Chapter 43
Chapter
Forty-Three
Bodi
I watch myriad emotions play on her face as she blinks away tears.
“Babe? You believe me, don’t you?” I don’t know what picture she’s talking about because I absolutely didn’t have anyone on my lap or anywhere else that close to me.
“I don’t…know.” She sniffles as a tear leaks out of one eye.
“Shh. Don’t cry, baby.” I reach out and swipe it with my thumb.
“I would never cheat on you. I didn’t. Here.
” He pulls out his phone and opens to his photographs.
“There are a bunch of pictures from that night but there’s no one on my lap.
And you’re welcome to read every text, every email—I have nothing to hide. ”
She hesitates but then takes it from me. She scans the pictures and then frowns.
“This one.” She points. “The picture I saw is this one, but with a girl on your lap.”
I shake my head vehemently. “There was no girl. I don’t know what you saw but that never happened. It’s really easy to doctor photos with AI these days. Or Photoshop.”
She chews the inside of her cheek thoughtfully. “Dad and Lourdes cornered me this morning, showed me the picture, and Dad went on a rampage about how I need to stop with the hockey players, that I wasn’t really na?ve enough to believe you actually loved me.”
“Do you believe that?” he asks softly. “Because I do.”
“But you never said it.”
“I said not two minutes ago.”
She lifts tear-filled golden eyes to me and blinks a few times.
“Say it again.”
“I love you. I’m in love with you. And I would never cheat on you. I wouldn’t do that to anyone, least of all you.”
I’m high on adrenaline and love.
That’s the only way to describe what I’m feeling before I look into Jayne’s eyes. But they’re shrouded. Wary. Cautious.
I can’t blame her.
Everything has been a whirlwind the last few days.
“Babe, I’m willing to beg, borrow, steal, and grovel to convince you of that.”
“I wasn’t sure why you came to get me today,” she admits. “I thought maybe it was just because Blaze told you my dad hit me.”
“I’m here because I love you,” I say firmly, reaching out to grip her chin with two fingers, forcing her to meet my gaze.
“I’m not going anywhere. No matter what happens, we’re in this together.
I was waiting until I had a trade in the works but then when Blaze told us what happened, West and I left immediately. ”
She blinks, big hazel eyes filled with a strange combination of wonder and doubt.
“Really?”
“I love you.” I say it slowly and enunciate to make sure she’s listening. “More than anything. More than hockey. More than myself. If I have to play in the minors or get a job coaching at some high school, then that’s what I’ll do. It’s not ideal but if it means having you, I’ll do it.”
“You can’t give up hockey, I mean, why…” She fumbles over her words and stares at me. “I thought… but you said… fuck, I don’t know what I’m trying to say.”
“Do you love me?” I ask bluntly.
“Bodi…” She blinks and tears puddle in her eyes.
Ah, shit.
She doesn’t feel the same.
I thought sure… dammit.
“Look, even if you don’t, I’m going to get you away from your dad. West and me, we’ll make sure you’re safe, okay? There’s no scenario where—” She cuts me off by lifting to her toes and pressing her lips to mine.
“I do,” she whispers against my mouth. “I love you so much, Bodi Michener.”
“Fuck, I love hearing that.” This time I take possession of her lips like they belong to me. Along with the rest of her.
Mine.
Everything else be damned—as long as Jayne loves me, we’ll figure it out.
I stop kissing her and look down into her pretty face.
“There’s a good chance we’ll have to start over somewhere.”
“That’s okay.”
“If things go bad with hockey, I have a contract for the rest of this season but after that, I don’t know what’s going to happen. If I get sent to the minors, I’ll barely be making six figures. It sounds like a lot of money but there are a lot of expenses too.”
“That doesn’t matter. I can get a job making forty or fifty, maybe more, depending on where we live. With both our salaries, we’ll be fine. People survive on much less.”
Fuck, I love this woman.
I kiss her again and she winds her arms around my neck. Our tongues tangle together with delicious familiarity, but then she pulls away, her eyes wide, as if she just thought of something.
“Wait a minute—why are you in trouble? You didn’t do anything wrong. My dad is the one embezzling money. Right?”
“I don’t know how things are going to play out,” I explain. “But your dad threatened to tell people I sexually assaulted you. I’ve also been a healthy scratch for the last few games, which has the sports pages buzzing. People want to know what’s going on and—”
“Then we tell them.” She puts her hands on either side of my face. “We’re stronger together, Bodi. And we have friends. Kelly. West. Vik.”
“Ashton Knight has been really helpful too.”
“We’re not alone. If we have to hold a press conference to tell the world that two legal, consenting adults fell in love, and for whatever reason that pissed my father off, we will.”
I really love this woman.
“Are you sure you want to go public with all that?”
“If we have to. But even if my father has somehow already ruined your career, we’ll be fine. We’ll be extra careful with your money while you’re making it, I’ll finish my master’s, and then we’ll figure out our next steps.”
I drop my forehead to hers and we stand like that for what feels like an eternity. Eyes closed, bodies pressed together, breathing soft and steady.
The two of us. Together. For good this time.
It feels like we’re exactly where we should be—together.
“I was planning to tell you how I feel that night at dinner. The day the shit hit the fan.”
Her eyes open and she smiles. “And I was going to tell you how I felt that night too.”
“Did you write me a letter instead?”
Her cheeks flush pink as she nods. “I did. A really long letter.”
“Someday I’ll read it. Today, I want to take you to bed and—”
My phone buzzes in my pocket and I reach for it grudgingly.
“It’s West,” I say.
“You better answer it.”
“Hey, man.” I put him on speaker.
“Can you get an Uber to the arena?”
“Sure. What’s up?”
“Mr. Carrier wants to talk to you—and Jayne.”
“Am I in trouble?”
“I don’t think so, but it’s hard to say. This place is wild right now.”
“What do you mean?”
“Coach Morrison is locked in his office with someone I don’t recognize. Coach Panzetti is pacing like an expectant father. Heywood is here along with all the higher-ups, so Mr. Knight has probably started the ball rolling.”
“Hopefully not a ball that’s going to roll over me.”
“You didn’t do anything wrong, Bodi. Jayne’s an adult. The one who’s probably in trouble is Coach Morrison. So, get your ass down here and sort it all out.”
“We’re on our way.” I disconnect and look at Jayne. “Our presence is requested.”
She grimaces.
“Are you going to be okay to come with me?”
“Of course.” She runs her fingers through my hair, her eyes suddenly soft, loving. “As long as I’m with you, I’m always okay.”
“I really want to take you to bed,” I murmur in frustration.
“I want that too—but this is more important. We have to put this insanity behind us. There’ll be plenty of time for bed after that.”
“Thank you for loving me,” I whisper against her hair as I wrap my arms around her again. “And for trusting me with your heart.”
“I didn’t have a choice—you stole it that first day in the elevator.”
“I don’t know what the future holds for us, but for as long as your heart is mine, I’ll take the utmost care of it.”
“I know you will.” Her breath is warm against my cheek. “And I’ll do the same.”