Page 59 of Hooking the Captain
“If you get a night off during playoffs or the Stanley Cup finals, I’ll make sure you get two seats.”
“Deal.”
We each took sips of our beers and then Hayden asked, “Everything else good?”
“Yeah.” A huge smile spread across my face.
He arched a brow. “What’s that for?”
“Been going to Chrome.”
His eyes widened. “Really?”
“Yeah. Only a few times, though.”
“Holy shit.” He stood, and I followed him. He engulfed me in a hug. “That’s amazing. Congrats.”
I never thought someone would applaud me for going to a nightclub, but it was more than that. Hayden knew exactly what it meant, and not only was a smile still on my lips, but my heart felt as though it was finally coming alive again. Or at least some of it. A part of it was still healing from Ford, but I was doing my best trying to move on without thinking about him every second of every day.
“Thanks.”
We sat back down.
“I have to admit that after the last time we saw each other, I was nervous. I expected to read shit online about Ford outing you or something.”
And here we go …
“Well, he signed an NDA.”
“I know, but I wouldn’t put it past him to fuck you over.”
My heart raced, and I wanted to get up and yell at my friend, telling him he had no clue because Ford did nothing bad. The only thing was he didn’t tell me about his past with Hayden and Tyler, but I knew why he kept it a secret. It was fucked up, but he still had a good reason.
“But he didn’t,” I argued.
Hayden leaned back in his chair, studying me with a serious expression. The atmosphere in the pub buzzed with the sounds of people chatting, clinking glasses, and the distant hum of music. I took a deep breath, trying to shake off the tension that his words had brought.
“He didn’t, but that doesn’t mean he’s not capable of it,” he stated.
I sighed, running a hand through my hair. “I know Ford has made mistakes, and I’m not defending everything he’s done. He moved to London for work, and we’ve realized we couldn’t make it work, even if he hadn’t been keeping things from me. He did a bad thing, but that doesn’t mean he’s a bad person.”
Hayden raised an eyebrow. “Moved to London? When did he move?”
“The day we broke up.”
“So, it’s been a while, then.”
“Yeah. We saw each other when he was in town for Christmas, but we decided it was best to part ways amicably.”
Hayden’s expression softened, and he leaned forward. “Coop, I just don’t want to see you get hurt.”
“I appreciate your concern, really. But Ford and I are not together anymore. It was a mutual decision, and we’re both trying to move forward.”
He sighed and took a sip of his beer. “I just worry about you, that’s all.”
“I know, and I appreciate it. But let’s not dwell on that tonight. We’re here to catch up and celebrate the win,” I said, attempting to shift the conversation to a lighter topic.
Hayden cracked a small smile. “You’re right. Let’s focus on the positive. To winning, to playoffs, and to moving forward.”
