Page 69 of Reputation (Toronto Royals #1)

Chapter Thirty Nine

Jax

Eight days.

Eight excruciating, infuriating days. The woman was like a bloody ghost—there one minute, gone the next, and always just out of reach.

Whenever he saw her beautiful, elegant face, it was like a blow to his stomach, and when he heard her voice or laugh echoing from a room, it was like a double-edged sword through his chest.

Jax refused to believe those nights were all they would get—refused to entertain the idea that they would never be together. He knew he wasn’t ready to let her go, but he hadn’t managed a single opportunity to talk to her in the last week.

For the past eight days, he’d tried to find her, to get even a minute alone with her, but she was always moving away from him—into a room, around the corner, out the door.

Desperate after all his calls and texts to her went unanswered, he spent hours every day finding plausible reasons to visit her office, not wanting to seem too obvious so the whispers wouldn’t start again.

When he could find one, Eavie was either not there or on the phone, making it impossible to speak with her.

At a loss for what to do, Jax found himself wandering through the darkened corridors of the aquarium, the lapping water above the glass walls cast the area in a gloom that matched his mood.

Normally, the aquarium was somewhere he could go to think, to sort through whatever was on his mind.

He guessed that’s how he found himself standing in front of the jellyfish tank, eyes distant as the array of colorful tentacles danced through the water.

Brooding, he wandered over to the next room containing floor-to-ceiling windows that looked into the stingray tank. He stared at the creatures swimming by. As he watched, he attempted to sort through the dumpster fire that had engulfed his relationship with Eavie so quickly.

The look she’d shot him that day after everything began burned around them caused a dull ache to etch itself in his chest. The entire week, all he’d thought about was her.

Her beautiful, intelligent eyes, the perfect shape of her mouth.

She’d looked gorgeous at every moment of every day, utterly stunning in every manner. She was always perfect.

Taking in a deep breath, he wandered through the cylindrical tunnel where sharks swam overhead. Jax cursed himself again for screwing this up so badly. He should have taken more care that night and checked the garage before kissing her as he had.

That was the problem, though. He hadn’t been thinking straight—too consumed with her, missing her and being too impatient to wait until they had made it to her place to resist kissing her, tasting her sweet and spicy flavor.

And now, she was gone just as quickly as he’d had her.

The ache in his chest sharpened until it was a piercing stab that pulsed with each heartbeat.

Jax rubbed the heel of his hand against it, trying to ease the sharp jabs.

He had never felt a sensation like this before and couldn’t figure out what was causing it.

He was disappointed with what had happened with Eavie, and frustrated he hadn’t been able to explain. With each new discovery of her over the last few weeks, he’d grown to care for her—a lot.

She was intelligent and interesting, easy to talk to.

Beautiful, with the most perfect figure he had ever seen or touched, but she wasn’t thin.

She was fit, her body outlined with muscle as a testament to the care she put into keeping herself strong.

He had been salivating at the chance to touch her, be with her.

Then, all he wanted to do was spend time with her, talk to her, and get to know her better.

He’d wanted to take her on a proper date, dammit.

Thinking about her turned the ache in his chest into a burn. Not like one from drinking liquor. No, this burn was something more. It was stronger, heavier—more consuming.

He had never had this kind of reaction to a woman before. Granted, it had been a long time since he had been dumped by one, not since his fiancée had left him. He was usually the one to break things off.

Jax stood in the center of a room called The Gallery , where an array of sea creatures floated between the living coral. As his mind pondered all these new feelings, a thought came to him.

Was it possible that, somewhere along the way, he had fallen in love with her?

Frowning at his reflection in the glass, he dismissed the idea.

Of course he hadn’t fallen in love with her.

Sure, he enjoyed her company and liked being around her.

He cared about her, and their chemistry was off the charts.

But love? Jax hadn’t been in love in years, and it had never felt like this.

After his engagement, he’d never felt anything close to the emotion again.

It had been as if that part of his heart had ceased to exist.

Until her.

He swallowed, throat thickening. Eavie had restarted the cold, empty planes of his affections, forcing her way into his heart and shocking it with the electricity of their connection until it began a slow, steady beat.

Shit, he had fallen in love with her.

Jax blinked as the idea that he loved her spread through him, filling the dark corners of his previously empty heart.

The idea no longer scared him or sent a pang of regret through him, as it had for the last two years.

He heard the words he’d spoken to her at the bar in Vegas echo through his head.

Maybe one day, with the right woman, it will work.

Her —Eavie was the right woman.

He loved her. And he had to win her back.

Jax had no idea where their relationship would go, but he knew, for the first time in two years, he wanted more. If he could get her to listen and get the chance to tell her how he felt, he might have a shot at winning her back.

The next day, determination fueled him. Jax was on a mission to find her, explain what had happened, and remind her that her trust in him was not misplaced.

He would make Eavie hear him and beg her to give them another chance, giving her the golden ticket to an opportunity to start over.

Most importantly, he would tell her he loved her.

After speaking with Molly, he knew that if he could get Eavie to listen, they wouldn’t have to hide their relationship.

Jax thought Molly was the safest person to ask, so he explained what he was after.

If he could get Eavie to hear him out, the last thing standing in their way was her job.

He understood how important it was to her and that her future was also on the line.

Because of that, he had to make sure he had a game plan.

Luckily, Molly had given him his last hope, confirming they could sign a CRA and have a disclosed relationship.

Heading up to the twelfth floor, Jax walked as casually as possible down the hallway, heart hammering, as he approached Eavie’s office. Stopping just outside her door, he wasn’t surprised that the room was vacant, but then, he hadn’t expected her to be there.

Luckily, the person he had come to see was sitting at her desk, back perfectly straight, regarding him with narrowed eyes.

Flashing his most charming smile, he turned and walked into Mandy’s office. “Good morning. You look nice today. Did you change your hair?” he asked, trying his best to charm her.

Mandy regarded him coolly, raising one perfect eyebrow at his sugary words. Jax continued to smile at her as he approached the desk where she sat.

Finally, she broke the silence. “What do you want, Jax?”

“I just need a little information.”

“Don’t even think about asking me about her. She doesn’t want to talk to you, and she’s my friend. The gossip has finally dissipated, and it’s best to leave sleeping dogs lie.”

Shaking his head, his smile slipped slightly.

“I can’t do that. I have to talk to her.

I need a chance to explain what happened.

” Watching Mandy shake her head, he continued, “I just need to know when she has five free minutes where she can’t run away from me.

Come on, Mandy, you’ve known me for two years.

You know I didn’t tell anyone. It was the only thing Eavie asked of me, and I kept my promise.

I know how gossip spreads here. I would never do something like this, let alone to a woman I greatly respect,” he finished, staring pleadingly into her eyes.

He didn’t want to tell her about how he felt.

He wanted Eavie to be the first to know.

Mandy was the key to his plans to talk to her. He knew that if he could convince her to help him, he would have a shot at getting Eavie to listen to what he had to say.

Mandy regarded him for a long time. Jax watched her eyes scan his face, trying to determine whether she believed him. Whatever she saw must have convinced her when, after what felt like an eternity, she let out a long sigh.

“She’s going to a charity event at Wilson Hospital tomorrow evening. She’s leaving at six-thirty and will be walking there. You can catch her at the front doors as she’s leaving. Do not be late. Eavie is always on time, and I won’t help you with another chance.”

“Thank you,” he said, a massive smile on his face.

Shaking her head, Mandy smiled back. “Don’t make me regret telling you.”

“You’re an angel, Mandy. Truly. I owe you big,” he said as he backed out of her office.

“I’ll remember that!” she called after him. Jax could hear her laughter follow him as he turned and made his way back down the hallway.

He would have his chance tomorrow and vowed nothing would get in his way. Now, he just had to figure out what he would say to her. He knew she would try to get away as fast as possible, so he had to make every moment he had her trapped count.