Page 231 of Cross the Line
Lifting my stare from her screen to the back of Jayden’s head, I attempt to breathe past the lump that instantly forms in my throat. I want to be sitting next to him. Holding his hand. Listening to his breaths as he works shit out in his head. It’s killing me not to be near him right now. Not to be the shoulder his head rests on…
“Both,” I reply, tapping the bracelet on my wrist once, twice, three times, four.
When it vibrates back twice in quick succession, the knot in my stomach eases somewhat.
He’s there.
Jayden’s always there. Which makes what I’m about to say sound idiotic to me, except him knowing about the past hits differently on the ice.
“For once, it didn’t feel like it was just me and Presley.”
“You’ve never been on your own out there with him,” she states theobvious while my wrist vibrates a few times again with Finley’s reply to my taps.
“It’s how it’s always felt before today.” I’m resisting the urge to link up an obvious patch of sapphires that she keeps ignoring. Instead, I divert my stare to the back of Jayden’s head, peering over the headrest of the seat.
“Because Jayden knows.” I nod and she goes on, “The bad was…?”
“You were there, you saw what happened.” When she shrugs, I ask, “Why are you acting like it’s nothing?”
“In the grand scheme of things, itisnothing. Like you said in your interview, it’s hockey. The sport is passionate and intense. Some might even call it brutal. Sparring is part of the game.” Finally, she connects the sapphires, and her screen erupts with confetti when she advances to the next level.
Connie doesn’t continue playing, instead she swipes the game closed and turns her phone screen down on her lap as she twists in her seat to level me with a fierce stare.
“Professionalism aside, I’d say Mr. Tomes got dished some just desserts.” A crooked grin tugs at one side of her mouth, lighting her eyes with a wicked glint. “Quite frankly, they were on the light side. No offense to your boo, Morrow did a decent number on him. I believe there was at least one tooth missing.”
“My what?” I choke on my remark.
“Your boo? Boyfriend? Partner? I don’t know what you call each other or what’s on trend right now.” When I shrug, she gives me a playful grimace. “Ai, ai, ai… What do you like the sound of?”
“Umm, well… I guess JJ is my partner on the ice and my boyfriend off it.”
A slow smile levels her mouth into a warm expression while my face heats. Connie has an uncanny ability to make me squirm about the smallest things.
Mostly when we talk about Jayden and Finley. Sometimes it’s as simple as telling her about our plans for a hike or dinner. Although it’s all innocent, when we talk about them, it feels intimate.
They’re the core of who I am, and talking about them is like exposing the deepest part of me.
The most precious part of my existence.
CHAPTER 66
JAYDEN
My knuckles pull apart as I clench my fists at my sides. I’m exhausted, my body desperate to hit the mattress while I trudge to my suite, where Eli is waiting for me.
There hasn’t been a moment for us to talk since hell broke loose. Even though we’ve communicated through our bracelets, it’s not the same as speaking. Not the same as looking him in the eyes and apologizing for screwing up again.
I fucked up, and it could cost us everything. The way I’m mad at myself as I open the suite door to find him pacing the gold-and-turquoise-patterned carpet with his phone to his ear makes it impossible to form the words to iterate my apology.
“Go to sleep, Angel.” Eli pauses in front of me. “JJ’s here. He’s okay. Everything is okay.”
I can’t hear what our girl says, but the corners of his mouth tick up faintly. The scrunch of his brow eases a tad.
His stare holds mine when he ends the call with an earnest, “I love you.”
Then his phone disappears into the pocket of his slacks. I’m standing in the open doorway; Eli’s frozen to the spot, eyes raking over me.
My mouth opens. It closes.
