Page 22

Alex

T ucked into a corner at the far end of the bar, I knocked the back of my head against the wall of the booth as I sighed. I could see the whole crowd from this position.

With a pool table, some low-beat country music, and a bunch of hyperactive college guys all crowded around a huge TV, the rest of the team were having a great time.

None of them had to worry about going back to their rooms and dealing with the stupid mess they’d left there.

We were under the legal drinking age, and we shouldn't have even been in the bar in the first place. But we were a state team that had made it to the semi-finals, and we were the only people in the hotel. As long as we stuck with water and soda for the whole night, Coach would let us off.

It had been ten minutes since I left Brad, and my body was still humming with furious excitement. I hadn’t wanted it to go that way. In all my years of preparing myself, I’d imagined scenarios where I’d grown so angry with him I’d just shouted at him and told him I loved him. But it wasn’t the same as actually doing it.

I knew I wasn’t going to sleep for an entire week, but this was too much. I couldn’t deal with listening to him snore away when I’d screwed it up so badly.

I was an idiot; I’d always been an idiot. But Brad kept giving me moments of hope, and I couldn’t resist him. I’d never been able to, especially when he was talking like that.

My phone pinged and I prayed it was Brad. Instead, Lance’s name flashed up.

Two minutes .

Tommy sat on a stool at the end of the bar. The only reason I came was because Lance knew he was there, and I only chose this table so Tommy could watch whatever performance Lance was cooking up.

All I wanted was to stare at the wall and preserve the feel of Brad on my lips, but I preferred this over walking around the town and working myself up.

Brad might even come down to the bar to find me.

Tommy suddenly perked up, and my gaze swung to the door as humid air rushed in, quickly drowned out by the A/C.

Lance entered the bar in his usual fashion: catwalk ready. Hefty black jeans clenched his thighs, a deep V-neck white silk shirt exposed his blonde chest hair, and the sparkling presence surrounding him all demanded attention as he strode into the room. I knew he’d clocked Tommy, but he fixed his gaze on me as he burst into a wide grin.

The team was used to him, but anyone who didn’t know him before was instantly caught by his star power. Hungry and curious looks of the bartenders and waiters followed him from the door to my booth as he slipped his hands into his pockets, his unnecessary scarf swaying over his broad chest.

“Hey,” Lance said with a low hum as he arrived. The second he saw my face, he reached out, softly pressing his thick fingers to the underside of my chin and tilting my head back to meet my tangled gaze. “You alright?”

I opened my mouth to answer, but I wasn’t sure where to begin. I eased back out of his grasp, searching for a real answer.

“Alex?” he said as he slid onto the leather bench right next to me, his concern genuine. He glued his shoulder and thigh to mine.

“What happened?” he asked.

His hand crept forward, the tips of his fingers gently prying mine away from the glass I clutched with both hands, tucking them under the table. I let him move me, but I shot him a look, and the concern which had creased his brow was replaced by another silky grin as he squeezed my hand.

I guessed we were going at it again. Tommy was directly in our line of sight, and it wasn’t hard to miss how his head snapped back to the mirror behind the bar every time one of us even looked his way.

“I should ask you that. Your texts sounded worried. Did something happen again?” I asked, noting the bags under his eyes which hadn’t come from a bad crash against a barrier.

Darkness flickered over his face as he swiped my untouched Coke, taking a gulp.

It felt like he was using it as a distraction.

“Hmm, the same stuff,” Lance said as he lowered the glass, his voice missing its trademark lilt. “It’s always ‘choose a team’ from Dad and ‘win for me’ from Mom. She’d rather watch me win a hockey game than visit her in hospital. How fucked up is that?” He flicked me a glance, a crease appearing on his brow, as if he realized he said too much. His expression morphed into the smoother, more collected Lance everyone knew as he hitched a brow.

“Besides, from the look you’re giving me, I’m guessing something happened to you, too. Did I rescue you from a sticky situation with my family drama?”

I could have ignored his change in direction and tried to make him talk about it, but he didn’t come out because he wanted to dig into his situation. He would have asked to go somewhere more private if he did.

“I guess, yeah.” I twisted my lips as I avoided his gaze. “So, er, Lance…” I cleared my throat. I didn't know how to tell him properly, so I was just going to say it. The total opposite of how I was with Brad.

“I don’t want to do this anymore.” I peeked at him from the corner of my eye. “Brad 9.0, I mean,” I mumbled as I focused intensely on my empty hand resting on the table and not Lance's weighty stare. “I think we should stop.

“Are you serious?” His face lit with amusement. “Are you fake breaking up with me? It’s only been two weeks,” he said, lowering the empty glass back to the table.

“And that’s enough. Some of the plans barely lasted three days.”

“Hmm, that is true. But I had such a good feeling about this one.” Lance’s hand returned to mine under the table, his fingers brushing over my knuckles. “You sure you don’t want to entertain me for just a bit longer? I really need the distraction.”

I pulled out of his grasp, shaking my head. “It’s too serious now. I don’t like it.” I pressed my lips together, looking for the right words to explain it. “I don’t like that it hurts more than when I never said anything to him.”

Lance lifted a hand to his left jaw, his trembling exaggerated as he stroked another purple bruise that meandered up around his ear.

“After everything I did for you.” He sighed even more dramatically. “I sacrificed my body for your love, and this is how you repay me?”

I glared at him dully, until he opened one eye, checking my reaction.

“Oh, shut up.” I gave him a small smile before he burst out with his booming laugh, loud enough to catch Tommy’s attention.

We just had to pretend we weren’t aware of him or his reactions to us.

“Come on,” he said, nudging my shoulder. “It’s all a bit of fun, there’s nothing to worry about.”

“Brad actually hurt you, though,” I said softly.

“Yeah, and so do other players. My sexy ass is a prime target for all those jealous wannabes out there trying to make a name by knocking down Ryan Austin’s kid. It’s not like it’s anything new. If it hadn’t been Brad, it would be a Bulldog tomorrow.”

My lips parted but I paused, with nothing to counter him. I already knew he was right. But Brad taking down a teammate in a practice game was different than someone crashing into Lance during a match.

“Honestly, you’re as much of a cocksucker as me.” Lance grinned. “And you’re miles ahead,” he said as his eyes traced Tommy’s back as he talked to the bartender.

“You could push harder, too, you know,” I said

“Not yet. Whenever I try something, he just runs off. He’s not the same breed of idiot as Brad.”

“Hey, that’s harsh.”

“Well, am I wrong?” He arched a brow as he leaned in close so Tommy would definitely get the wrong idea. “Even if you don’t admit it, you know I’m right,” he said, his voice curling over his tongue.

“We’re all morons here, we’re just showing it in different ways,” I replied.

He kept himself close to my ear, nearly resting his head on my shoulder as he gazed at me adoringly. I let it go, even though people were staring.

“Anyway.” He sighed. “We’ve got a big game tomorrow. It’s not worth you getting all depressed and then fucking it up.”

“Alright, but I mean it, Lance. I’m not doing it anymore. No more Brad plans, no sneaking around. We just kissed earlier, and I feel guilty enough that—”

“Ah ha!” Lance shot back with a wide grin. “Alex, my son. Are you admitting Brad 9.0 has, in fact, been a success? Does this mean you’re backing out just as we reach the peak of the experiment?”

“No, that’s not it. There’s nothing successful about this. I just don’t think it’s fair to lie to people.”

He stilled, caught by my statement. The seconds grew more tense with every one that dripped by. “Okay.” His shoulders lowered and his chest deflated. “Okay, I hear you. But can you do something for me?”

I was surprised at the whisper of vulnerability in his tone. The last time I had heard it was when we were on my bed, and he told me the full story of his mom’s health.

“Sure, if I can.” I wasn’t going to deny him when he sounded like that.

“Just keep pretending for a bit longer. If something happens with Brad and you want to abandon me, shun me, leave me wasted by the side of the road like some poor waif—”

“Lance,” I stopped him before he got into it again. My sympathy quickly evaporated as his usual smirk returned.

“Yeah, okay, fine. What I mean is, as long as you and Brad don’t get together, keep being my fake boyfriend.”

“You still have a plan?”

“Who do you think I am? Of course I have a plan. Just because you’re giving up on Brad 9.0, doesn’t mean I am. It’s just going to evolve into the brand-new sparkly Tommy 1.0.” He spread out his arms like some entertainer, revealing a grand new spectacle.

To be honest, I felt sorry for Tommy. Lying to Brad was bad enough, but at least Brad had a bright side personality. I couldn’t imagine how Tommy would react when he found out the truth.

“I don’t know where things are going with Brad at the moment,” I said, choosing not to tell Lance what I actually thought. I felt guilty giving him such a weak excuse, especially with everything else going on for him.

“Yeah, but I know what you’re like. If I leave my favorite child alone, you’ll just get all mopey and then lose your edge. Let’s have a bit of fun and forget all our baggage and woes! I hear a pool cue with my name on it!”

He slipped his hand into mine, quickly shooting up from the seat and tugging me away from the table.

I wasn’t sure if I wanted to plunge myself into the group of excited hockey players when my head was still spinning with Brad’s words.

“I bet if we beat these guys tonight, we’ll win tomorrow.”

I was already laughing at his enthusiasm. With one sentence he flipped the mood, but I didn’t know if that was a good thing.

“Lance, you’re so shit at pool, they’re going to slaughter you.”“Well! That’s never stopped me before, right?”