shoved in his pockets. He keeps his gaze locked on the ground, but I don’t miss the way his jaw clenches.
“A whole year and you never once reached out? Sweetness! You wound me!” Jax clutches his chest.
“Jax,” I whisper, unsure of what to say.
“Who’s this guy?” He motions to Jude.
Jude’s face brightens and he stands a little straighter as he comes to my side. I can't do it. I can't introduce him as my boyfriend.
“I'm Jude, Sloan’s boyfriend. I’m a huge fan.”
“Boyfriend, huh?” Jax ignores his comment about being a fan. He doesn’t care. His entire focus is on his brother and figuring things out for him.
“Jax,” I warn.
“What? I'm just trying to learn a little more about the girl I once knew. Clearly, you aren’t the same girl I grew up with. That one would’ve called us as soon as you stepped foot in town.
I just can't imagine our Sloan Weathers coming back and not telling me. Do you know what that means?” The devilish smile he aims my way has me swallowing hard.
I'm not going to like whatever comes out of his mouth next.
“What?”
“Well, to heal my broken heart, you have to go to Kennedy’s with us.
” Jax drapes his arm around my shoulders and leads me towards the door.
“I'm sure the boyfriend won't mind since he’s such a huge fan.” Jax smirks at Jude over our shoulders.
“You’re riding with us. I'm not waiting for that stadium parking to clear out.”