Clipped by Love (Bellevue Bullies #2) (44 page)

But I can’t let that happen.

I fell way too hard before. Like face first in love with Seth, and I won’t allow that to happen. Not until I am completely sure that Jayden is it. When I look at him and know that I can’t go on without him is when I’ll allow myself to fall. Until then though, I’m gonna keep my heart locked up tight behind my ribs. That’s my plan, at least. But when I look across the locker room, watching as his arms flex with each pull of his laces, a little piece of me knows I’m fighting a losing battle. But I’m gonna fight it. I have to.

Because if I fall, I’ll fall hard, and that scares the bejesus out of me.

Looking up, his eyes meet mine and a little grin pulls at his lips as his cheeks fill with color. It’s adorable and completely unlike him, but it gives me chills to know I’ve caused it. For the last couple nights, we’ve been watching TV together with only stolen touches here and there. Jace and Markus are on to us, and we keep having to throw them off. I even sat on the other end of the bed last night, which pissed him off, but it needed to be done.

We have to keep this a secret, not only for me but for him too. I can’t let what happened to Seth happen to Jayden. No matter if he hurts me, I can’t let his career suffer. He cares for so many people, he cares for me, and even when I was being a bitch to him, he looked out for me. I have to look out for him. It’s the only right thing to do, and this is the only way I feel. At least until I know that he isn’t going anywhere, and then I’ll discuss it with my dad.

Which has my heart palpitating in my chest.

But then I remember that we are at the rink. It’s time for business, and quickly, I tie up my skates before finishing getting dressed. I hit the ice first, which I like, gives me time to warm up before the warm-up. As I skate around, I stretch out my neck and back, but somehow, I know exactly when Jayden’s skates hit the ice. He doesn’t skate with me, which I’m a little disappointed by. Then I mentally kick myself for that since I am the one pushing for him to keep this quiet, but then Markus is skating with me. And really, it’s hard to be disappointed or sad when Markus is around.

He’s a riot.

“So, ready for the dance team tryouts?” he asks, doing the robot, and I raise an eyebrow.

“What?” I ask, confused. Surely they don’t expect me to dance. I’m a hockey player, for shit’s sake!

“We get to help pick the dancers for the dance team. It’s like the best part of being on the team.”

“Oh,” I say with a chuckle, but then I look at him, deadpan. “Yeah, no, that doesn’t excite me.”

Especially since I know that wrestler chick is trying out.

Bitch.

Markus laughs at that while shaking his head. “Well, get excited.”

“Yeah, I’ll work on that,” I say offhandedly as my dad blows the whistle.

Then it’s time to work.

Practice is no different than it usually is. It’s hard, it’s ruthless, and I spend most of my time breathless. I wish I could say it was because of the strenuous workout, but it has a lot to do with watching Jayden shoot a puck. He is absolutely the hottest dude I’ve ever seen shoot a puck. His whole body moves, and then like a strike of lightning, the puck is flying toward the net, going past Shane in an effortless way. He isn’t out of breath. He’s a fucking beast! It’s insane.

And so fucking hot.

“Fastest shot I’ve seen in the college league,” Dad calls out with a shake of his head, and pride bursts in my chest. “Good job, Sinclair.”

Yup, I had sex with that guy last night.

“Why are you grinning like that?” Jace asks, and my grin drops.

“Shut up,” I say, throwing my shoulder into his chest and knocking him into the board.

“Hey!”

“Hey,” I say back as I skate backward, sending him a playful grin.

Dad blows the whistle and then we are running drills. I skate down ice fast with Jace and Markus. Jace carries the puck, but when he is about to shoot, someone poke checks it out, but then Jayden is there, stealing it back, turning before quickly sending it to me. I knew he was going to do it, so I’m ready, and just as quickly as he passes it, I slap shot it into the back of the goal with ease.

“Great shot, Moore,” he calls to me and I nod.

“Thanks,” I call out as we set up for the next drill.

Over and over again, we successfully bang out each drill. By the end of practice, my dad is grinning, which doesn’t happen often. Folding his arms across his chest, he looks out at all of us as we gather around him. Everyone is breathing hard and I’m not any better, but Jayden is breathing normally. He really should be in the NHL, but then again, if he were, then I doubt we would have met. Or we probably would have, but I would have never seen him again.

What a depressing thought.

“Great practice, guys, I’m really pleased with the performance today. The lines we have are the lines we’ll play with tomorrow. I’ll announce starters before the game next Friday, so don’t think you have it because you’re on the ice first. Remember—rest, no parties or crazy drinking on practice and game nights. I’m sure our captain has that under control,” he says, his gaze falling on Jayden, and he nods.

“Yes, sir, curfew is being enforced,” he says in his deep, captain’s voice, and chills run down my spine. I wonder what the punishment for skipping curfew would be. I doubt it’d be the sexual kind.

Oh my God, I’m turning into Delanie.

“Good,” he says with a nod. “All right, hit the showers, boys. Except Moore and Sinclair.”

My heart sinks. What the hell did I do?

“Me or him, Coach?” Jace asks, and Dad shakes his head.

“Sorry, Big Sinclair.”

Jayden chuckles as he stands. “Well, he means me.”

“You may be bigger than me, bro, but my dick—” Jace begins, but then my dad cuts him a look and he hightails it off the ice as Jayden comes to stand beside me. He shoots me a look, and I glance at him nervously. Does Dad know? Shit.

“So today was good,” Dad says with a nod, and my nerves flutter away. He doesn’t know anything. If he did, he would just start screaming at us. “I think not having the competition between you two is good. Now we can work on being a team.”

We both nod as Jayden says, “I agree.”

“Yeah. Me too.”

“Good. You two can be lethal together. Those passes up, it’s like you knew he was going to do it, Bay. I’m proud. You two are reading each other well. I don’t know what is going on, but it’s great. You two really lead and worked your asses off today. Great job.”

We share a look, and it takes everything in me not to grin up at him as he says, “I feel exactly the same.”

Glancing up at my dad, I wonder if he felt like Jayden’s statement was dripping with sex, because I sure did. But obviously he doesn’t because he’s nodding, grinning at us like we aren’t doing it. Which is very good. He likes Jayden, and I’d like to keep it that way.

“Hope it continues. Big game coming up. Figures our first game would be against the team we used to play for, eh, Bay?”

I laugh as I nod. I’ve been nervous about playing my old team. Especially since they were all so happy to see me go. “Great way to start the year. I’m ready to kick some ass.”

“Me too. Okay, you two, head off.”

He hits our shins with his stick before we turn to go off the ice. Once we are in the hall that leads to the locker room, Jayden says, “I didn’t realize we were playing your old team first.”

“Yeah,” I say with a nod before pulling my helmet off. “We need to win, just to show those assholes that they should miss me.”

“They do,” he says with a wink before pulling his helmet off. “They just don’t know it yet.”

Looking away, I ask, “How are you not out of breath?”

“I constantly work out. You should come work out with me,” he suggests and I shrug.

“Maybe,” I say, and then I grin. Waggling my eyebrows, I say, “Maybe you can reward me afterward.”

Laughing, his eyes darken as he nods. “Damn, Moore,” he teases. “Sex is doing you good, eh?”

“Ugh, shut up!” I gasp, looking around us. “Jeez.”

He sends me a grin and reaches for the door. “No one is around, no worries.”

He goes to open the door, but I stop him. “What’s this shit about dance team tryouts? Markus says it’s the highlight of the season,” I deadpan, and he laughs.

“Yeah, we go and place our votes for the girls we like for the team.”

“Huh? I have no clue about dancing, except that I do like to shake it when I’m drunk.”

He nods. “And sing very badly in my face. That “Chandelier” song, I’ll never hear it the same again.”

I giggle as I smack him. “That’s my jam! Shut up!”

“Just saying,” he says, shaking his head before leaning into his stick, his playful gaze on mine. “But it doesn’t matter. We have a board, and we have a choice between one and ten on how we think their performance is.”

“Why does it matter what we think?” I ask, perplexed. This is dumb.

“Because most of the time, the captains want to sleep with us. Jude used to do them all. That’s how he officially met Claire. She’s a dancer.”

“Gotcha. By the way, your brother sounds like he used to be very busy,” I say with a smirk, hoping that he doesn’t get offended, but he grins back at me.

“Biggest whore I knew, but all it takes is someone special to change you,” he says, his eyes meeting mine, a knowing look on his face.

Eyeing him, I ask, “Are you insinuating something?”

“Maybe,” he says with a shrug.

Expelling an annoyed breath since I know damn well what he is implying, I push him out of my way playfully, shaking my head as I pass by him. But I know he’s right. It does take someone special to change you, either for the worse or the better. I want to think that he would be one to do it for the better, but that’s way too much to think about right now.

Plus, I have dance team tryouts to judge.

Yippee.

I’m on a team with a bunch of fucking horndogs.

They are not even judging these girls for their talent but for their looks! And if they twerk. It’s insane. I am completely disgusted with the male gender right now.

“Oh, she’s getting a ten!” Markus yells, barking at the girl.

Barking!

“You’re a pig,” I say, and he laughs as he holds his board up, tens written all over it.

“She is hot, though,” Jace mentions, his head cocking to the side.

Why did I choose to sit between these idiots?

Oh, because Jayden had to sit by the dance captains, and let me just say, the blonde only has to touch his face one more time before I accidently throw my board at them.

“This is so dumb,” I exhale, trying to keep my angry thought deep down inside me.

Markus laughs before coming close to me. “You’re just mad that most of the girls are trying to hook up with Jayden,” he whispers, and I glare.

“I am not,” I say back, folding my arms in a pouting way. “I don’t care what he does.”

“Has anyone told you, you’re a terrible liar?” Jace asks without looking at me. “Every time Rachael even touches my bro, you tense up. And I’m sorry, but I am waiting like a kid with popcorn for you to toss that damn board at her head.”

Glaring at the side of his head, I say, “I’m about to toss it at your head.”

Looking back at me, feigning hurt, he says, “That’s not nice.”

He then flashes me a boyish grin before they announce the next girl, one of the members of last year’s team. They have to requalify each year, just like the hockey players.

Skylar Preston.

Wrestler chick.

“Fucking bitch,” I growl, and Jace starts to laugh as Markus nods.

“Yeah, they were hooking up for a while. I think they were together, yeah, Jace?” Markus asks like I’m not even there, and I hang on every word that comes from Jace’s lips.

“Kinda, really unofficially. It isn’t like he ever brought her home to meet my mom, but he did fly out with her to see my brother and Claire. She’s a cool chick.”

I beg to differ.

“That’s right,” Markus says as the girl starts dancing. She’s stunning, the best dancer I’ve seen today, but I don’t care. She’s on my hit list. “He seems interested still, you think?”