Page 33 of Play Maker

He locked eyes with me and my heart kicked up a wild rhythm.

“My last year of high school was a lot,” Jace admitted quietly. “I was busting my ass to get the best grades possible because I needed a scholarship to go to college. Then there was hockey of course, and I wanted to make an impression so Suttonwould offer me a place on the team. Plus, I wasn’t out yet and neither was Preston. We kept our relationship hidden and it was becoming more and more frustrating. I hated lying to my friends and it became a lot. A lot of lies and a lot of pressure. See, my aunt Josie is my only family. My dad left town before I was born and my mom passed when I was three, in an accident at a local factory. It's just been me and Josie since I was a little kid. I told her that I was bi when I was sixteen, but she was the only one who knew.”

Jace paused and reached for his drink. It was only then that I noticed his fingers were trembling, the ice in the glass rattling. If Jace was telling me a bullshit story, then he was a damn good actor. Better than Preston.

After taking a long sip, Jace wiped his mouth with the back of his hand.

“Things started to get weird in the months leading up to graduation,” he continued, clearing his throat. “Preston was getting angry with me all the time and freaked out when I so much as mentioned that I wanted to stop hiding who I was. He started telling me I was trash and that I was never going to make anything of my life. That I was only good for fucking and that was it. If we’d been a casual, one-night thing, I could have ignored the comment and walked away. But, by that time, we’d been together for months. I had real feelings for him. I thought I loved him, and I thought he loved me. I kept telling myself he's just scared. He's scared and frustrated and taking it out on me.”

Jace paused and took another sip of water.

“Two months before graduation, he'd been at my place, and he’d left his phone behind. He started getting all these notifications and I recognized the app. A hookup app. I didn’t need to look to know what was going on. I returned his phone and confronted him. Preston denied cheating on me, but my gut told me I was right. My gut and everything else, because I startedfeeling sick. But it wasn’t until I went to my doctor for a physical a few weeks later that I found out the truth. I had an STD. Preston insisted we didn’t need condoms and since I thought we were monogamous?—”

I sat there in shock, too numb to say or do anything. Even my knee stopped jumping under the table.

“Anyway, Preston denied everything. He gaslighted me, making me second-guess my doctor and everything I thought I knew about our relationship. Between that and the pressure at school and hockey, I felt so out of control. The only thing that comforted me was binge eating. Then I’d feel so guilty, I’d force myself to vomit. At first, I didn’t think it was a big deal. I sometimes puked before a big game given my nerves. A lot of guys are the same. But then, I was doing it before every practice, every game, every day. I lost almost twenty pounds. It made me fast as fuck on the ice, but I was getting more anxious, sick, and tired. When I fainted during a practice, my coach intervened.”

This couldn't be real, right? Preston lied to me for the past two years? I didn't know what to think or believe. But the longer Jace talked, the more details he gave, the more it made me consider. Had I been played by my best friend? I thought I was good at spotting liars. And if he was a liar, shit, wasn't there one person in my life that I could trust? My stomach cramped and for a moment, I thoughtIwas going to throw up. That was irony right there.

“I got into therapy and things got better,” Jace added, swiping an agitated hand through messy hair. “At the end of high school, I finally had the courage to break up with Preston. To call him out on his bullshit.”

What was I supposed to say to that? Preston was my closest friend. Suddenly, I was just supposed to forget everything and believe Jace? Based on what?

“Preston told me that you’d screamed at him, and that he was scared of you,” I bit out. “I picked him up that last morning and he was crying. Shaken up. I almost went into your place to confront you, but he insisted we go home.”

Jace shook his head and let out a deep sigh.

“I’m sorry, but the truth is that he was the one with the temper. He refused to leave my apartment after I told him it was over. He was so mad about my decision to end things that he punched a hole in the wall of my bedroom.”

“Preston told me it was the other way around.”

“He lied.”

I didn't know what to say to that. To any of it.

So, I did what I normally did when confronted with shit that I couldn't handle.

“I don't want to talk about Preston or anything to do with him. I can't,” I bit out. “Let's just get on with what we came here to do and get it over with.”

“We’ll play it your way for now. You don’t want to hear the truth? You want to go on being an arrogant jerk defending your asshole of a friend? That's fine,” Jace snapped and pointed to my laptop. “Let’s deal with this fundraising event. At least something good can come out of this shit show we’re in.”

“Oh, I’m sorry. You dropped a freaking bombshell on me, and what? You think I’m going to change my mind about you?” I snapped my fingers. “Just like that? For real?”

Jace’s responding scowl was fierce.

“I said what I needed to say,” he hissed. “I really don't care one way or the other if you believe me or not. It's not my problem. And you don’t deserve any more explanation.”

“Look, Preston and I?—”

“I don’t give a fuck,” Jace snapped. “Just forget everything I said tonight. All of it.”

His face was so distraught that it made me sick.

There was no way I could forget. Any of it.

CHAPTER 12

JACE

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