Page 36 of A Heart Worth Finding
“Sure,” Jack finally said.
Sofia squealed in excitement, and dread settled heavily in Jessica’s stomach.
NOW: October 13, 2023
We should go geta drink!
Sure.
He fucking hated himself.
Getting a drink with Sofia would’ve been fine.
Getting a drink with SofiaandSilas would’ve been torture, but he would’ve endured, knowing he was the one Sofia was going home with tonight.
But getting a drink with Sofia, Silas,andJessica, knowing Jessica was Silas’s girlfriend? Knowing Jessica was with this tool, who obviously didn’t treat her the way she deserved to be treated if Jack hadn’t even thought she existed?Thatwas the very definition of hell.
He needed to get drunk, and fast.
“Where do we want to go? Jessica asked.
Home, Jack thought.Away from this nightmare.
“How about LouHa’s?” Sofia suggested, and Jack silently thanked her.
LouHa’s—or Lou & Harry’s as it was actually called—would be a lowkey environment that wouldn’t force them into some corner booth in a crowded bar, where they’d have to get all up close and personal. They could spread out, speak normally, and relax.
They also had an incredible Greek menu, and after playing a game, Jack was ravenous.
So they set off in the direction of Grand River, and the bars beyond, Sofia and Jessica talking animatedly about some group text they’re in with Kenzie, and how hilarious it was to end up meeting like this.
Internally, Jack seethed, his skin tightening uncomfortably the longer they walked and the more time he had to stew in his thoughts over tonight’s turn of events.
Finally, he said, “So, Jess, how long have you and Silas been together?”
“Almost three years,” Silas answered before Jessica could even open her mouth, an action that did nothing to quell Jack’s rising temper.
Everything about Silas screamed “douche” to Jack. The way his dark hair was “artfully” tousled and run through with some foul-smelling pomade. How he possessively draped his arm over Jessica’s shoulders, forcing her to walk in lock step with him instead of giving her space to move freely. The fact that Silas had never, at any point in the last two months since Sofia had brought him into Jack’s life, mentioned Jessica’s name, or even the fact that he was in a very long term relationship.
Jack hated that for Jessica, who deserved to have the world laid at her feet like the goddess she was.
And…okay. That line of thinking would get Jack in all sorts of trouble. Jessica wasn’t his to worry about, to fawn over, or to want better for. She had onlyjustcome back into his life, and he was happy with Sofia. He thought there was somethingmorebetween them, something that could go the distance if they played their cards right.
Jack wanted that—wanted what, even in the extremely early stages of their relationship, he knew Aiden and Kenzie were building. Sofia got along great with his teammates—when she spent time with them—and had formed a fast friendship with Kenzie. They had fun together, never ran out of things to talk or laugh about, and the sex was phenomenal.
But more than that, Jack felt like he could be himself around Sofia. He didn’t have to pretend to be this big, bad, playboy, ladies’ man on campus like some of his teammates or other athletes did. He could simplybe: quiet on occasion, reserved when he wanted to be, mellow, always watching, analyzing, offering commentary or advice when the situation warranted it.
And okay, maybe he could be a bit of a shit-stirrer. After all, his dare was the reason Aiden had been suspended for eight games. But it was all in good fun, and because he took hockey so damn seriously, he had to pick and choose his moments to let loose.
Sometimes they just…backfired.
“How long have you two been together?” Jessica asked Sofia, pulling Jack from his thoughts.
“Oh not long,” Sofia said, turning a sly smile on him. “We met during Welcome Weekend.”
“Isn’t that when Kenzie and Aiden met?” Jessica asked.
“Yep,” Jack said. “At Rick’s.”
