Page 38 of Aftersome
But of course, Vince noticed and watched us closely from his locker.
“Doesn’t matter. Just do as I fucking say,” I growled and leaned away before storming off with the sole purpose of tracking her down.
Bypassing the media and all the others, I went searching. Like a bull, my nostrils were flared and heaving with smoke.
She had to be around here somewhere.
I went on a wild-goose hunt for nearly fifteen minutes when I found myself nearing the training room. The crowds were clearing out and as I glanced over to my right, my eyes caught a flash of blonde.
Wren.
But she wasn’t alone.
There was a door separating us and quickly I had flung it open and purposefully made myself known.
“What the fuck are you doing here?” I snapped, while scared, nervous eyes captured mine.
Shit.
Up close and personal, she was actually here. She wasn’t a figment of my imagination. She was real and for the second time in my life, she stole the breath from my lungs.
There wasn’t a single word that described Wren’s beauty. Maybe for others there would be, but for me, she was unlike anyone I have ever come across. I’d been to a lot of places, and been with many beautiful women, but no one compared to Doe.
Even if I hated admitting it.
Her eyes searched mine and all I saw was a reflection of my own. Pain, torment, I wanted to bring her in close and never let go, but I couldn’t.
I tried like hell to ignore the fact that someone was beside her, but once he opened his mouth, it was all over.
“Jesus, Mal, calm down.” Trevor stepped forward with a weariness in his tone and a half-tilted smile that did nothing to calm me.
Of course he was the asshole I found her with. It couldn’t have been anyone else.
“Trevor, it’s fine,” she spoke, her voice somewhat softer than I remembered. Her lashes fluttered as she smiled reassuringly at Trevor before focusing her attention back to me.
My blood pressure spiked. Trevor got smiles from everyone, and right now knowing that he was able to get one from Doe made me fucking crazy mad. He didn’t have a chance with her. No one did and I’d make sure of it.
“It was nice meeting you but I’m going to need to talk to Mal alone.”
I couldn’t tear my eyes away from her. I was noticing every change and shift from the girl I once knew, to the woman that stood in front of me now. Her hair was longer, fuller, and hung past her chest in two thick braids. Jenson’s comment earlier pulsated in the back of my head, but I quickly shook it off as my anger began to billow.
“You sure?” He glanced between the two of us, eyeing me cautiously as if he was hesitant to leave her with me. My back went ramrod straight as I hit him with a glare.
“Yes, it’s fine. I’ll, uh, see you around, I’m sure.”
Fire ran through my veins the longer I looked at Trevor. It was obvious he was captivated by her, but as long as she was here in Seattle, Doe would be off limits.
To everyone.
“Well… All right, it was nice meeting you too, Wren.” He grinned on a short nod before peering up at me. Uncertainty spread across his features, something foreign in his usual, “I want to be buddies” façade. He cracked a smile, one that didn’t reach his eyes.
“Mal.” He used that overly friendly tone of his and stepped around me. His footsteps seemed never-ending but once he was out of the room, I pinned Doe under my stare.
“You work here now? Why?” I demanded.
Her small frame never wavered as I took a step closer toward her. Instead the widening of her eyes gave away her worry.
“I do.” She lifted her chin. “I’m the team’s new social media manager.” She reached for the camera around her neck and shrugged her shoulders like it was no big deal.
