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TREVOR

“ D ude, you’re going to burn a hole in the plane,” Bryton said next to me, watching my knee bounce up and down.

“We’ll get there in time, don’t worry.” Wyatt tried to soothe my nerves but it wasn’t helping.

“I’m already going to be ten minutes late.” I promised Tasha I would be there for her at her parents’ gala, so I had to be there.

“Trust me, she’ll be happy you’re there, whether you’re late or not.” Wyatt said.

“I know it’s just…” I ran a hand down my face. “This will be the first time I’ll meet her parents, and they already want her to marry someone else. What if they convince her to be with this other guy?” Who would have thought me, Trevor Hall, would be so insecure when it came to a girl?

Tasha Davis made me feel emotions I had never imagined. I thought I knew what love was before, but it was nothing compared to the intensity of what I felt for her. With Tasha, it was deeper, more consuming—like she had unlocked a part of me I didn't even know existed. Every glance, every touch, stirred something in me that I couldn’t ignore, and it left me wondering how I ever mistook anything else for love.

Every time I was with Tasha, I felt…alive. Like there was a part inside of me I didn’t know was missing until I met her. Don’t get me wrong, I was happy before I met Tasha. I loved my life. Playing hockey every other day, sleeping around with no commitment, hanging out with my boys—it was a life I was happy with

The only thing that changed was instead of going out to the bar after a game and hitting on women, I went home with the only girl I had eyes for. There was nothing better than being wrapped around Tasha. I understood why Wyatt and Bryton loved to go home with their girlfriends after a game. I wasn’t even ashamed at how obsessed I was with Tasha.

“Are you blind?” Bryton sent me a look like I was crazy. “That girl is so in love with you. Her parents aren’t going to get her to change her mind.”

I knew he was right. Hell, Tasha flat out said she was never going to do what her parents wanted her to, so I shouldn’t have worried. It didn’t stop the pit in my stomach, though.

"Who would've guessed Trevor Hall would be all twisted up over a girl?" Fitz, one of my teammates, gave me a shove from behind.

“First Bryton and Wyatt, now our man Trevor. Sad day,” another chimed in.

I clenched my jaw as a few others added their own thoughts.

Next to me, Bryton rolled his eyes. When he first got together with Mila, the guys gave him a lot of shit about being tied down with one woman. Same went with Wyatt but he was quick to threaten anyone who said a bad word about Josie.

“The man is pussy whipped.” The words barely left Fitz’s mouth before I was up and out of my seat. My fist wrapped in his shirt within seconds, yanking him toward me.

“You say another word about my girl, and we are going to have a problem, Fitz. Are we clear?” No one around us dared to get up and separate us. I wasn’t going to do anything to him, but if he spoke another word about Tasha, I wouldn’t hesitate in kicking his ass. Teammate or not.

“We’re good. We’re good.” Fitz quickly nodded his head, putting his hands out. I kept my grip on him for another moment before letting him go.

Wyatt and Bryton gave me a knowing look. They would have done the same thing if it was Josie or Mila. Most of the men on the team only thought with their dicks. There were a few that had serious girlfriends or wives, but a good chunk only chased puck bunnies. They’d learn that it gets old quickly.

“How are the girls doing?” Coach Barnum asked out of the blue from his spot in front of us. Wyatt shot Bryton and I a confused look before answering.

“Good. Josie is busy planning stuff for the wedding,” was Wyatt’s reply.

“She already invited me,” Coach said, making the three of us raise our eyebrows.

I didn’t know what it was about Josie and Mila, but the two wiggled their way onto Coach’s soft side. To everyone on the team, he could be a total jackass but as soon as either of them appeared, he would smile and ask them how their days were. I didn’t think I'd ever been asked that from him.

Hell, even Tasha somehow got on his good side even though she only met him a few times. I wouldn’t say he had a soft spot for all women, though. Sometimes when the puck bunnies sat outside the locker room, Coach would storm outside and demand they move their asses. But our girls were somehow his favorite.

While Wyatt and Coach kept talking about the wedding, I zoned back out. I wished my phone worked this high up in the air so I could text her. Last thing I wanted was for her to think I wasn’t going to show.

Trying not to let my nerves get the best of me, I settled back in my seat and waited impatiently for the plane to land.

“What do you mean we can’t get off?” I asked the stewardess in front of me.

“The runway has debris that needs to be cleared before we can pull in and disembark,” the stewardess explained.

“Can’t you just open the doors now and let us off?” This was a private jet for crying out loud. We shouldn’t have even had to wait to get off.

“It’s unsafe to get off where we are at. We can’t let anyone off until we get to the designated spot.” The stewardess was being as nice as she could, but it was not helping my mood.

Instead of being ten minutes late to Tasha’s gala, I was now looking at half an hour if I got off right now. Didn’t help that the plane took off late. But from what the lady said in front of me, it could take another hour just to get off.

Breathing through my nose, I tried not to blow my shit. This wasn’t happening.

“Thank you,” Wyatt said politely to the stewardess as she walked back to the front of the plane. “Have you texted Tasha yet?”

“I have, but for some reason, it won’t go through. I’ll try again.” As soon as the plane had landed, I was up and out of my seat, ready to go. All I could think about was getting off this damn thing and getting to that gala. Even if I had to wear the suit I packed for away games.

Grabbing my phone, I tapped the screen only for it to stay black. I hit the power button, but the only thing that flashed was the dead battery icon.

“You’ve got to be fucking kidding me.” I squeezed my phone in my fist. “Dead battery. Can I try your phones?” I asked Wyatt and Bryton.

They both held up their phones and said, “No signal.”

It’s okay, Trevor. Doesn’t matter if you’re late as long as you get there.

“Just think about it. You can make a grand entrance when you do get there,” Bryton joked. “Everyone loves a grand entrance.”

“Get someone to play a song as you walk in,” Wyatt added, causing my lips to twitch. I knew they were trying to make me feel better about the situation, which I appreciated, but it did little to help the growing tension in my body.

For the next twenty minutes, we sat there on the plane. Every minute that passed made me more late and made the pit in my stomach double in size. Tasha was probably thinking I wasn’t coming at all and ignoring her.

I never wanted to be someone that Tasha felt she couldn’t rely on. She had enough people in her life like that, so I wanted to be the person she could always count on. Be the person she’d always go to when she needed something and knew that, no matter what, I would be there.

I was staring out the plane window when I noticed we were starting to finally move. The pilot’s voice came overhead, saying we would be able to get off in the next ten minutes. With that, I had a little bit of hope that I would get to that damn gala before the night was over .

As soon as the plane came to a halt and the stewardess came out to put the door down, I was up and out of my seat.

“Trev.” Wyatt got my attention as I reached for my bag overhead. I glanced at him over my shoulder as he held up his phone. “Josie is already here with your suit. I’ll get your bag and take it back to your place.”

“Josie’s here?” was all that left my mouth.

“I texted her a little bit ago when I got a signal. You can change here and head over.”

“She brought my suit?” I was repeating what he just said, but Josie being here, waiting for me, threw me off.

“Changing on the tarmac of an airport probably isn’t the greatest but it will work.” Bryton shrugged. “Mila brought stuff for you to clean up a bit too.”

The fact that they both went out of their way to help me get to this event reminded me why they were my best friends. We may not have been blood-related, but they were more of brothers to me than anything.

“We know.” Wyatt read my expression as he hit my shoulder and gestured toward the front of the plane. “Josie and Mila are waiting.”

With a wide grin, I tapped Wyatt and Bryton’s shoulders before hightailing it toward the door of the plane. Thankfully, the rest of my team had enough sense to stay seated. With the plane door finally open, I all but ran off the plane, shouting a quick apology over my shoulder.

I barely stepped off the stairs when I saw Josie and Mila standing off to the side of the tarmac, waiting for me. They waved their arms as I jogged toward them.

“Got your suit right here.” The words were out of Josie’s mouth before I even reached them. She held up the bag with a bright grin.

“And I got some makeup wipes to clean your face with.” Mila added .

I was glad I took a shower before getting on the plane earlier, so I was perfectly fine not going home to take one.

“Thank you.” I breathed.

“Let's get you to that gala.” Josie declared.

Behind me, I could hear my teammates getting off the plane, but I didn’t even care as I stripped out of my sweats and sweatshirt. A few of the guys whistled as I stood there on the tarmac in just my underwear. I flipped the bird over my shoulder as I tugged on my slacks.

When Tasha asked me to be her date last week, I instantly went out the next day to get a new suit. I had a bunch, thanks to hockey, but this wasn’t just any party. From what Tasha has told me, it was an event with the richest people in Toronto. A suit I'd worn multiple times wouldn’t cut it.

“Tasha is going to kill me for being late,” I told the girls as I quickly buttoned up my black dress shirt.

“Maybe not kill you but threaten to chop your balls off, yes.” Josie said.

“That doesn’t help Jo.”

“Hey, you asked.” She shrugged.

“And you couldn’t have replied with, ‘She’s just going to be happy you are there?’” I shot her a look.

“That, too.”

“Gee, thanks.” Josie just shot me a grin.

Shrugging on my suit jacket, I straightened the sleeve as Josie and Mila looked me over.

“How does it look?”

“Here.” Mila stepped forward, bending over slightly so she could reach me. She ran her fingers through my hair for a minute before stepping back. “Perfect.” I shot her a smile in thanks. These two were really saving my ass.

“Trevor.” Josie came forward, reaching up to fix my collar. Despite hearing how fancy this thing was, I left the tie off. Didn’t need something strangling me the entire night .

“Yeah?”

Josie peered up at me as I towered over her. The smile she wore slipped off her face, and her eyes narrowed.

“If you hurt my best friend. If you do anything to make her unhappy. I won’t hesitate in making your life a living hell.” As she spoke, her grip on my collar tightened. For such a small person, she could be scary as hell.

“Do you understand?”

I nodded with wide eyes.

“I wouldn’t dream of hurting Tasha.” The thought of hurting her made me sick to my stomach. Josie stared at me for another moment before she pulled back, her easygoing smile back on her face.

“Good.” Using her hands, she wiped at my suit jacket. “Now, you better get going.” She acted like she didn’t just threaten me two seconds ago. I didn’t think she was kidding either.

“Uh, yeah. Okay.” Shaking off Josie’s threat, I sent them both a thankful smile. “Thank you, guys.”

“Anytime. Now go get your girl.” Mila gestured over her shoulder to the car parked behind her. Mila and Bryton’s Mercedes . Seeing my skepticism, Mila shook her head at me. “Don’t worry, we’ll get a ride with Wyatt and Jo. Get going.” She all but shoved the keys in my hand.

With another thankful smile, I jogged toward the car and slid in. I had a gala to get to.

The ride to the hotel where the event was being held took me longer than I thought. It was like everyone suddenly had somewhere to be, so the traffic was insane. Of course. By the time I parked in front, I was a good hour and a half late.

Despite my tardiness, the steps to the hotel were lined with reporters. Seeing the car pull up, they all turned and lifted their cameras to see who it was. I was about to enter a room full of people I didn’t even know for the woman I loved. Just knowing I was about to see Tasha had me unbuckling my seatbelt and stepping out of the car.

Straightening my suit, I walked around the front as reporters recognized who I was. The flash of cameras instantly surrounded me, along with my name being yelled.

“Trevor Hall!”

“Are you here to support your girlfriend?”

“Are you and Tasha Davis serious?!”

With one hand pressed to the front of my suit, I lifted my other one in half a wave. I politely nodded to the reporters as they snapped picture after picture. This was definitely going to make headlines tomorrow.

I only stopped for a few seconds, letting them all get their pictures, before heading for the doors. I had a girl to get to.

As I made my way into the hotel, I felt the unmistakable sensation of being watched. I was used to the attention, though. Being in the spotlight for hockey, you had to get used to people taking your picture and staring at you as you passed. Plus, none of it mattered when Tasha was so close.

I hadn’t seen her in a week. A whole ass week. Yes, we texted, called, and Facetimed but it wasn’t the same as actually seeing her. Touching her.

I paused right outside the ballroom to gather myself. I knew just beyond those doors was Tasha. And, of course, her parents. The same parents that wanted to put her in an arranged marriage. Just the thought of it had me clenching my jaw.

I wasn’t sure how I was going to be able to control myself around her parents. Hearing about Tasha’s childhood and how they treated her made my blood boil. They treated her like shit, and then expected her to show up acting like the perfect family. Like they weren’t using her as some pawn in a game to further their company’s success.

There was a lot I wanted to say to them, but I knew Tasha wouldn’t appreciate it if I snapped at her parents. Because despite all of that, she still loved them, and I completely understood. Even after everything my own parents did, there was still a part of me that loved them.

If biting my tongue made Tasha happy, then I’d try my hardest not to say something to her parents. But if the man they were trying to marry her off to showed his face, I wasn’t sure I’d be able to hold back.

Ready to see my girl, I took a deep breath and stepped into the ballroom.

Almost immediately, eyes snapped in my direction. All around me stood well-dressed men and women. Their gazes assessed me, but I paid them no attention, my eyes already searching the crowd looking for the only person I cared about.

Chatter rose around me as people moved to the side and I walked farther into the room. As the crowd parted for me, my eyes finally fell on the girl I was looking for.

My attention flickered to the people standing on either side of Tasha, but they became nonexistent the moment my eyes met Tasha’s. My heart stopped and restarted at the sight of her.

She was wearing the most gorgeous dress I'd ever seen. The red dress hugged her waist before flaring down to the floor, a high slit up on side showing her long, toned legs. Legs that I wanted wrapped around my waist.

She was the most beautiful woman in the room. And she was all mine.