Page 32

hawke

. . .

The bus hits another pothole and Riggs groans next to me in the window seat.

He’s still sleeping, his ear pods in and mostly unconscious to the world.

I shift in my seat, glancing out the window, around my sleeping friend, again, anxious to be back.

It was our first away game since last week's home game where I publicly claimed Emmarys in front of everybody, and I just want to be close to her.

All week she’s made huge strides in being more comfortable with me touching her in public, to the point she even reached for my hand first when I brought her breakfast the other morning.

She also hasn’t been glancing around to see if anyone is watching us when I’ve kissed her between practices or when I meet her at the end of our days before going home to sleep.

It’s been perfect; the life I could have been having for the last two years if I hadn’t fucked up the night of her prom and left without being able to clarify with her what I wanted.

I could have been cuddling her around campus for years.

There’s been so much wasted time, and even though I can’t get it back, I’m determined to make the most of where we are now that I finally have her next to me.

Part of me thinks she keeps expecting me to quit taking care of her or to be gone one day, but I make sure I’m there. I’m always there no matter what.

With her own schedule and the height of her hockey season picking up, she can’t make it to my away games and I’m okay with it.

After the big win against our conference rival, we’re all riding high from the game, and for once it's hitting me.

I have a lot of extra adrenaline and energy to spend and I know exactly who I want to spend it on.

No one on the team will sway my opinion not to go out partying tonight.

For once I don’t have to put on the obligatory mask and mingle.

I just want Emma. I’ll even stay at her small, shitty apartment if she wants to as long as I get to hold her in my arms and sleep.

With the away game today, the team spent last night in a hotel room, and it drove me crazy knowing I wasn’t with her.

We talked before bed but nothing could stop the angry, twisted, obsession in my soul about having to see her, to feel her next to me.

I can’t be away from her. I almost ordered an Uber to drive me back, but Riggs stopped me on time, reminding me of the bigger picture, the long-term goal.

I want a future with Emmarys; I want to give her everything and live out my NFL dream with her by my side.

She’ll wear the diamond ring I buy her and when she’s ready to be done playing hockey, I’ll give her babies and the house with the pool, a garden and animals that she’s always wanted.

Just thinking of her glowing and growing our babies makes my dick twitch.

I muffle my groan and shift in my seat. It’s far off in the future because I know my girl has her own dreams to chase too, but when it does happen, when she’s begging me to give her a baby…

I can’t wait. I don’t know many twenty-two-year-olds who think this way, but I don’t give a fuck.

I’ve been gone for this girl for years and now I have the chance to indulge in my little obsession.

It's close to seven by the time our bus rolls back into the parking lot on campus.

I help the team haul our equipment to the locker rooms and throw my jersey in the wash pile.

Coach sits us all down for a pep-talk and lets us know that tomorrow's practice will be just conditioning, no scrimmaging.

There's a few grunts and cheers from the team and my lips twitch. When he goes on about our team effort in the victory, I feel multiple sets of eyes on me. The last three years, this team hasn’t won once against the team we played today.

This win today is because of what myself and Riggs are bringing to the table.

They know it. The coaches know it. The talent may have always been here, but now it's being tapped into and developed.

Someone who knows how to use that talent is helping shape the team.

I refuse to fail and the team is finally starting to understand how Texas won so many games the last few years.

By the time the meeting is over, I grab my keys, say goodbye to Riggs, and head for my truck still parked in the lot.

I just want to get to Emmarys. I want to eat, sleep and fuck and maybe not even in that order.

The need to just see her is above all else.

I round the corner and head down the stadium steps when I see him.

Jax Kellan is leaning against a bench, watching my approach.

My jaw clenches. Not since their break up have I seen the guy, not that I’ve cared.

Emmarys is mine just like she always has been.

Jax stands taller as I approach and I notice how tense he is, his hands clenched at his sides.

I also notice the desperation, the slivers of anger and resentment in his eyes.

Emmarys told me he was civil enough in their breakup, even understanding because he knew he fucked up.

The man in front of me, now, looks like he’s ready to battle.

My brow rises and I come to a stop with plenty of space between us. “You need something, Kellan?”

His face twists. “You’re going to ruin her life.”

Standing to my full height, I tilt my head to the side, contemplating him and his words. “How do you figure? She looks pretty damn happy to me. Pretty sure she told me it was me she missed when I Facetimed her last night.”

His jaw works and he glances away before bringing his haunted expression back to me.

“We both know you’re destined for the NFL.

You really think anyone is going to be kind to her along the way?

People won’t eat up this shit forever about how romantic it is that you jumped the fence to kiss her on national television. ”

“What do you know?” I grit out, thinking over his words.

He laughs, but it's joyless. His lips pull into a sneer. “The girls on the team talk. They’ve already been on her about me, you, how she’s a slut jumping from one man to the next.”

Before he can say more, I reach him, my fist grabbing the front of his jacket. “Call her a slut one more time. Give me a reason to knock your fucking face in.”

“Are you going to destroy everyone who does? Newsflash, QB, every chick who wants to ride your dick here to stardom has it out for her. Your team is barely hanging on waiting for your relationship to ruin your game. The media is a ticking time bomb and at the middle of it all is Emma, who will be the one to get hurt.” His eyes narrow and he tugs out of my hold the same time I push him away from me.

“When you’re done ruining her, I’ll still be here.

I’ll be the one picking up her broken pieces just like last time; only this time, I’ll be more prepared. And she’ll be mine again.”

His words and threats hammer inside my head, making my stomach clench and anger pound against my rib cage. I did not come this far to lose her. I only play to win and this time will be no different. Shaking my head, I lower my voice keeping my tone controlled, cold, deadly serious.

“She’ll never look at you again because you betrayed her.

You slept with someone else and ruined her trust. Even being out of her life for two years, not once did I sleep with another woman or even look at them.

She might have hated me, we were broken up, but not once did my dick get hard for anyone else.

Even if I let her go, even if she wanted to leave me, she would never again choose you, Jax.

Truth hurts. You had a chance. You blew it.

I won. Emmarys belongs to me now. And if you so much as try to scare her, talk to her, hell, even look at her, I’ll make sure you’re never able to stand on the ice again.

” It’s a threat, not at all subtle. I don’t play around though and especially not when it comes to Emma.

I see the way his posture is more wary, even while his expression is murderous.

“You’re a fucking psycho, Sheppard,” he growls before turning and prowling away toward the parking lot.

I watch as he leaves, anger simmering in my veins.

A few seconds later a car starts up and tires squeal out of the parking lot.

Once I can’t see the headlights of his car anymore, I continue on my way home.

The whole drive my hands clench on the wheel.

Hearing Emma’s exact fears echoed back from someone else angers me.

The fact that girls on her own team are catty bitches, and Emma didn’t say anything frustrates me further.

My apartment feels empty; she isn’t here because we never decided whose place we would stay at tonight.

The overwhelming urge to set her place on fire so she has no choice but to stay with me takes over.

It would be so easy, sneak in, find the security camera's blind spots, light a candle and tip it over…but I don’t.

I can’t give her any options to run from me or to get away.

I just need her here, forever. Sliding my phone out of my pocket I send her a quick text.

ME: I’m back. My place tonight?

I watch as she reads the message and then the little gray bubble dances. It takes her a while to type and my heart starts racing in my chest. Kidnapping her is starting to sound more and more like a good idea with how long her reply is taking.

MY SWEETS: I just got out of the shower. Let me blow dry my hair and then I’ll be over.

ME: I don’t care if your hair is wet. I miss you.

MY SWEETS: I miss you too. It will just take a couple minutes.

ME: Emmarys…

MY SWEETS: Hawke. You can wait ten minutes.