Page 28 of Power Move
“We have you too.” Jonas tips his glass to me and Maxim nods, toasting me with his beer. “I wonder what he’s doing here.”
Sage loosens his hold on me enough to pick up his drink. “I remember seeing his name come up at the PHL trade deadline, but there was so much going on, I don’t know who he ended up with.”
Maxim peers at his phone. “He’s with San Jose’s PHL affiliate. I pulled up the PHL schedule. His team is playing in San Diego tomorrow. That’s only an hour and a half away. Maybe he’s visiting someone.”
“Let’s just order dinner.” I turn my smile to everyone to prove I’m okay because they’re still giving me concerned looks. “Who’s gonna pry Morgan and Quinn from the pool table?”
Jonas raises his glass. “I’m on it.” He slips away.
Sage passes around menus. “They have fish tacos. Oh, and fancy mac and cheese. I can’t make up my mind.”
I look at the burgers.
Quinn barrels across the patio, aiming straight for me. He crouches by my chair, intense and worried, our team’s resident bulldog. “Cullen’s here?”
“Yes, and I’m fine. But I won’t be if we miss the start of the movie. So please sit and let’s order.”
Jonas, Remy, and Morgan join us. Jonas sits beside Maxim and glares in Chad’s general direction. Maxim and Quinn take turns doing the same thing. Remy and Morgan keep shooting curious looks at Chad and concerned looks at me. Sage is the only one ignoring Chad. His steady gaze is on me, as is his hand, warm on my thigh.
There’s enough of a crowd that Chad doesn’t see us. At least, I don’t think so. We order food and eat, keeping the conversation on the movie, summer music festivals Sage wants to attend, Maxim buying a new car, and Remy’s stories of Benny the bearded dragon.
Quinn insists on picking up the check. We get up from the table, and every one of us looks in the direction of where Chadwas spotted. He’s not there, though two half-eaten meals are. Maybe he already left.
We walk across the patio. Chad comes out of the restaurant, wiping damp hands on his shorts. A surge of adrenaline shoots through me. We’re on a collision course, and there’s no way of avoiding it. He and I make eye contact, and he goes still. “Rhys.”
“Chad.” I stop walking, my heart beating faster as my guard comes up. About six feet separate us.
A trace of irritation in his expression, he runs his tongue over his teeth. “Been a while.”
“It has.”
Sage edges his body forward, positioning himself between Chad and me. His muscles tense, like he’s prepping for a fight. I put my hand on his shoulder and draw him against my chest. I love that he wants to protect me, but I don’t want him anywhere near Chad.
Chad’s gaze flicks down to Sage. The edges of his mouth pull into a smirk. “Who’s your guard dog?”
Quinn storms forward, inserting himself in front of me, and in front of Sage. “Thisguard dog,” he thumbs his chest, “is gonna have a problem if you don’t get away from my teammates.”
Maxim and Jonas flank him. Remy steps up beside me and Morgan stands with Sage. There’s now a wall of professional hockey players in-between me and my former adversary.
They clearly have my back. I expected it of my original trio of friends. Sage, too, though experiencing his protectiveness, leaves me warm and fuzzy. Remy and Morgan are more of a surprise, but teammates protect teammates.
Chad backs up a step, his hands raised. “Whatever.”
He returns to his table.
The tension in Sage’s body eases. He sinks into my side, wrapping his arm around my waist. “Are you okay?”
“I’m fine. But ready to get out of here. We’re drawing a lot of attention.” The weight of our fellow patrons’ stares follows us as we leave the patio and cross through the restaurant.
I don’t mind people taking photos if they spot us out somewhere, but I don’t want anything that might link me with Chad again. Rumors flew when I got traded, and soon after, speculation that Chad did what he did. Teammates and staff talk, to each other, families, friends, colleagues. Stories get repeated and spread, especially online.
We step outside. The movie theater is only a few blocks away. Our group is a jumble of bodies crowding the sidewalk as we walk together like a pack.
Quinn looks at me over his shoulder. “You sure you’re good?”
With my arm around Sage’s shoulder and in the company of my friends? I’m golden. “Going through what I did wasn’t easy. But I’m happy it happened. Getting traded brought me to the Metros. And gave me three friends who’ve had my back from day one. Thanks for standing with me in there.”
Jonas thumps me on the shoulder. “You know it.”
