Clipped by Love (Bellevue Bullies #2) (53 page)

“There is a girl on your team, yeah?”

“Yeah,” I say, meeting his gaze. “Baylor Moore.”

“River Moore is her dad?” he asks, and I nod.

“Yes, sir.”

“She’s something. I’ve seen her on YouTube. My niece, who’s also the co-owner of the Assassins, and I have actually discussed her. It’s a big risk taking on someone like her.”

I shrug. “I don’t see it as a risk since she is the best I’ve seen.”

His head cocks to the side. “Is that right?”

“Yes, sir,” I say confidently. “Her game is flawless, she’s always ten steps ahead of the competition, and she can take a hit like a full-grown man.”

He nods his head, looking out at the party. “Maybe I should go find her.”

“You should,” I say, turning to point her out. “She’s over there with Miller Raymond and Yuri Anderson.”

“Thanks, son,” he says, cupping my shoulder. “Good luck this year.”

“Thank you,” we both say as he walks away and I want to follow him, but then my dad is talking.

“Jayden, what are you doing? You’re supposed to talk to him not send him off,” he scolds me, but I look at him stone-faced.

“I explained my game, I sold it and Jace’s. There was nothing else I could say.”

“There is plenty. I just hope he doesn’t choose her over you.”

This is just like him, selfish, only caring about himself. He has tried to make me like that my whole life, and it drives me fucking insane. Remembering that he can’t control me, I shrug and say, “If that’s how the cards fall, then so be it.” He brings his gaze back to mine and glares as I ask, “Now what did you need to talk to me and Jace about Mom for?”

“Oh,” he says, taking a pull of his beer. “Where is she?”

Looking at Jace, since I’m pretty sure we were just played, I say, “She’s at home.”

“Didn’t want to come out?”

I shake my head. “Nope.”

“Hmm. Her loss,” he mutters with a shake of her head. “Probably knitting or something.”

“Or taking care of your granddaughter while your daughter works.”

He doesn’t say anything to that, almost ignores it as he says, “Well, anyway, I wanted to let you both know I donated twenty thousand to the team. I’m sure it can help out a lot.”

As he holds my gaze, a fire starts to burn in the pit of my belly. How dare he?

“Why?” I ask, and his brows go up.

“To help out.”

“Oh, really?”

“Yeah, Jayden Marshall, I want to help you guys succeed.”

Sucking in a breath through my nose, I shake my head. “It’s Mitchell.”

“Huh?”

“Jayden Mitchell is my name, and I’m sorry, but we don’t want anything from you,” I say as Jace’s eyes go wide, and I feel his gaze burning a hole in the side of my face.

“And why is that?”

“Because we don’t need it. And my thing is, if you have an extra twenty grand lying around, why don’t you give it to Mom so she doesn’t struggle?”

“She threw me out; she gets nothing,” he says simply, causing my nails to bite into my palms.

“Because you are a cheating bastard,” I say, my voice laced with anger. Jace starts to shake his head, his hand coming to rest against my arm, but I refuse to stop. “Why are you even here? Neither one of us wants you here.”

“Because you are my boys and I love you,” he says, his eyes staring into mine, but I shake my head.

“You’re a liar. We don’t matter to you. There is something more. Maybe you are trying to buy our love or sway us away from Mom, but I, for one, want nothing from you.”

“You’re overreacting. I’m just trying to do something nice for you,” he sneers, his eyes darkening to an almost black color. “And you’re throwing it in my face.”

“Because I don’t want it. I don’t want you. Anywhere near me. You are dead to me,” I yell then, letting my anger get the best of me.

“Jayden,” Jace says, squeezing my shoulder. “Calm down, buddy.”

“No, you’ve left all of us to clean up your mess. Claire paid the house off, all of us have been giving Mom money because she’s so in debt, and you just stand by and do nothing. But yet you have money to give to our hockey team! So fucking classic!”

He takes a step toward me, but Jace stands between us, his hand coming to Dad’s chest. “I am your father, you little shit, give me some respect.”

“No! You are nothing to me,” I sneer back. “So stay the hell away from me and mine.”

Turning on my heel, I fix my jacket before walking away, ignoring the unwanted stares. I feel like I’m about to come out of my skin, and my chest hurts from the anxiety of having to talk to him. But as I reach the side door and push it open, I know I did right.

So why do I feel like utter shit?

“S
o do you think you could survive in the NHL?”

Grinning, I meet his gaze with my determined one. I don’t know how I got lucky enough to talk to Bryan Fisher, but I’m going to take advantage of my chance. “Don’t let the dress and heels fool you, I can hang with the best of them. You should come out and watch me play.”

Returning my grin, he nods. “Already planned on it. I was actually talking to the Sinclair brothers when Jayden suggested I talk to you. I’ve seen him play; he’s a dynamic player.”

“Best I’ve seen. His two-way game is on point, and his playmaking ability, no matter the situation, is awe-inspiring. I’ve been very lucky to play with him. He’s made me better.”

His grin grows. “He thinks very highly of you too. I’m very excited to see y’all play.”

The fact that Jayden was talking about me pleases me a little too much as I look up at Mr. Fisher. It makes me feel extraordinary, and while it’s weird to feel like that, I am glad Jayden thinks highly of me, because Lord knows I think the same of him. The past month has been amazing. When we aren’t dominating on the ice, we are together, and he is honestly my favorite part of my day. He makes me laugh all the time, and when he looks at me, I swear, I can’t even form a thought. He has been spectacular, and I know I’m falling for him.

Yeah, I know, scary shit. But the more time I spend with him, the more I know I’m reaching my nirvana. Of course, our unknown future scares me to the core. But for now, I’ll take what he is giving me, and I’ll hoard it in case later he’s gone. Just the memories we are making, I know I can’t live without. Like remembering how he likes to lick the tip of my nose when we are facing each other in bed seriously gives me chills. Or the way I love tucking my hands in his pockets. I don’t know what it is, but I just love touching him. It’s the little things that I seriously never want to let go of.

But still, I worry that we are on borrowed time. That at any moment something is gonna pull us apart. The thought really does scare me, and I know that’s what is keeping me from allowing myself to let go completely. I want to believe in the thought of complete nirvana, but it just seems so far out of reach. It almost seems like a fairy tale. A happily ever after that doesn’t happen for girls like me.

Pushing that thought aside though, I smile as I nod. “I’m excited to show you what I can do.”

Nodding, he reaches out, taking my hand in a firm handshake. “It was wonderful meeting you, Ms. Moore.”

“The pleasure was all mine,” I say as he walks away, tipping his beer to me. Sucking in a breath, I let it out, a grin covering my lips. That was good for me, and I need to find Jayden and thank him. But before I can go look for him, my dad stops me.

“Was that Bryan Fisher?” he asks me, his gaze boring into mine.

“Yeah, it was.”

“What did he say?”

I smiled. “He wanted to talk about my game and said that he is gonna come to see me play.”

“No shit?” he asks, shock visible on his face. “Did he seek you out?

“I don’t think so. He said Sinclair sent him over to me,” I say, still unable to comprehend it.

“Oh,” he says with a nod. “Still that’s great, Bay.”

“I know, I could get picked up by the Assassins, stay close.”

“That would be best,” he agrees, his finger pressed to his chin. “I might go talk to him.”

“Don’t mess it up!” I say quickly, and he laughs.

“No, I played for him once in the AHL. He knows me.”

“Oh, okay, cool.” Then I waggle my brows at him. “Maybe talk about how great I am?”

He laughs, rubbing my back. “That’s all I ever talk about.”

I grin back at him and he asks, “I wonder why Sinclair would send him your way? I wouldn’t have done that.”

My heart starts to pound in my chest as his gaze holds mine. Shit. Does he suspect something? Swallowing past the lump in my throat, I say, “I have no clue.”

“Hmm,” he comments, looking out at the party. “That’s weird.”

“Yeah, but good for me,” I say back, and he nods.

“I guess,” he says with a shrug, but I can see the gears turning in his head. I think he does suspect something is going on between us. Oh shit! What do I do? Before I can say anything though, he looks over at me and grins. “Meant to tell you earlier, you look beautiful.”

“Thanks, Dad,” I say shyly. “My feet hurt.”

Scoffing, he nods. “That’s why I’m glad I’m not a girl,” he says with a wink.

Laughing, I smack him playfully in the arm as he starts to walk away. “Be good,” he calls at me.

“Of course.”

He gives me a look that says he thinks otherwise before disappearing into the crowd of people on the dance floor. When he’s gone, I start to look for Jayden, but I can’t find him. I do find Jace, though. Standing by himself, nursing a beer, and as I reach him, I set him with a look.

“We aren’t supposed to be drinking,” I remind him before taking it to take my own pull. I’m still shaking from the conversation with Mr. Fisher. Maybe a few swigs will calm me down. But when I look back at Jace, he looks stricken. “What’s wrong?”

“Nothing,” he answers, taking his beer back and downing it in one gulp.

“Um. Try again.”

He shakes his head. “My dad just reamed me for Jayden going off on him and shit.”

“What? Your dad’s here?” I ask, my heart picking up in speed. I immediately want to run and find Jayden, make sure he is okay. He hates his dad—the dude isn’t good to him. But when I look at Jace, I know it’s the same for him. “Are you okay?”

“Yeah, I’ll be fine, just pissed is all.”

“Okay, where is Jayden?” I ask then, and he looks over at me, a knowing grin pulling at his mouth.

I fully expect him to give me shit, but instead he says, “I don’t know, he went out that door right there.”

He points to the door by the dessert table and I turn on my heel, but then I pause. “Thank you,” I say back to him and then I smile. “If you need me, I’m here.”

Nodding his head, he tips his empty beer to me. “I know, Baylor, thanks.”

Sending him one last supportive grin, I head to the door, pushing it open and going through it. Heading to the stairs, the door slams behind me and then I hear his voice.

“Baylor?”

Pausing on the stairs that go down, I find Jayden sitting on the stairs that lead up.

“Oh, there you are,” I say, coming to him and standing in front of him. “Are you okay?”

He shrugs in a noncommittal way, but I can see in his eyes that he is far from okay. Sitting up farther, he reaches out, pulling me to him, resting his hands on the backs of my thighs as his head rests against my stomach. I’m not sure what he’s doing; I figure he just wants to hold me. But then I don’t know why we don’t just hug it out, but this is fine, I guess. Moving my fingers down his neck, I brush my thumbs along the spot behind his ear as he draws in breaths and lets them out.