Page 10

10

TREVOR

“ I could eat an entire buffet right now,” Bryton said next to me as the boat headed back to the island. I ignored him and the others, my eyes landing on the blonde siren across from me.

Tasha leaned against Josie’s side, looking adorably tired as she talked about who knew what. Something tugged in my chest as I stared at her. Her blonde hair hung down her back in waves, slightly dry but still wet enough to cling to her skin. Her shoulders and face had a light red hue to them from being out in the sun. She looked downright beautiful. And no one needed to get me started on her slender bare legs draped over Josie’s. Legs that I wanted straddling mine.

Sitting there, I could still sense her on my back. The feel of her slick skin against mine as she held onto me, chest pressed to my body. It had taken everything in me to act normal. Like Tasha Davis hanging onto me was something that happened every day.

I thought back to last night on the beach. It was the first time Tasha and I had been alone like that without any of our friends nearby. Oddly enough, it didn't feel weird or awkward between us. We were just two people on a beach.

It was nice learning more about her. Seeing what made her the way she was. Tasha was so closed off at times, never really showing how she felt and rarely talked about herself. At least not when I was around. From what I saw Josie was the only one she was really close with. Knowing she hid so much of herself just made me want to know even more.

“Dude.” My shoulder was shoved, my eyes moving to Bryton next to me. “Could you be more obvious?”

“What?”

“You’re staring at Tasha like some creep.” Bryton remarked.

“I’m not.”

“The fact we’ve said your name five times and you didn’t respond says you are.” Bryton gave me a look.

Shit.

“When are you going to admit you feel something for her?” Wyatt asked.

“I don’t feel anything for her,” I lied right out of my ass.

“Yeah, and I don’t love Josie.” Wyatt shot me a look. “We’re your best friends, Trev. You can’t lie to us.”

“I don’t know what I feel,” I grumbled. That part was true. I liked her. Liked her more than I should, considering that she could barely stand to be around me. But last night and today sparked confusion because she was acting differently. Almost like she enjoyed my company.

I never met a girl that knew how to get under my skin so much. She somehow crawled her way inside of me and didn’t seem to be going anywhere anytime soon. I didn’t think she even knew just what she did to me.

“Don’t know what you feel as in you like her but don’t want to, or you just want to sleep with her?” Bryton asked.

“Josie will have my balls if you sleep with her best friend and make things awkward,” Wyatt said, narrowing his eyes at me.

“I’m not going to sleep with her. I mean, I would like to obviously but…” I trailed off, unsure of what I was saying. Wyatt, Bryton and Landon stared at me, waiting for me to continue. With a sigh, I finally told them about what happened months ago.

“We kissed and everything was going great and she just froze. One second she was into it and the next she was running to her car.” I couldn’t lie and say I wasn’t hurt. If I had done something to hurt her or make her uncomfortable, I would have liked to know before she ran off.

“Well, that explains the awkward tension between you,” Landon commented.

“She has pretty much ignored me ever since.” It may have sounded cocky, but no woman had ever done that. Typically, I couldn’t get them off of me. Take the flight attendant on the way here, for example, who Tasha told to leave me alone.

“She seemed all over you today,” Landon pointed out. She was definitely being more touchy the last few days but that just made everything even more confusing.

My eyes cut back to Tasha, laughing at something Lydia said. I wondered what was going on inside that head. What was the reason behind her ghosting me? Did I do something? The thought of hurting her in any way didn’t sit well with me.

“Maybe you should just ask her,” Landon said with a shrug, as if doing so was easy.

“I’ll ask her as soon as you admit you like Lydia,” I shot back, raising my eyebrow at him. The look he sent me had me smirking. “Thought so.”

“God, between the two of you, I’m lucky I have Mila,” Bryton remarked, looking over at his girlfriend with what could only be described as adoration .

“How are things with you guys?” I asked, glad to have the conversation directed away from me.

“Great. Actually,” he looked over at the three of us, lowering his voice, “I’m going to ask her to move in with me.”

“That’s great, Bry.” Wyatt patted him on the shoulder with a grin. I sent him one of my own. Mila and Bryton were perfect for each other.

Bryton kept his relationship with her hidden from us for a while. We knew something was up when he would bail on going out after a game or showed up to practice with a grin on his face. One day, Mila came to a game and the next she was a part of our little group. The two just melded together perfectly.

I'd never seen Bryton so happy. He was always more of the quiet type. When we did go out to celebrate, women flocked to him but he rarely gave them the time of day. He would just smile politely and make a little small talk but that was it. He’s taken a few girls home but anyone could tell he didn’t want that type of life. Then he met Mila.

“We basically live together anyway, but I want us to get our own place together.”

“Proud of you, man.” Landon tapped Bryton’s leg. It sounds weird but Landon has always been that older brother figure to Bryton and me. Neither of us had someone like that in our lives and Landon filled that role.

“When are you going to ask her?” I asked.

“I think tonight. I don’t want to overshadow Wyatt’s day tomorrow.” I caught his nervous undertone as he spoke.

“Don’t worry, she’ll say yes. You two are practically married anyway.” Wyatt added. Which was true. They had been together for well over a year now.

“I couldn’t live without her.” Something about his words settled in my chest, making me once again glance at Tasha. Not that I was thinking about marrying Tasha any time soon, but it made me wonder if there was a chance I could have what Bryton and Mila had.

“Where are you going?” Landon glanced over from his spot on the little couch our room had.

“I’m just going for a walk. I’ll be back in a bit,” I lied. I wasn’t in the mood to explain where I really was going. Plus, I wasn’t sure Tasha would show. After dinner, I tried to catch her eye but she was too busy talking with Josie. Who knew if our plan to meet up again tonight was still on.

Landon looked at me skeptically but didn’t say anything as I grabbed a jacket and headed out of the room. I was more than tempted to knock on Tasha’s hotel door, but if she was anything like me, she probably didn’t want Lydia to know where she was going. So, ignoring the urge, I made my way down to the lobby.

I stood off to the side, waiting for Tasha, when I heard my name.

“Trevor Hall!” Glancing over to my right, I noticed a group of three guys staring at me in shock.

“Dude, you are the best right winger in the league!” I chuckled under my breath at their expressions. Each one seemed starstruck as they walked over to me.

“Congrats on the Cup win, man. That last shot right when the buzzer went off was epic!”

Even after all these years of fans coming up to me, I wasn’t entirely used to it. Hearing someone go on about how talented and amazing you were was awkward. I never really knew what to say back. I typically just smiled and said thank you .

“Thanks. It was a group effort,” I replied politely.

“Can we get a picture with you?” one of the guys asked.

“Of course.” I never said no when people asked for a picture or for me to sign something. We had great fans. The least I could do was take a quick second to say hi and pose for a picture. While the three tried to decide who would take the picture, a new voice interrupted them.

“I’ll take it.” Tasha stood off to the side, looking between the guys and me. My eyes ran over her body, taking in the jacket she was wearing. The same jacket I put on her last night. It hung off her slim frame and if it wasn’t for the sweats she had on, it would have looked like she didn’t have pants on.

The sight of her in my jacket sent a wave of possessiveness through me. I really liked the way she looked in it. The fact she was wearing it tonight made my lips twitch. While I was busy staring at Tasha, the three guys handed her a phone and came to stand beside me.

“Say, Go Knights ,” Tasha said, holding the phone up. I caught her teasing smirk, knowing she did that on purpose. Resisting the urge to roll my eyes, I went along and said the phrase with the three guys.

Tasha liked to torture me as she took quite a few photos before finally putting the phone down.

“Thanks for the pictures, man.” All three shook my hand. “Bring us back another Cup win.”

“We’ll try.” I said, shaking their hands. Almost like kids in a candy store, the three grabbed the phone from Tasha, talking animatedly as they walked off.

“Wow, who knew you were so famous,” she teased, coming up to my side.

“You’re looking at the second most followed hockey player in the league.” I flashed her a smile and put my arms out .

“And humble.”

“The most humblest.”

“That’s not even a word dumb ass.” Tasha shook her head, but I saw the ghost of a smile on her face.

“Ready?” I put my hands in my pockets, trying my hardest to resist the urge to grab her and pull her toward me. With a small nod, she headed for the door leading outside.

The sun had long since set as we walked the path toward the beach once again. I peeked at Tasha from the corner of my eye. Her blonde hair was pulled into a messy bun, and under the lights, I could see her cheeks were a soft pink color from being out in the sun.

A part of me was worried she wouldn’t show, but walking side by side with our brushing, I was glad she did.

“Penny for your thoughts?” I asked. We’d been walking for a little bit in silence.

“Just a penny? Worth at least a hundred bucks or so.”

“Smart ass.” I bumped her shoulder with mine. “Seriously, what has you so quiet?”

We walked a little bit farther, shoes in hand, sand squishing between our toes, the waves crashing the only sound around us. I waited patiently, not wanting to push her to talk if she didn’t want to.

“I never apologized for what happened that night we….”

“Kissed,” I supplied.

“Yeah, that.”

“You don’t have to.” I shook my head, but she cut me off.

“I do. I left without an explanation, and I’m sorry.”

“Did…” I hesitated for a moment. “Did I do something?”

“No, it wasn’t you,” Tasha rushed out. “I…” I could tell she was struggling with what she wanted to say.

“If it’s uncomfortable to talk about, that’s fine, we don’t need to. I just wanted to know if it was something I did, so I can make sure I never do it again.” I gently pulled her to a stop with her elbow.

“The thing is I want to tell you. You deserve to know because you didn’t do anything. I just… I don’t know how.” When she glanced up at me, her eyes were watery. The sight felt like someone reached into my chest and gripped my heart in their fist.

“I've only ever told Josie, and I don’t want you to look at me or think of me differently because you probably will, and I can’t stand that,” Tasha rambled, looking anywhere but at me.

“Hey.” Reaching out, I gently grabbed her chin and tilted her head back. “I will never judge you. For anything. Ever. You may not know me that well, but you will learn I don’t judge someone based on their past. Got that?” My thumb smoothed over her skin. She gazed up at me with wide eyes but nodded.

Letting her chin go, I started walking again, thinking maybe it would help her talk if I wasn’t staring at her. A few more minutes passed in silence before Tasha cleared her throat as if readying herself for what she was about to say.

“A month or so before I met you, I was out at a club with some friends. I tried to get Josie to go, but she was so cut off from everything. I could barely get her out of her apartment unless it was for work. So, I went with some other friends, and we were dancing, having a great time.”

From the corner of my eye, I watched as she kicked at the sand, hands clenched at her sides. A sense of dread washed over me at her story.

“Somehow, we got separated. One moment I was dancing with my friends, and the next I was in a darker corner of the dance floor. A random guy came up and started grinding on me, even though I told him no.” The way her voice dropped as she spoke made the hair on the back of my neck stand up. Please tell me this wasn’t going where I thought it was.

“He, uh… He didn’t like me saying that. Because of where I was dancing, no one saw him grab me and drag me toward the bathrooms in the back.”

“Tasha.” My voice came out in a strangled whisper, the dread in my stomach growing with each passing second. Tasha all but stopped walking as she stared straight ahead, almost lost in the memory.

“He pushed me against the wall…” She trailed off, unable to say more.

I was clenching my jaw so hard it felt like my teeth were on the brink of shattering. My chest heaved as images of Tasha flashed through my head.

Tasha. Fuck.

Trying to gain a bit of control, I turned to face her. Even though it was dark, the moon highlighted the tears running down her face. Tears that had no right being there. The words left my mouth before I could stop them.

“Did he…?” I couldn’t even bring myself to finish saying it. She shook her head.

“H-he touched me, but I kneed him in the balls and ran.” Red hot anger flared in my chest. Furious at the person who dared to lay a finger on her.

“Tasha.”

“When you kissed me, I got a flashback and freaked out and ran. It wasn’t you I swear I…” Tasha rambled. I noticed more tears welling in her eyes as her breathing picked up. I didn’t hesitate in grabbing her by the arms and pulling her into my chest. She was stiff as a board in my hold.

“It’s okay.”

“No, it’s not.” Her body shuddered as if she was finally letting it all out. I wasn’t fazed when her hands came up and hit my chest. “It’s not okay! ”

Tears ran down her face as she hit my chest harder. I stood there, arms holding her close. There was no real impact to the hits. If I had to stand there all night and let her get her anger out, I gladly would.

After a few minutes, I felt her body sag against me as the anger faded and the tears came harder. I wrapped my arms tighter around her frame and held her as she cried into my shirt. It took everything I had not to let my rage show. The last thing Tasha needed was to think my feelings were directed at her.

Bending my head forward, I placed it in the crook of her neck. It felt like a knife being stabbed into my chest repeatedly at the thought of what happened to her. That some boy thought it would be okay to lay a finger on her.

I wasn’t sure how long we stood there, but Tasha slowly calmed down. I wanted nothing more than to keep her in my arms and make sure nothing and no one touched her. Eventually, she slowly pulled back. She met my eyes and once again my heart squeezed. Those gorgeous gray eyes were red and swollen from crying. Even so, she was beautiful.

Bringing my hands up, I gently cupped her face in my palms. My thumbs brushed away the wetness on her cheeks. “You are so strong,” I spoke softly.

“But I’m not,” she croaked.

“Yes, you are. And when you think you aren't, I will be right here to remind you.” And I meant every single word.

“You think too highly of me.” Tasha sniffled.

“You think too little of yourself.” My thumb caught another tear. Her eyes fluttered closed, and she leaned into my hands. “I’m so sorry,” I whispered.

No wonder she ran away that night. Kissing her probably took her back to that moment, and here I was being selfish thinking about only myself. It never hit me that maybe she was going through something traumatic .

Having her in front of me, touching her, eased the pressure in my chest. She was here, and she was safe.

My arms moved to cradle her against me, feeling her relax as the minutes passed. The crashing waves made it feel like we were in a little bubble of our own. We stayed just like that for a while longer. When Tasha started to shift in my arms, I knew it was time to head back. After our long day and this, I bet she was exhausted.

“Let’s get you back,” I spoke softly as I reluctantly dropped my arms. With a small nod, she stepped back. My eyebrows raised when she laced her arm with mine and started back toward the hotel.

We were both quiet as we walked back, but I found myself glancing down at her every few seconds. My heart broke knowing what she went through, but I also knew she wouldn’t like me feeling sorry for her.

Every time I glanced down at her, my heart thudded in my chest, but I pushed it aside. The last thing Tasha needed was me trying to be more than her friend. Because she needed a friend more than anything right then. So, while I wanted more, I would push that aside and be what she needed instead.