Page 28 of Side Out

Snorting a laugh, Clay answers, “Yeah, he sure did.”

Gone or Staying - Sleep Theory

CHAPTER17

MISERY LOVES COMPANY

THEODORE

I’m in my office, getting my gear packed to head out to the sand courts for Clay and Rocky’s last home game before championships start, when a feminine voice that I recognize all too well echoes down the hallway.

Shit.

?*Even though I know good and well who it is, I need to see it to believe it. I pop my head out the door and look down the hall.

Bridget.

Yay fucking me.

Before I have a chance to duck back into my office and pretend to be on a phone call she spots me.

“Theodore! There you are!”

God, could she be any louder? Her goal is always to draw the most attention to us as possible, making people think we’re a lot happier than we actually are. This is her first full day back from her month-long trip, and I figured that would’ve had her staying home, but no, she had to come here.

Today of all days.

“Bridget. Wh-what are you doing here?” I mean that genuinely; she hardly ever comes to support anything I do, especially a sport she knows nothing about. There usually has to be some scheme or game she’s trying to play for her to show up at something like this.

A scheme like the entirety of our relationship.

I can spot the mischievous sparkle in her eyes from a mile away. I may not love her, but I doknowher.

Bridget runs her hand down my chest, her obnoxiously large ring sparkling under the fluorescent lights. “I had to make sure no one here was trying to make moves on myfiancébefore we finally say I do.” She says the word fiancé loud enough for everyone in the vicinity to hear her.

You know, considering how much she detests my career choice, she sure does like to make a show out of the fact that she’s with me.

Not only that, but she has officially started telling anyone who will listen all about our upcoming wedding. She still hasn’t set an official date, but I know it’ll be made any day now.“It’ll be the wedding of the year,”she always tells me.

Suddenly, I catch her narrowing her eyes at someone down the hallway, and it takes everything in me not to roll my eyes at how fast she went from trying to brag about me, to looking at someone else. Wanting to see who has her attention, I follow her stare down the hall.

Only to find a familiar set of bright blue eyes already staring back at me.

Jackson.

Bridget must realize she’s been staring at him too long because I faintly hear her sigh before saying, “Alright, well, I’m bored so I guess I’ll see you at the game.”

Standing on her toes, she gives me an unusual kiss on the cheek, before turning on her heels and heading in the direction of the doors right by a shocked Jax. And I still haven’t managed to move a muscle.

Bridget reaches for the door to push it open but pauses and leans into Jax. “He’s pretty, right? Good thing he’smine.”

I swear to god I hear Jax growl at her before she pushes the door open and walks away like she didn’t just blow up whatever was left between Jax and I.

Finally, I manage to get my feet to move and make up the ground between us. “Jax, let me explain.”

“Please do, Mr. Young, because right now it feels like I’m in some sort of comedy skit. Is someone going to pop out and yell “punked”, or is this just how fucked my life is?” If I couldn’t tell how hurt he is by his humorless and hollow laugh, it’s even more evident in his eyes. There’s pain there like I’ve never seen.

That’s saying something since I’ve already hurt this poor man more than he ever deserved.

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