Chapter Sixteen
LEXI
I had to be dreaming. I was wearing Kayden Daniel’s jersey. Every girl on campus would lose their shit to be able to wear this. He wasn’t just a center on the school hockey team. He was the star of the show even if he didn’t want the attention.
Growing up with him, there was a side to him no one else could see.
It was a side that he also tried to hide from me.
But I saw it. I saw him. I think the only times he ever willingly showed vulnerability were to my brother.
They were more like brothers than best friends anyway.
Their bromance had no boundaries. They had other close friends, but no one was as close as them.
I was only allowed to hangout with them occasionally, and when I did, they made sure to find a way to torment me.
I’d always known Kayden to be quiet and calculated, so watching him grab his jersey for me to put on was a big deal.
Don’t fall for him. Don’t fall for him. He’s a jerk and your tormentor. Never fall for someone who makes you weak.
His jersey was ridiculously heavy. It smelled like a mix of laundry detergent, mint and a faint smell of ice. I bit my lip as I watched him respond to a text. There was a closed off look on his face, and I had a feeling it was his dad on the other side of the phone.
He looked up from his phone, stuffing it in his pocket. “Ready?”
"Yeah," I said, wishing I could be back in my dorm, hiding far away from him.
A smirk curved his lips. He didn't say anything else. He reached down, sliding his hand into mine, lacing our fingers together. My stomach flipped. Don’t do it, Lexi. Don’t fall for his fucking charm.
The moment our sneakers hit the top of the main staircase, the shift in the house was instant.
It started with a few guys near the beer pong table in the foyer.
One of them looked up, blinked, and nudged his friend.
Within seconds, a ripple effect washed through the living room.
The loud, booming bass of the music kept playing, but the chatter of the crowd died down to whispers.
“Is that Daniel’s jersey?”
“No way. He doesn’t let anyone touch that.”
I kept my gaze locked straight ahead, ignoring everyone around. You can do this, Lex. It’s all fake; just fake it til you make it. Every step we took, there were more whispers.
At the bottom of the steps, Dylan stood there, his eyes almost bugging out of his head. Hazel was standing right behind him, with a wicked grin on her face. She gave me two thumbs up, and I rolled my eyes. Leave it to her to brighten the mood.
Much to my dismay, Ivy and Garcia were still here.
Ivy looked like she had swallowed glass.
Her green eyes darted from our joined hands up to the jersey clinging to my shoulders, her face heated.
Next to her, Garcia’s smug smirk fell, his jaw tight.
From what I’d heard around campus, he was doing everything in his power to make sure Kayden wasn’t successful.
You would think someone like him would be focused on his own successes and wanting to put all his efforts into the team, not letting the Captain fail.
Kayden didn’t slow down, and he didn’t give anyone the time of day, especially the two who wanted the most attention.
He led me straight into the center of the room.
“We aren’t that interesting; get back to the party,” he barked, and as soon as the words left his mouth, everyone went back to doing what they did best.
Garcia took a slow step forward, his eyes boring into Kayden. His fingers tightened around the solo cup until the plastic crinkled. “So what, you’re adding more distractions to the mix? I thought you were focused on the combine and the draft, Daniel.”
My brows turned inward; seriously, what the fuck was this guy’s problem? I could see the issue with Ivy making a little sense, but it almost sounded as if this guy had the hots for him or something.
Kayden stiffened, but didn’t say a word. His jaw ticked, and his hand tightened around mine. He’s about to blow.
Torin stepped between them, “Maybe we need to calm down fellas.”
Kellan laughed next to him, “I mean yeah, Garcia. If you don’t want to get your ass kicked, I suggest you knock it off.”
I looked around, and everyone else was dancing or playing beer pong off to the side, suddenly they’d all lost interest. It’s too bad I couldn’t lose interest with them.
“Shut your fucking mouth.”
That’s when I decided to pipe in, but I really shouldn’t have, because as per usual, it blew up in my face. “Why don’t we all take a break? We’ll go to another room, and you can stay here. See, problem solved?”
Garcia’s gaze met mine, his eyes turned to slits. “Tell your girl to shut her mouth, or I’ll personally shut it for her.”
My brows lifted, my feet instantly taking a step back, letting go of Kayden’s hand. Now I’d gone and made another enemy. Great.
If Kayden and the guys weren’t pissed before, they were now.
He got up close and personal to Garcia, literally standing right in front of his chest. Torin and Kellan flanked to either side, showing they had their captain’s back.
Someone grabbed my hand and when I looked back, it was Hazel pulling me towards her and out of harm's way.
“I think it’s time you left, Garcia.” Kayden sneered, his hands curling to fists.
He lifted a brow, challenging him. “And if I don’t?”
“Then I will physically remove you from here and the team.”
Garcia scoffed, “You can’t do shit. Coach won’t remove me because the captain got his feelings hurt.”
Kayden crossed his arms, a sly smile appearing on his lips. “Care to wager?”
Garcia swallowed, looking around the room, his tough guy act vanishing quickly. “Fuck you, I’m fucking out of here.”
Kellan rubbed his hands together, a grin spreading across his lips. “Hell yeah, you took out the trash without lifting a finger!”
Well, not all of the trash. My gaze met Ivy’s as she stood there watching me with a weird look in her eyes.
She quickly left the house as well, following behind Garcia.
Something told me we weren’t done with either of them, and if Ivy was anything like the mean girls I’d witnessed in high school, I was screwed.
He turned away from the guys, took my hand out of Hazel’s and steered me toward the kitchen and to the back porch. The crowd parted for us like the Red Sea, whispers starting up again the moment our backs were turned.
Hazel followed us outside, laughter on her face. “Wow, you really put on a show back there.”
I shook my head, not saying anything. There was a slight pang in my heart as my thoughts drifted to my brother.
Is this what things would’ve been like if he were here?
I couldn’t help but think if it hadn’t been for me, he would’ve been with his friends making memories.
He always fit in with people better than I did.
I couldn’t help but wonder if Kayden blamed me too.
“Lex, you okay?” Hazel leaned forward, her hand resting on my shoulder.
I could feel Kayden’s gaze on me, but I refused to look at him. I couldn’t show signs of weakness. Not in front of them.
I gritted my teeth and nodded. A small, pathetic smile came on my face, but I didn’t utter a word. Kayden’s friends and teammates came out, and I was once again forgotten...