Page 250 of Cross the Line
“The funeral? Casey’s?” Tears stream as Eli hauls her into a hug.
“Yes,” he murmurs, lifting his obsidian stare to mine with a tender smile. “If you’re not ready, you have a home here for as long as you need. However, I thought you might want to say goodbye properly.”
“Thank you,” is all she says between wet sniffles before pulling away and shuffling back to the couch.
Blanca takes the opportunity to jump Eli again when I cuddle into his side. Holding on to him as hard as I can. Because, as I watch Salem sit in the armchair, curled into the plush cushions with the fleece blanket wrapped around her tightly, all I can think of is her words.
How she pretends the cushions wrapped around her are Casey’s arms. The sound of the ocean is his breath.
I can’t imagine how lonely she is without him, and I never want to know what that’s like.
I never want to miss Eli or Jayden the way she’s longing for the man she loves. For his touch and his scent and his warmth.
I wouldn’t survive it.
CHAPTER 73
JAYDEN
The way my pulse hammers in my throat makes idle conversation impossible as I stare at the breaking-news article on my phone. My other hand tightens around my stick, the roll of tape dangling off the blade mid-task. I’m paralyzed by the cacophony of whispers breaking out around me when I scroll back to the top of the page and reread the news alert one more time.
Wolves Forward Arrested On Assault Charges
Presley Tomes, forward for the Portland Wolves, has been arrested following charges of assault and battery, sexual battery, and statutory rape. The charges were filed in California last month; further details and victim’s identity have not been disclosed to the public.
At this time, the Wolves are yet to make a statement on the development, however with Tomes in police custody, he is not on the roster for tonight’s Wolves at Comets game.
“What a fucking chump,” Matheo mutters beside me, reading the same notification while I scan the room for Eli.
He’ll breathe easier when he sees it. Natasha warned him they’d pick Presley up when he landed in LA, but seeing the words in print hits different.
I tear the twisted tape from my stick, shove it into my pocket, and cut through the traffic in search of Eli. Last I saw, he was playing two-touch with Andy and Bruce in the hallway.
“Wait up.” Matheo falls in beside me, half-taped twig in one hand, phone in the other. He stops short and turns. “How did you know?”
“Know what?”
My gut flips when he lifts his phone, the headline inches from my face, and whispers, “When I tried to pull you off the bastard, you called him an abusive prick... a rapist...”
I swallow, stalling for a beat. There’s no safe answer. “In the meeting with Gerry and legal, they kept asking questions about inappropriate contact.” The glint in his eyes says he knows there’s more than the franchise finally doing something about Presley’s homophobic, narcissistic bullshit. “I know you think I don’t see the shit that goes on around us, but?—”
“You done prepping your sticks?” Eli’s chipper voice cuts him off.
Matheo’s narrowed stare snaps down the hall to Eli sauntering toward us. Compression shirt, sliders, ready to gear up. Every cell in my body screams to haul him into my arms and tell him it’s going to be okay.
Then Matheo shifts back on his heels. The lightbulb flicks on as I glance at him; I can hear theding, ding, dinggoing off in his head when he brings his midnight stare back to mine.
You called him a rapist. The words ricochet in my skull. I lock my jaw and say nothing. Anything will confirm what he’s already deduced.
“Fuck,” he bites out, cracking his stick against the wall. “Fucking bastard better get his dues.”
He storms for the room, still cursing. If I didn’t know him, I’d chase him down and lecture him about discretion. But I do know Matheo. Beneath the devil-may-care act, he cares.
“What was that about?” Eli stops in front of me, looping his sweat rag around my neck.
His crooked smile wrings my chest. When he steps closer, my hands find his narrow hips like they belong there.
“Is he still giving you shit about keeping your cool tonight?” Eli tips his head, amused.
