Page 66 of Reputation (Toronto Royals #1)

How could he? A piercing pain sliced through her heart.

How could he have told the team? He’d promised it could be their secret.

She had thought she could trust him—after everything they shared, how could Jax have betrayed her like this?

She thought he respected her. Like an idiot, she had begun to hope that he wasn’t like the other pro athletes she had known, that maybe he was different from what she had initially assumed.

She should have known, should have listened to that voice in her head that told her to stay away.

That part of her had always known things would end this way.

It turned out Jax was just like the rest of them.

Telling her what she wanted to hear to get her into bed, to satisfy his needs, then betraying her, just as Derek had.

Fury ripped through her, chasing the panic and nausea from her veins and lit her eyes with an intense fire that had nothing to do with desire.

No , she would not let this be a repeat of high school . She was not seventeen. She was different now—older, stronger . She would not run away and hide. She would not let herself be the talk of the team.

Squaring her shoulders, she turned to the doorway, ready to march down to the players’ floors and let her fury out, let her fire rage. He said he liked that side of her? Well, he was about to see just how dangerous her flames could be.

Before Eavie could take a step, Sam appeared in the doorway, the anger banking in the face of her boss. Ice coated her veins where the heat had been consuming her. Mandy looked at him, then at her. Eavie swallowed, knowing this was it. This was the moment she had feared.

“Eavie, can I speak with you for a moment?” Sam asked, pointing toward his office.

She nodded. “Of course,” she answered, smoothing her blouse with shaking hands. She turned terrified eyes on Mandy, who stood watching, unable to do anything.

She followed Sam into his office, closing the door behind her. She lowered herself into the chair across from his desk, perching herself on the edge. Back straight, she folded her hands in her lap to stop the tremors from making them twitch.

Sam sat behind his desk, resting his forearms on the dark surface. He regarded her behind his glasses with a look she couldn’t read. Staying quiet, Eavie waited for him to tell her she was fired.

“Is there something you want to tell me?” he asked her, breaking the silence. “A relationship you want to disclose?”

She almost laughed. Relationship? No, there was no relationship to disclose. What they had done had clearly meant nothing to Jax. She was just another woman to conquer and then release.

Swallowing the manic bubble in her throat, she shook her head, answering honestly. “No, there’s nothing to disclose. There can’t be, right? No inter-office relationships,” Eavie said with a weak smile.

Sam sat back now, still watching her. “Are you sure?” When she nodded, he continued. “You’re denying the rumors about you having a relationship with Jax Morghan.”

Just hearing his name sent a pang of hurt slicing through her chest. Her fingers turned to claws on her legs, biting into the flesh.

The pain reminded her of what was at stake, keeping her stoic and upright.

She would not cry . “Jax…” she stumbled over his name, the slight uptick almost giving away her emotions, “and I do not have a relationship.”

Sam was silent for a moment, considering. He sat forward again, folding his hands onto his desk. “Listen, if you tell me nothing’s going on, I’ll believe you.” She nodded, relief flooding her. “But,” he added, turning that relief to ice again, “If there was, I’m sure you know the policy.”

“I do,” she confirmed.

“And I’m sure you know why it’s there. To protect the organization and our players, but the other employees as well. It goes both ways. Regardless, we have a lot of great people working for us, and in an organization of this size, sometimes things happen.”

She looked at him, confused. What was he saying?

“Eavie, if there was something going on, all you have to do is disclose it and sign a CRA, and you would be free to…date.”

A CRA, or a consensual relationship agreement, protected the employees and organization if a couple ended things.

Surprised, Eavie tried to understand how she felt knowing that. It would solve the issue of her job, but it didn’t matter, not when he had broken her trust.

“So, just to make sure we are clear,” Sam said. “Is there anything you want to tell me?”

She looked out the window and into the rafters above the practice arena. He was handing her the answer to what, only yesterday, she had begun to believe could happen. Eavie thought she’d found someone who would help her heal. Someone she began to see a future with.

Now everything was burning around her, all because she’d ignored her own warnings. After this, she didn’t think they could go back.

Turning to look at her boss again, the words felt like razor blades in her throat as she spoke them. “No, there’s nothing I want to tell you. Jax and I are not in a relationship.”

Jax walked down the hallway of the player’s level, smiling. He couldn’t help it. He couldn’t stop thinking about her—his incredible, perfect Cinderella. It was so cheesy, but he really felt like Prince Charming.

The two days he’d been away, she was all he’d thought about. It was a miracle he’d been able to concentrate enough on hockey to play without making a mistake. Better yet, they had won both games.

The moment they’d landed back in the city, all he had wanted to do was find her, his insatiable need for her only brewing stronger while he was away.

Jax could still smell her lavender scent, even after showering following his early morning workout. It was as if her presence had embedded itself into his skin. He was walking on cloud nine. Nothing could destroy his mood today.

Heading toward the entrance to the auditorium, he looked up to see several players standing in a group outside the door. At his approach, they turned toward him and began clapping and whistling.

Confused, Jax’s steps faltered. “What’s that for?” he asked, glancing around the group of men, a few reaching out to pat him on the back as he passed by.

“Oh, just congrats on fucking the Ice Queen,” said Cole, using the nickname that had followed her from the Heirs.

Snapping his head to look at him, he asked, “What are you talking about?”

Casting him a shit-eating grin, Cole said, “You and Eavie. I saw you two last night in the parking garage. How long have you been banging her?” he asked, completely unaware of the murderous look on Jax’s face at the callous way he spoke about her.

Jax stared at Cole, the meaning of what he said penetrating the anger. “ Fuck ,” he said. “You saw us?”

“Yeah, as I was leaving yesterday, I saw you guys making out by your car. Well done, man. She’s so hot,” he said, clapping Jax on the back.

Turning away from the group, his feet propelled him toward the elevators, instinct taking over.

This wasn’t good. He had to get to Eavie before she found out—before anyone else found out.

Jax needed to explain that he hadn’t said anything.

He could only imagine what she’d think if she believed he had betrayed her like that.

He hoped she knew him well enough to trust he wouldn’t do that, especially after everything they had shared.

He only made it two steps before Brooks blocked his path. “Where are you going? The meeting is about to start, and you’ll be benched if you’re late.”

Jax stopped in his tracks, his mouth opening to say he didn’t give a fuck about being benched.

Eavie was a hundred times more important, but he snapped it shut when he considered that the media would latch on to the news of him missing a game.

With all the negative press he was getting, he had no doubt they would turn it into something dramatic.

If they caught wind that he’d been dating someone from the Royals organization, he could only imagine the things they would say. They would shred her reputation apart.

Torn, Jax only had two choices. Blow off the meeting to find her, get benched and risk the media shitstorm, or go to the meeting and know his only chance at being able to hold on to her would be shattered.

Ultimately, it wasn’t a choice. The aftermath of a media frenzy would be far worse than not going to her. He still had a small hope of being able to explain what had happened and how he had chosen to protect her over finding her right now. Pathetically, he held out hope she would listen.

Reluctantly, Jax followed Brooks through the door and into the auditorium, sitting heavy and defeated in his chair. Staring at the clock, he hoped the meeting would be quick. He could spend his short break before flexibility hunting her down.

Just as they were about to start, the door at the top of the stairs opened.

Jason and Sam entered, walking down the steps toward their usual seats.

Behind them, Mandy held the door open, pausing as she looked at someone on the other side.

Jax’s heart began to hammer in his chest. Finally, after five beats of his erratic pulse, Eavie—his gorgeous, perfect Cinderella—stepped through the door, Mandy by her side.

Her eyes were down, but he could see her jaw was clamped in anger. Mandy flicked her eyes over to him, and what he saw made his heart sink.

He leaned forward as Eavie passed by him. When she was only a foot away, he whispered, “Eavie” as softly as he could, hoping to soothe the tightness he saw in her posture. He needed her to know that he was coming to find her, that everything would be okay.

Her gaze shot to him when he called to her, and the shards of ice that shot from her pure blue irises buried themselves straight in his heart.

He closed his eyes as the pain laced through his chest. With that one look, he knew it was over.