Chapter 22
TWENTY-TWO
PEARCE
While Coach had listened to what I had to say, I wasn’t surprised that he wasn’t interested in me breaking my contract. I tried to see his no as an ego boost and clasp tightly to his praise for the strong season we’d had and how essential I was to the team and next season.
Fuck, it sucked, but unless Rick managed to come up with a spectacular offer from the Jetts that Coach would be interested in, I’d need to swallow down my disappointment and make this year a killer one.
Free agency next year after an even more spectacular season would have to put me in an even better position, right?
What I hadn’t done was tell any of my teammates about my request or hope to be traded. I didn’t want to piss them off or cause any waves next season. It made joining in with the guys’ conversation a little more work, and I was beginning to think they’d started to notice.
“Who the fuck pissed in your cereal?”
Called out on my grouchy mood, I snorted. Joel frowned over at me. We’d headed to a local bar that was our main haunt for chilled drinks after our final meeting with Coach. Most of the team was here, a few taking over the pool table while the rest gathered around a few tables.
Cassius, though, was fixed to his phone, tapping away, every now and then making calls. He was in total planning mode. It was enough to have me smiling and my stomach flipping. In less than three weeks, I’d be getting married.
“Earth to Pearce.”
“Shit, sorry, man.” I glanced at Joel. “Nothing’s wrong. I’m okay.”
He studied me a beat before nodding. “If you say so. You just missing your thirst trap?”
I snorted while taking a pull of my beer, quickly covering my mouth to stop the spray. “Shit.” I coughed. “Really, thirst trap?”
Joel grinned and bounced his brows. “You know it.”
I shook my head, still smiling at my straight friend having the confidence to acknowledge how fine Eddie was. The moment of nearly choking eased some of my tension and did a decent job at pulling me out of my funk. “Yeah,” I answered, “of course I’m missing him.”
“It’s a good job we’re around to keep you entertained. When are you heading to Montview?”
“The first week in July. I’m driving down to Chicago on Sunday. Means I can get that photoshoot wrapped up and organize some other shit. What about you? You sticking around or jetting off somewhere?”
“Plan to spend some time with my family. Promised I’d take my kid sister on a vacation to celebrate her graduation.”
“You get on well with her?”
He bobbed his head. “Yeah. She’s the only sane one in my family. She’s pretty cool. Plus I said she could bring a couple of her friends.” He grinned.
“Like that, huh?”
“Hell yes. Her best friend, Tilly, is fucking hot. She’s also smart as shit and loves giving me hell. Pretty good foreplay, I reckon.”
I chuckled. “Well, have fun with tha—”
“Yes!”
Cassius’s loud holler grabbed my attention. When I looked in his direction, his gaze was on me, and he wore the smuggest grin I’d seen to date.
“You are going to want to suck me off so bad,” he said, standing and heading over to our table. “But of course I’ll say no, as I don’t mess around with attached men.”
“Geez, thank goodness for that. I was so tempted,” I deadpanned.
He flipped me off before taking the seat in front of me. “Whatever.” He shoved his cell in my direction.
“What am I looking at?”
“Only the perfect wedding venue that’s idyllic as well as private. Room for three hundred guests.”
My brows shot up. “Quiet and low-key, Cass.”
He waved me off. “Yes, yes. Just saying that’s the capacity, but I have your half-assed guest list.”
“Which you’ll stick to,” I said pointedly.
“Uh-huh.”
“I’m serious, Cass.”
“Yes, I know.” He rolled his eyes.
Ollie snorted from beside him. “Bet you’re wishing you flew out to Vegas and eloped right about now, huh?”
“There’s still time,” I said, with a little too much hope.
“No chance in hell. This, my friend, will be perfect for your day. Low-key, measly guest list. I know the parameters.”
I held his gaze and hoped like hell he wasn’t going to screw me over. When I didn’t see anything beyond impatience in his gaze, I returned my focus to his phone. I raised my brows. “Damn. The place is nice.”
“You don’t want to know how many strings I pulled to get you in.”
When I flicked my attention to him, he attempted an innocent grin, which I absolutely was not buying. I focused back on the incredible barn and flicked through the pictures. “Shit, how did you get this place?”
He shrugged, offering an indifferent, “I’ll send you the bill by email.”
Ollie broke into laughter, and I sighed, but seriously, the venue was gorgeous. “We can have the ceremony outside?” I stared at the tree-lined aisle, thinking it would be pretty cool to get married in a forest.
“Yeah. It also has views of the lake just behind that. The reception will be in the barn.”
Searching through the photos, I found the barn with exposed beams. It looked rustic and romantic as hell. “Cass,” I said, something close to awe in my voice, “this is seriously incredible. Thank you.”
For the briefest of moments, a soft smile traced his lips, and a slight flush reached his cheeks. Then it was gone in a blink, a wide grin appearing. “Told you. I’m a fucking rock star at this.”
There was no debating that. “You pull this off, I’ll never doubt you again.
” I grinned as I passed him his phone back, a rush of gratitude forming in the pit of my stomach that Cassius was so eager to do this for me.
“Actually,” I said, wondering whether or not Eddie would have me certified for making this call, “I think you were right.”
“I usually am,” Cassius sassed, “but about anything in particular?”
“About you making an awesome best man.”
Surprise flitted across his features before he shut his reaction down and smirked. “You know it.”
I chuckled, saying, “Cass, you wanna stand up with me and be my best man?”
“Hell fucking yes.” He whooped, stood, and tugged me up, patting my back in a hug.
A chorus of “no” surrounded us, followed by potato chips and peanuts being thrown at our heads.
Cassius pulled back, flipping off our team, shouting, “Best man, fuckers. We’ll save the competition for his bachelor party. No way I’m letting that go to waste.”
I tilted my head back and looked at the ceiling. I’d kinda hoped he’d forget about the competition he’d been organizing. I should have known better.
My cell vibrated in my pocket. I pulled it out, my whole body lighting up when I saw Eddie’s name.
“Hey, you,” I answered with a smile.
“Hey, how’d today go?”
“It… went,” I settled on, stepping away from the tables and toward the small yard out the back where I expected it would be quieter.
“That sounds a little ominous.”
I chuckled and looked around the outside space. Finding it empty, I stepped out and settled on one of the chairs. “Not deliberately.” I wiped my hand over my face. “I just miss you.” My gut tightened, knowing I had to tell him the bad news about Coach’s response.
“I miss you. Only a few more days and you’ll be here. We can handle that.”
“Yeah, I know. It’s just going to take some time to accept that it’s all not happening now, you know?”
The sound of his light breaths traveled down the line as he listened to me, pausing a beat before saying, “So I’m guessing Coach Jenkins wasn’t keen on a trade for next season?” Despite the gentleness of his voice, I didn’t need to see his face to know he was upset.
“No. The team’s strong.”
“It is.”
“I’m still hoping Rick pulls something out of the bag at the end of June.”
Eddie released a slow breath. “I know, and I want that too, but I think we best prepare to expect lots of commuting next season. It’ll all work out, though.”
“Yeah,” I answered, my voice quiet. Shit, I needed to pull myself out of this funk.
If I couldn’t get to grips with staying put, it would make next season unbearably depressing.
I didn’t want that. I loved my job, was so blessed to have it and be living the dream.
“We have a venue,” I said abruptly, changing tack, wanting to focus on something amazing.
“Yeah?” This time I heard the smile in his voice.
“It’s amazing. A farmhouse on a lake.” I continued to tell him all about it, describing the photos I saw, and promising to send him the link as soon as I got it from Cassius. I also admitted to making him my best man. Thankfully he only groaned a little, but he did laugh a lot.
By the time we finished discussing our wedding and how Lottie was coping with one arm out of action, Eddie cleared his throat, quickly followed by an “Uhm…”
“Are you going to bring my good mood down?”
“Not deliberately.”
“And now you’re the one who’s sounding all ominous. What’s on your mind?”
“I ran into Wayne today.”
I didn’t have to look in the mirror to know an impressive sneer had formed on my face. “Bet that was thirty seconds you wish you could get back.”
A strangled laugh escaped him. It didn’t have the teasing humor I expected. “I actually… uhm… he was there when I had lunch.”
I opened and closed my mouth, having no idea how to respond. While my gut clenched and I wanted to spit venom, I exhaled instead, holding on to his tone and the resignation I heard there.
“It wasn’t planned, and it wasn’t welcome,” he rushed to say. “It was actually awkward as fuck.” This time an exasperated sigh fluttered down the line, and whether he knew it or not, his frustration eased some of the building emotion sitting on my chest.
“What happened? Was he his usual asshole self?”
“You could say that.” Eddie sighed. “I met up with Graham and Tim. Apparently Tim told Wayne we were meeting and ended up inviting him. He did apologize a shit ton afterward. Told me he’d felt cornered.”
I grunted at that. “There’s a lot to be said about the power of saying ‘fuck off.’ More people should try it.”
“I expect after lunch that’s something Tim will agree with. The guy’s too well-mannered for his own damn good.”
“So what did Wankface have to say for himself?”
“Spent most of the time bragging about bullshit. It was at the end that was, uhm… awkward.”
I gritted my teeth. “Do I need to get on a plane and kick his ass?”
Eddie snorted. “You think I need defending?”
“Well,” I smiled, visualizing the huge wall of limbs and muscle he was, “not exactly.” But he also was nowhere near as quick-tempered as I was and could be too forgiving. “Just wondering if I needed to defend your honor or something.” My tone turned lighter.
“Ha. And people say chivalry is dead.”
“They clearly don’t know how chivalrous as fuck I can be, especially when Wankface is involved.
” My shoulders untensed, listening to his warm laugh.
I wasn’t really worried about any conversation Eddie may have with any of his exes.
What pissed me off was that I didn’t want him to deal with dickheads. “So what was so awkward?”
“He suggested we get back together and that he’d even consider being exclusive.”
My sneer was back. “Big of him.”
“Uh-huh. I reminded him I was engaged, since I’m sure as shit am sure he’s read the gossip columns about that announcement, and that in no universe would I ever consider getting back with him.”
A smile stretched big and wide on my face. “Did you also make clear I’m the best you ever had and that you’re so ridiculously in love, you’d die without me?”
“Yes,” he deadpanned. “That’s exactly what I did. I even used props and a piece of theater. You know, add in some drama to the moment.”
“Sweet. I hope you recorded it. Right along with his reaction.”
“You’re such a dickhead.”
“I’m your dickhead.” I grinned, wishing like hell the week would hurry up and be over so I could kiss his face off.
“You are. For better or worse before you know it.”
“Less than three weeks.” As I said the words, my heart tripped over itself. In three weeks we’d be married. “I can’t fucking wait.”
A soft sigh reached me. “Me either. And Cass has really found something great and not too OTT?”
“I think it could easily be over the top, but it won’t be. The place is stunning. There are cottages too for everyone, which will make everything easier.”
“Sounds perfect. Are you still out?” he asked.
“Yeah. I’ll head back soon. Get my beauty sleep before Thursday’s shoot.”
“About that…” He cleared his throat. My interest piqued at the rumbly tone that followed, but rather than push, I waited him out. “Uhm… you think I can get some of the proofs?”
I quirked my brow, tempted to switch to video so I could see the blush I knew would be spreading across his cheeks. “You want pics of me in underwear?” I teased. “I could have sent you plenty before now.”
“I wouldn’t be, you know, averse to seeing a few of those.” I heard the smile in his voice, and my dick twitched.
“Maybe I should head home now, get a video call going, and make sure we record it.”
His needy moan drifted to me, threatening to turn my cock rock-hard.
“Well, uhm…”
“You like that idea, huh?”
“Maybe.”
I grinned wide and stood, absolutely on board with this plan. “In that case, give me thirty minutes.”
“Yeah, okay.” His voice dropped, all growly and sounding delectable. Hell, video sex would absolutely help the growing ache I had to endure between now and the weekend. I just hoped he realized I was deadly serious about recording.