Page 57 of A Little Crush
“Come on,” Griff prods. Either he’s oblivious to the frustration rolling off his older brother’s shoulders, or he simply doesn’t give a shit. “Give Rory the night off. We all know you’ll just be in the hotel hanging out with Poppy anyway.”
He’s right. That’s exactly what Jaxon will be doing. And meanwhile, I’ll be hiding in my own room in hopes of keeping some distance between us while reminding myself exactly how stupid it would be to fall for Jaxon Thorne all over again. Not that I am. Not that I’ve even thought about it.
Okay, I’ve totally thought about it. But not seriously. Not legitimately. I’m notthatstupid.
Am I?
“What do you say, Rore?” Crowther questions. Skating closer, he cuts off my line of sight with Jaxon and rests his elbows on the half-wall separating us. “One drink. My treat.”
I’m notthatstupid.
“Sure,” I whisper. “I’d, uh, I’d love to.”
21
JAXON
Ishould go into my room. I should put some space between us. I should watch a movie or a game or shit, I don’t know. I should do anything but what I’m doing right now. My gaze drifts to Rory’s closed bedroom door as the faint sound of her footsteps slips through the small gap along the bottom.
Poppy’s favorite elephant blanket is spread out on the floor, and she gums a boardbook, oblivious to my inner turmoil. Good. She should be oblivious. Daddy issues isnotthe thing I want to pass on to her, despite my many fuck ups. In hopes of focusing on what really matters, I slide onto the ground and spread my legs wide, rolling a plastic ball toward my little Pops. When it hits her chubby little thigh, she turns to me and smiles, giving me exactly what I need.
This. This is what matters. This is what I should be focused on. Spending some quality time with my baby girl instead of overanalyzing a hundred potential outcomes between my nanny and a rookie hockey player.
Seriously. What the hell does she see in him? And since when does she hop from one guy to the next? She just brokeup with Dodger. Now, she’s already jumping into bed with a known player? I dunno, I guess I thought I knew her better than this. Clearly, I don’t know her at all. Not really. Not anymore. Or maybe I never knew her. Honestly, I’m not sure what’s worse. Not that it matters. It doesn’t. She can do what she wants, and my brother was right. It’s not like I couldn’t give her the night off. Ever since her shoulder, she’s been hiding in her room after dinner like some kind of a prisoner. A night off is the least she deserves.
Was it the forehead kisses? Did I piss her off? Did I cross a line?
Shit, I don’t know, and I have no idea how to ask her, either.
My body jerks upright as Rory opens her bedroom door, revealing a baby blue sundress that hits just above her knees. Before I can stop myself, I scan her up and down, taking in every inch of silky smooth skin. It isn’t sexy. Or at least, it isn’t meant to be. But fuck, does the girl pull it off. My mouth waters at the sight, and I clench my fists in my lap.
“How do I…” Rory’s voice trails off as I finally meet her gaze. “I didn’t exactly pack for a date with a guy like Crowther, or any guy in general, actually,” she clarifies, smoothing down the front of the dress.
“Makes sense, considering the fact you had a boyfriend earlier this week,” I point out.
Her lips curve down. “My relationship with Dodger wasn’t exactly serious?—”
“I sure as hell hope not.”
Surprised by my animosity, she asks, “What’s that supposed to mean?”
“Nothing,” I deflect. “It’s just…kind of a weird move, don’t you think? Saying yes to Crowther, who’s known for being a player right after you get out of a relationship with a rockstar? I dunno, I guess I just never pegged you for being interested in those kinds of guys.”
Dammit, I really shouldn’t have said that.
“And what kind of guy should I be interested in?” she challenges.
I lift a shoulder and reach for Poppy’s ball, rolling it toward her all over again in hopes of looking…I don’t know. Unaffected, I guess?
“Okay, well, um,”—she takes a step toward the door but stops and faces me again—“do you not want me to go?”
The question catches me off guard, and I cock my head. “What?”
“I said, do you not want me to go?” She hesitates. “You’re acting…weird.”
Guilt twists my insides, and I lean my back against the couch, trying to get my shit together. What the hell am I doing? What am I saying? She’s a big girl. She can do what she wants. I know it. She knows it. And if some asshole said to my little sister, Dylan, what I just said to Rory, I’d be pissed. Yeah. That’s the problem. I still see her as someone I need to protect. To keep safe. Not that it justifies my asshole behavior, but…
“Jax?”
