Chapter 10 #2
Knowing I’m no longer worthy of hearing such noises, I tuck my tail between my legs and make my way to my bedroom.
Jax chuckles. “Night, Thorn.”
“Night, Bear.” The old nickname slips past my lips, and I should regret it immediately. Instead, I slip beneath the covers and trace my lips as if doing so will resurrect the memories of feeling his pressed against them.
After a restless night of little to no sleep, I’m surprised to hear Jackson’s doorbell ring at the crack of dawn.
Rolling over in bed, I check my phone and see it’s not necessarily first thing in the morning.
Shit, we need to leave for the airport in the next two hours to catch our jet to Texas for the Summer Stampede.
I decide to see who came over, my guess is Carson considering he and Jackson have always been so close, and he happens to now play on the Wolverines with Jax.
Hesitating in the doorway of my bedroom for a moment, I peer down at my robe and decide the fluffy material covers everything and is far from immodest.
By the time I hear the feminine voice floating through the space, it’s too late for me to backpedal out of the open living space. Shit, I’ve been spotted!
“Oh my gosh, you’re Taevin Gray!” a drop-dead gorgeous woman with platinum blonde hair and the brightest smile I’ve ever seen says far too cheerily for this time of the morning.
“Tis I,” I for some terrifying reason respond with.
For fuck’s sake, can the floor please open and swallow me whole?
Tis I? Who the hell says something like that?
How about, a quick ‘yep, that’s me,’ or, I don’t fucking know, ‘I am and who are you?’ Because as I take in this bombshell before me with tanned, toned legs that go on for days and perky breasts that have me wishing I could lay on them like a pillow, I suddenly realize I’m incredibly invested in finding out who she is and what she’s doing at Jackson’s house.
“Is it weird if I hug you? I’m a hugger and also the biggest fan of your music—well, and just you in general.”
“Lex, breathe,” Jackson chides while biting back the laughter shaking his shoulders.
Lex?
It’s only then that I notice he’s taken a spot on the sectional in the living room, looking far more relaxed than I feel in this moment.
His tatted leg is sprawled on the L of the sectional with his opposite tatted arm resting against the back of the couch.
How he can manage to be so blasé about who I presume is his girlfriend meeting his estranged wife who happens to be staying with him while she receives cancer treatment is beyond me.
Taking an exaggerated deep breath, Lex relaxes ever so slightly before offering her hand and introducing herself. “I’m Alexa Collins. I went to college and played volleyball with McKenna, that’s actually how I was adopted into the group.”
She gives me a handshake that is somehow firm yet gentle at the same time and I find myself perplexed by this woman.
I can already tell she has a beaming personality I’ll love, and even though it kills me to admit it, I think I could find myself becoming friends with the woman who is taking on the only role I’ve ever wanted.
Clearing my throat and giving myself a mental pep talk to not sound like a fool, I say, “Nice to meet you. I’m Taevin.”
I squeeze my eyes shut, annoyed with myself for repeating my name when she clearly already knows who I am.
She lets out what I’m going to deem an adorable snort—damn her, and her adorable snorts are winning me over.
“I think I’d have to be living under a rock for the past decade to not know who you are.
I’m seriously, like, your biggest fan. When you performed the national anthem at Madison Square Garden for the NBA finals five years ago, I was there and nearly passed out on the sidelines. ”
I can’t help but join in her laughter. “Which team were you there to watch? I don’t remember Minnesota being one of the teams in the finals, but I’m pretty awful with sports.”
Alexa’s smile kicks up another notch, if that’s even possible.
“Oh, no, I wasn’t there as a spectator. I was there as a sideline reporter.
Between you and me, I really don’t prefer to cover basketball, but we were down a few reporters at the time.
I mostly do sideline coverage for football now.
Every now and then I get to fill in for hockey, so that’s always a treat to get to see Jax and the guys. ”
Recognition sets in. “Oh, yes, that’s why you look so familiar. You covered the Thanksgiving football game this past year, right?”
“Yep! I’m still sour over not getting Brody Meyer to change his mind about a pre-game interview, but he’s stuck in his ways regardless if I’m now besties with his little sister.
The guy gives zero fucks about reporters, and it is what it is, I guess.
” Alexa shrugs as if she’s unbothered, but her tone is laced with annoyance.
“I also might look familiar from the Fourth of July lake trip we all took at McKenna’s family cabin.
I came up with our other teammate, Brooke. ”
“Oh my gosh, yes, you’re right!”
“Anyway, enough about me,” she says before turning to face Jax. “I came bearing bad news and wanted to offer it to you in person.”
“And what news is that?” Just as the question leaves Jax’s lips, his phone starts buzzing on the coffee table. When he moves to pick it up, Alexa rushes over to sit beside him and places her hand over his to stop him.
Irrational jealousy I know I have no right to feel fires through me, heating my skin and twisting my stomach in knots.
“Oh, come on. It can’t be that bad. What’s going on?” Jax slips his arm playfully over her shoulder and brings her into his chest almost as if he’s putting her in a headlock or some type of wrestling move.
With her head trapped between his bicep and chest, I’m barely able to hear her murmur, “Calvetti signed a four-year contract with Minnesota.”
Jackson lets go of Alexa’s head as soon as the words leave her mouth. “You’re joking, right? If this is a prank you and the guys are playing on me, this isn’t funny.”
Calvetti? God, why does that name sound so familiar?
Alexa sits up and after glancing at me out of the corner of her eye, she faces Jackson.
“I’m unfortunately very serious. I caught wind of it about an hour ago and the station likely will be breaking the story on their eight o’clock broadcast that starts in a few minutes.
I’m guessing that was Bennett calling to inform you of the deal. ”
“Wait, how would Bennett know?” I ask as I take a seat on the far edge of the sectional, attempting to give them their space but too curious not to ask. Jackson is far too worked up right now for this to not be a big deal.
With his head in his hands, he runs his fingers through his curly locks, gripping onto the strands and looking like he’s about to pull it all out.
Alexa looks at Jackson as if she expects him to answer my question, but when he doesn’t after a moment, she takes it upon herself. “As you know, Bennett just got married. You did an amazing job performing their first dance song, by the way.”
“Thanks,” I reply sheepishly, suddenly filled with guilt for Jax missing the rest of his brother’s wedding reception on my behalf. Also, confused why Jax would rush to the hospital with me and then leave his girlfriend in a foreign country with his family.
“Anyway, Bennett married Scarlett Carlisle who recently became the owner of the Minnesota Wolverines. I believe she’s been in talks with Calvetti for a couple weeks now.
The one thing Minnesota is lacking currently is a solid goaltender who can play in high stakes games—” she pauses to nudge Jax’s shoulder.
“You and I both know that even though there’s history with the two of you, signing Calvetti was the right thing to do.
You guys may have made it farther in the playoffs than ever before this year, but one of the main reasons you lost is because you don’t have a goaltender with playoff experience.
Calvetti has won a cup with LA, and for most of his seasons playing with them they made a deep playoff run.
Whether you like it or not, you’re stuck with him for the foreseeable future. ”
Jackson’s head shoots up. “Four fucking years? How could Bennett let her do this? It’s bad enough he was my sister’s celebrity dance partner this summer but there was nothing Walker could do about that. This was Bennett’s choice to sign off on.”
“Come on, Jax. That’s not fair to either of them.
Bennett doesn’t get a say, and Scarlett has a business to run.
Do me a favor? Before you talk to Bennett, try to set aside your beef with Calvetti and see it from Scar’s perspective.
Regardless of what you think, he’s a top-five goaltender.
You played with him at Harvard almost a decade ago, I’m sure the guy has done some growing up over the years just like you have.
Or at least, I think you have.” Jax grunts at her, and Alexa rolls her eyes in exasperation.
My world comes to a screeching halt as I finally realize why the goalie’s name sounds so familiar. It was the goalie Jackson played with his freshman year at Harvard. He was also the teammate of his that was almost a little too happy to help me find him at one of the house parties in Boston.
Fuck, I don’t think I can sit here and listen to Alexa console Jax any longer. Especially not before I’ve had any coffee in me. Excusing myself, I make a quick cup of coffee before escaping to my bedroom to finish packing.
Thoughts of the two of them sitting out there together have me spiraling as I toss my essentials for the trip into my luggage. Each rift of laughter I hear echo down the hall has me shoving things unnecessarily hard into my suitcase.
She’s put together, professional, and everything I’m sure Jackson’s family would want and expect out of their daughter-in-law while I’m sitting here throwing a jealous fit, about to become infertile, and attempting to fight cancer.
Yeah, I’m a real fucking catch. More like a disaster—the train wreck you can’t look away from.