Page 83 of Forever Wild
“You’re acting weird.” I stand in front of him.
A small smile pulls at the corner of his lips, but it’s not nearly as big as the ones he’s been aiming my way for the past few days. A month ago, I would have been happy to get any smile out of him, but now that I’ve had him smile at me for real, the fake one is twice as disappointing.
“I’ll see you later.” He brushes his lips over mine and then turns to go, leaving me reeling in his sudden mood swing.
I barely eat my favorite lunch as I mull over what could be wrong with Jack. Is it something with his knee? Things seemed great earlier, so I don’t think it’s me, but I don’t outright dismiss it either. Maybe Ty calling freaked him out?
I swim a little more, then consider leaving and going back tomy place, but there’s a nagging worry that has a pit forming in my stomach and I need to talk to Jack.
I pull out my phone to text him, but then decide there’s too much nuance over text, so I call instead.
“Hello?” he answers on the second ring. There’s a hint of concern in his tone with that single word. His voice comforts me even with the physical distance between us.
The background is noisy. Glasses clinking and people talking. I strain to make out the location.
“Where are you?” I ask.
“Ev?” he asks, voice louder.
“Yeah, it’s me. Where are you?”
There’s a beat of hesitation where I think he can’t hear me, but then he says, “Wild’s.”
He went to the bar and left me at his house? There could be a thousand different reasons, but it’s odd and a bad feeling settles in my stomach.
“Stay there,” I say. “Don’t leave.”
It only takes me twenty minutes to get there. Fifteen to drive and five to give myself a pep talk in the car. The popular bar near the arena is quieter than any other time I’ve been here. After a game this place is packed. It’s a favorite with the players, too, thanks to the proximity of the rink and the free drinks bestowed upon them. For all the people they bring in, I’d say it’s a fair trade. Unless of course, the guys are really tying one on. They can put back the alcohol if they want.
But today the place is occupied with only a few patrons. The one of most interest to me is sitting at the bar. I push back my nerves and start toward him. His head is bowed over his beer. It looks untouched and his hands rest on the wooden bar next to it instead of around theglass.
Jack glances up as I approach. His dark gaze takes me in as he smiles. I’m filled with a brief sense of relief that he’s happy to see me. Maybe I’ve made too big of a deal about this after all.
He stands and I wave to the guy still sitting on the bar stool next to his.
Nick Galaxy waves back at me with a half-smile that brings out a dimple in his cheek. He fits in so seamlessly I sometimes forget that he’s only been with the team for just over a year now. He’s not big on partying or going out, so I haven’t spent that much time with him. I guess that makes sense with a little boy at home, but something tells me even without Aidan, he’d be more reserved than some of the other guys. He’s like Jack a little, hard to read and a skosh intimidating. Though as captain, Jack puts himself at the center of everyone’s needs, so he feels less reclusive.
“I’m sorry to interrupt,” I say loud enough that Nick can hear.
“Not at all. I need to call and check in on Aidan.” Nick stands with his phone in hand and heads toward the front of the bar.
When he’s gone, Jack and I stare at each other awkwardly. I take a seat on a stool next to his and he finally slides back onto his. The bartender appears and when Jack asks if I want anything, I shake him off.
“I won’t stay, I just had this nagging feeling that something was wrong, and I figured I could come ask you or I could spend the rest of the night plotting your murder.”
His lips quirk up in a small smile. “Wouldn’t be the first time.”
“No, it wouldn’t.” I smile back at him. I study him carefully. There’s a heaviness in his expression that makes my stomach swirl with unease. “Did I do something?”
I hate myself a little for assuming it’s me, but Jack is unmoving, rigid almost in his ability to stay at an even temperament.
“No. You…” He trails off. “It’s nothing. We’re good. You and I are always good.”
My brain spins to pick up on his hidden meanings.We’re always goodmakes it sound like nothing has changed between us.
“Is this about me torturing you while you talked to Tyler? I’m sorry. I know how much you respect him.”
“No,” he says quickly. “At least, not exactly.”
