Chapter 20
TWENTY
JULIAN
As my chest burned, I said, “I haven’t loved a man since Ian. You can’t take the man I love away from me.” Oh, shit. As my jaw dropped, I cut my gaze to Alex. What a time for my mouth to run away from me.
“You…you love me?” Alex grasped both my hands and faced me. “I, I love you too, Julian.”
I focused on his lips, so close, as my heart burst with emotion. I longed to kiss him, but not now, not with this bullshit going on.
“Jesus.” Shaking his head, Dad rubbed his eyes. Standing, he said, “Now I’m the bad guy.” He stepped toward Julian. “I warned you against getting involved with the players.”
Facing Dad, I said, “I tried, I really did.” I bit my lip. “Can’t you do something? There has to be another position I can take.”
“I’m sorry, Julian. I’ve had a few days to weigh the options already.” Dad snapped his gaze to Alex. “Does your family know, or anyone else?”
Alex dipped his head. “No, not even all the queer players on the team know. Only Mason and Jett.” In a softer voice, he said, “My parents might not accept it.”
Dad squeezed his shoulder. “It’s best if we trade you.
We need to handle this in a way that won’t cause suspicion.
Then you can keep seeing each other in secret until you’re ready to go public.
” He peered at me. “With you sharing hotel rooms on the road, it’s inevitable that the entire team will find out, and then rumors will spread, and the press will hear.
” He tsked. “You know, sharing hotel rooms is also a waste of team funds, Julian. Have you spent any time in your own room?”
Planting a hand on my hip, I said, “A little.” Wait, keep seeing each other in secret, plus not live in the same state?
When would we ever see each other? Sure, we’d discussed this last night, but it wasn’t shoved in my face as a reality.
An ache sprouted in my heart, spreading through my soul.
“No, this can’t happen. You can’t trade Alex.
We…” I swallowed a lump climbing my throat, my eyes stinging and vision hazing.
“I can’t do this right now. There has to be another way.
” Fuck this, I couldn’t take anymore. I needed to regroup and contemplate this.
We had to have another option. “I’m leaving.
Don’t follow me.” I stormed out of the room, my heart in tatters and body trembling.
“Julian, wait,” Alex called out.
“No!” As I raced from the room, I stomped through the hallway, passing players heading to the team breakfast.
“Hey, the elevators are the other way,” Mason stopped me, grabbing my arm. “Where’s your shirt?”
“I’m not going to breakfast!” Breaking free, I jogged to my hotel room door, unlocked it, and jumped inside.
As my back hit the door, I slid down until I plopped on my ass.
“Oh, God.” This was a mess. Why would Alex accept a trade, just like that?
Didn’t he want to be with me? He’d said he loved me.
Bringing my knees to my chest, I wrapped my arms around them.
As a sob broke free, I clenched my teeth. This wasn’t happening. How could he move to another city? He wasn’t fighting for us. As I blinked, a hot tear tumbled down my cheek.
Pounding vibrated the door. “Julian? Let me in,” Alex’s voice thundered through the door.
Sniffling, I wiped the wetness from my eyes and stood. Was he here to break it off? Maybe the pressure of coming out to his family was overwhelming. Maybe love couldn’t keep us together. Bracing myself, I opened the door.
“Julian? Shit, you’re upset.” He snuck inside and slammed the door shut behind him.
“Come here.” He wrapped me in a bear hug and kissed the side of my head.
“When I’m traded, we’ll work it out, okay?
I won’t go far, remember?” He hugged me even tighter.
“I meant what I said. I love you, Julian. We’ll make this work. ”
With a slow nod against his shoulder, I bit tears back.
“Yeah, okay.” I had no choice. We had no choice.
“Shouldn’t you be present at the team breakfast?
” For now, I’d stop questioning him. He had duties to fulfill and a game to play tonight.
His first regular-season game and first one since his injury.
There was tremendous pressure on him already. I shouldn’t make it worse.
“We’re both supposed to be there. Your father already left for it.” He sighed and then through his teeth said, “But first, I’m calling Margot.”
I lifted my head. “Do you think she told Stephanie, and she told Jessica? Ian could have…” Given Ian’s demands before we’d left, I wouldn’t put it past him.
“Yes, but I want to be sure. We’re supposed to be friends, but this isn’t the behavior of a friend.” He released me and plodded into my room, sliding his phone from the pocket of his joggers. After stabbing the buttons, he set the phone on speaker.
I followed and stopped next to him. He’d let me listen to this conversation? I might unleash my full fury on the bitch.
The call rang a few times and then clicked. “Hello? Alexey?”
I cringed. I hated her calling him by his full name, as if it were a secret between them.
“Hey, Margot, uh, we’ve got a situation.” He glowered at the phone.
“Oh…” Her breath hitched. “I, uh, I suppose the PR team went to your management with your relationship?”
“So, you told Stephanie about us,” he spat. “What the fuck, Margot? I thought I could count on you?”
My chest brimmed with heat. “Who the hell do you think you are?”
Alex held his hand in front of my face. “Hold on.”
“Now, wait a minute. She needed to know. Your relationship would have exploded into a scandal any minute. I left the handling of the information entirely to Stephanie’s discretion after I told her.
Obviously, she thought it was serious enough to bring the information to her manager, Jessica.
” She huffed. “If you had any sense, you’d have let the PR team know yourselves.
” In a softer voice, she said, “They can keep the secret from your family, Alexey. But if this erupted into a scandal…I did it for you.”
I didn’t buy a word of her explanation. “Except my father wants to trade Alex.” I fisted my hands. Maybe she’d be happy about that.
“Oh, I’m sorry.” She exhaled a long breath. “Isn’t there any other way?”
“I don’t know.” Alex raked shaky fingers through his bangs. “I need to go. We have a team breakfast to attend, and then meetings.”
“Okay, well, we can talk more later. I hope you can see I did the right thing, Alexey,” she said. “I’m sorry if it’s causing problems for you.”
“Yeah. I have to go. Bye.” He ended the call. “Fuck, I knew it.” He paced across the room. “I’ll never trust her again.”
“Do you think she’s being vindictive?” I sat at the foot of my bed. I’d love to curl up in it and forget this day ever happened.
“I wouldn’t say that, but she definitely overstepped.” He stopped at me, brushed his knuckles down my cheeks and said, “Let’s go to breakfast and do our jobs. We’ll have to set this aside for now.”
“Yeah, okay.” Holding his hand on my cheek, I twisted and kissed his palm. An idea popped into my head. “But you know, we could tell my father we’ve broken up.” Would Alex buy it?
“And what? Continue the way we have been?” His lips pinched. “Margot was right about one thing. If we continue the way we have, our relationship is certain to end in a scandal for the team.”
I lowered my head, staring at the beige swirls in the carpet. He’d settled on being traded. I had to face this. “Yeah, okay.”
“Hey.” He hugged me gently. “I don’t want to lie to your father. I don’t want him to think badly of me.”
Nodding against his shoulder, I said, “Yes, I get it.” What would Alex’s father think of me if I ever met him? Given the circumstances, I probably never would. “Let’s go to breakfast.”