22. Jamie
Jamie
(Six Weeks Later)
The second Cyaire’s face appears on my screen, I know I’ve made a mistake answering this call in the locker room. The familiar warmth that spreads through my chest at seeing him is immediately overshadowed by the realization that I’m about to lose any semblance of privacy I thought I had left.
“Oh damn! Is that your boy?” Devan’s voice booms across the entire locker room, drawing every set of eyes in our direction like a magnet.
Before I can even think about pulling the phone away or finding somewhere more private, Tobias materializes beside me with that trademark grin that spells trouble.
Ridley appears over his shoulder like some kind of hockey-playing jack-in-the-box, and then Derrick and Sebastian somehow manage to squeeze themselves into the frame behind them.
My phone screen suddenly looks like a badly organized team photo.
“So, this is the man Maxwell kept all to himself all summer?” Devan continues, his voice dripping with theatrical accusation as he leans closer to get a better look at Cyaire.
“Nice to finally meet you,” Tobias adds with an enthusiastic wave that nearly knocks into Ridley’s head.
Derrick’s eyes are practically shining as he speaks up, clearly having what can only be described as a full fanboy moment.
“We’ve heard a lot about you, of course, we know who you are, but it’s really good to see you beyond the camera.
I mean, you’re actually talking to us right now. This is incredible.”
Sebastian catches his husband’s excitement with an amused smile, then shifts his attention back to the phone screen with diplomatic grace. “Welcome to the Vipers family, Cyaire. We’re glad Jamie finally decided to share you with the rest of us.”
Blue’s laugh fills the space between us, warm and genuine, and I watch as he lifts a slightly shy hand toward the screen.
There’s something endearing about seeing him a little overwhelmed by the chaos of my teammates.
“It’s nice to finally meet all of you. Jamie’s told me so much about you guys.
We’ll have to meet in person when I get back to Seattle. ”
Then his expression shifts entirely. The easy smile disappears as his eyes lock onto something behind me, and I know exactly what he’s seeing. His gaze has found the mound of ice taped across my shoulder, and concern blooms across his features in real time.
His eyes narrow, “What happened to you?”
“I’m okay,” I tell him quickly, trying to inject as much reassurance into my voice as possible. “Just got knocked into the boards a little harder than I would’ve liked. It’s nothing serious.”
“And I made sure the other guy regretted it,” Devan announces proudly, puffing out his chest like some kind of avenging hockey angel. He punctuates his statement with what he probably thinks is a gentle slap between my shoulder blades.
“Damn, Scott,” I hiss through gritted teeth, lurching forward as pain shoots through the exact spot where all that ice is supposed to be helping. Ridley’s hands immediately appear to steady me, somehow having managed to squeeze himself in beside me and shove Tobias over in the process.
Tor steps into the frame then, shaking his head with the kind of exasperated expression he reserves for Devan’s more enthusiastic moments.
“Ignore him,” he says firmly, pointing directly at Devan’s unrepentant grin. Then he turns his full attention to Cyaire, resting one reassuring hand on my uninjured arm. “It’s just a minor strain. The physio has ice on it as a precaution. There’s no real damage, he’ll be perfectly fine.”
Ridley nods emphatically in agreement. “We’ve got your man covered, Cy. Can I call you Cy? I feel like we’re close enough now for nicknames. Your brother and I are good friends.”
The worry begins to ease from Blue’s face, though it doesn’t disappear completely. It still lingers around the edges of his expression, the way it always does when he thinks I’m not taking good enough care of myself.
“Cy is fine,” he says, inclining his head graciously toward Ridley before turning his attention back to me with a soft smile that makes everything else in the room fade into background noise.
“Please be careful out there. I need you whole, Maxwell,” he adds, lifting his eyebrows in a way that’s definitely suggestive and absolutely not appropriate for present company.
Of course, the guys immediately respond with a chorus of groans and exaggerated gagging sounds around me, because apparently we’re all still twelve years old deep down.
“I will be. Miss you,” I manage to say, despite the theatrical display of disgust happening behind me.
Coach Lennox’s voice suddenly cuts through the locker room from across the space, sharp and commanding, and I watch as the guys begin to drift away like scattered leaves, though not without their parting shots.
“Miss you too, Cy! Let’s do lunch real soon, yeah?” Devan calls over his shoulder as he heads toward the coach.
“We miss you!” the rest of them echo in unison, making exaggerated kissing noises in their wake that would be embarrassing if it weren’t so ridiculously endearing.
Blue’s laugh follows them, bright and delighted. “I miss you guys too. Lunch is definitely happening.”
I find myself smiling despite everything, shaking my head as the locker room finally quiets around us. I don’t want to end this call, don’t want to lose this connection that makes everything feel more manageable somehow.
“I’ll call you later tonight,” I promise.
“You better,” he replies with that smile that always makes melt every freaking time. He blows me a kiss through the screen before it goes dark.
For just a second, I catch my own reflection staring back at me from the black screen, smiling like an idiot, ice pack and all. I tuck my phone carefully into my bag and head after my teammates, that warm feeling still spreading through my chest despite the ache in my shoulder.