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Clay - Two Weeks Later

I sat between Dylan and Knox, quietly reading a book as the two of them talked over me. I’d spent the better part of the last hour listening to life things, baby things, wedding things, all things, and then Dylan brought up the subject we all knew Knox rarely wanted to talk about.

“Aurora mentioned that you guys have barely heard from Peyton since she returned to Vermont.”

“Yep, basically, we’ve heard nothing. Mom’s pissed. She wanted to get on the plane tonight and come with me, but I wasn’t having it. I told her I’d reach out to Peyton and invite her to the arena for the games and find out what the hell was going on.”

I swallowed hard. I’d never mentioned to Knox that I’d heard from Peyton the night I’d been at his place. I knew I should have, but I didn’t want to get in the middle of their feud, even though I’d kind of put myself there. If I’d told him, he’d wonder why she’d called me, and that would also open up all kinds of questions.

“Did she respond?” Dylan questioned.

“Nope, not a fucking word. I don’t even think she read the text.”

“What’s with her?” Dylan asked. “She wasn’t always like this.”

“I don’t fucking know. She only continues to lie, which only makes me wonder what else she’s trying to cover up. I know she messaged my mother and told her she’d paid the rent and bills with the money I’d given her, but she lied about that, too. Mom recently started getting notices from the utility companies, and then her asshole ex-boyfriend and landlord demanded she get the rent paid or he was changing the locks. I swear to god, if she spent it on drugs and shit, I’ll kill her.”

“Do you think it’s drugs?” Dylan asked.

“I don’t know what to think anymore. Mom doesn’t even really know what is going on with her, I don’t think.”

I knew exactly what it was. She’d told me about Tor stealing money from her. In the back of my mind, I knew there was no doubt he was behind all of this, especially after the call when she’d told me he’d been there. I’d even told her she needed to be away from him, figured it may sound different coming from someone other than her brother. Besides, after seeing the guy who’d been trying to pick her up that night in a bar, these were the men she attracted. She didn’t like them; I knew it, I could see it. Deep down inside, she wanted something better for herself, and I wanted to be that something for her, but I knew better. I’d already crossed a line I wasn’t sure I should ever cross again.

“Maybe she is in trouble? Perhaps she is afraid to come to you?” Dylan suggested.

“She should be afraid to come to me at this point,” Knox grumbled.

I slammed my book shut and looked over at him. That comment right there was the reason she refused to go to him, the reason she begged me that night not to mention anything to him, the reason she hung up on me and hadn’t responded to any of my messages since. She truly was afraid to go to him.

“Why the fuck would you say something like that?” I questioned every muscle in my neck and shoulders tight.

“Clay don’t get me started. You don’t know the half of it,” Knox grumbled.

“No, I should get you started. For someone who claims to be an amazing older brother, this proves otherwise.”

“Why the fuck would you say that to me? I’m not the enemy here. Do you have any idea how much fucking money I’ve given her to watch her almost not only throw away her education, then to steal in front of me and my mother because it was what her boyfriend Tor taught her, the same scumbag who got her thrown out of school because he doesn’t think an education is necessary. Then to watch her continue to lie to me again and again. The last time, right to my face when I asked her if she was done with him? The only reason I gave her the money this time to clear up rent and bills was because my mother wasn’t going back with her. I gave her one last chance and trusted her to do the right thing, and yet, here we are again…”

“Perhaps if you would take a minute and listen to what she has to say…”

“Don’t start that shit with me. I’ve given her chance after chance. She is literally killing my mother. It’s disgusting.”

“Like I said, maybe you should give her a chance to talk to you and explain….”

“Whose side are you on?” he questioned, glaring at me.

“Yours,” I said, swallowing hard.

“Then why the hell are you sticking up for her when you should side with me?”

Knox glared at me like he was looking right through me. I could see the questions in his eyes, the wonder why I was making him sound like the bad guy.

“Guys, calm the hell down,” Dylan said, punching me on the shoulder to pull my attention away from Knox and the situation.

“Fine,” I muttered, looking toward him.

“Do you think she’ll show at the arena?” Dylan asked. “Apparently, Aurora is having dinner with Lorelai and your mom tonight, and your mom has been asking,” Dylan said, looking at his phone and typing a response.

I watched Knox pull his phone from his pocket and shook his head.

“Lorelai didn’t message me,” he said, looking over at Dylan.

Dylan chuckled. “No, because she doesn’t want you to stress out, so she told Aurora to ask me to ask you. Guess it’s better if I stress you out,” Dylan said with a cocky smile. “You can take it out on me later on the ice.”

“Or, perhaps she is just another person who doesn’t feel she can come to you when she needs something,” I muttered under my breath.

Dylan lowered his phone and looked at me with an ‘are you serious right now’ look.

“What the fuck did you just say?” Knox said, looking at me his jaw tight.

“He said nothing,” Dylan intervened, trying to keep the peace between us.

“Stay out of it, Dylan. If Clay has something to say, he should say it. Perhaps he’d like Peyton to be his problem.”

I stood up, climbing over Dylan, and made my way to the back of the plane where Lucas sat with Colton and Levi and took a seat with them. Nothing good was going to come out of me saying another word to Knox, so it was best to remove myself from the situation altogether and keep my mouth shut.

The crowd roared as the buzzer went off. The puck had coasted by me, even though I’d tried to stop it, handing the game to the Ice Hawks.

“What the fuck was that, Clay?” Knox yelled as he threw his shit into his locker.

“Of course it makes logical sense to blame the goalie, but did you asses look at how you played tonight?” I yelled, throwing my jersey to the floor.

“How we played?” Colton questioned, turning to look at me. “What the fuck does that mean?”

“Yes, how you all played!”

“What the hell is that even supposed to mean?” Levi questioned. “We played like we always do, to win.”

“If that was playing to win, you all better walk off this team right now.”

“You are the only one who didn’t give it his all tonight,” Knox said, pulling his jersey off and dropping it to the floor. “Just like the last couple of games. Where the fuck has your head been?”

“Yeah, man, don’t go blaming everyone else on the team,” Dylan said, unlacing his skates.

“I’m not, but when we lose, we lose as a team, same with when we win, and there was not a single play on behalf of any one of you that says we were winners tonight!” I yelled.

The locker room door opened and in walked Thomkins. The entire room grew silent as he stood there staring at each one of us.

“I don’t want to hear another word out of this room. Get your shit off, shower up, and get to the bus. We leave for the hotel in fifteen minutes. All the better if you’d all rather wait to shower there. Tomorrow at ten we have the ice for three hours. We are going over every play we fucked up on tonight, so we don’t make this mistake tomorrow night.”

The entire room was silent as he turned around and left the room, and as soon as the door closed, Knox stood up.

“You got a problem with the way we played tonight, let us have it, ‘cause I sure as hell have a problem with the way you fucking played.”

“Evans, I said not another fucking word, and I meant it!” Thompkins shouted from the hallway. “If I hear you speak again, I’ll bench your ass tomorrow night.”

“Fuck you, Thompkins,” Knox muttered under his breath once the door closed, all the while glaring at me before he turned around to get changed, as did everyone else.

I kept to myself for the rest of the night. The guys headed to the restaurant for food once we got to the hotel, and even though Dylan said I should go, I declined. I wanted to be alone, so I went back to my room, took a hot shower, and watched a little TV.

There was no doubt about it. I was off my game tonight. Just like I’d been on the plane this morning listening to Knox talk about Peyton. His attitude irritated me. He was lucky to have her in his life. I’d lost my sister without warning. He did not know how that had felt, and the last thing I’d ever want for him would be to feel the pain I’d felt after losing my sister. That was why I felt it was important for him to hear her out. If she was in trouble, he should want to help her regardless of the things she’d done.

I flipped through the TV trying to find something on, and when I came up with nothing, I grabbed my sweatshirt, threw it over my head, and headed down to the bar.

It was a little after midnight; the bar was empty. All the guys were probably sound asleep by now, and while we weren’t supposed to drink the night before a game, but I grabbed a beer anyway and went and sat over in the corner. I needed to unwind if I was going to get any sleep tonight. I needed to clear my head and put all this behind me. Let it all go. Perhaps I needed the company of a lady tonight, and if I looked hard enough, I was certain there’d be some little puck bunny that would accompany me.

As if on command, I heard a sweet voice say my name.

Only I knew that voice all too well. Anticipation and excitement filled me, and I could feel my heart beating a little harder and faster as I glanced up to see Peyton standing there wearing a pink sweater that hugged her in all the right places and a pair of ripped jeans. She’d pulled her dirty-blonde hair back, leaving a few pieces to frame her face, and she wore a little makeup, just enough to highlight her best features.

“Nice to see you, Clay. Is it okay if I join you?”

I sat up and nodded toward the seat across from me. “Of course. Would you like anything? Beer, wine?” I questioned as the server stopped at the table, dropping off my last beer for the night.

“Ginger Ale?” she said, looking up at the server.

“Sure thing,” she said as she grabbed my empty bottle.

“When did you get here?” I questioned.

“Twenty-five minutes ago,” she answered, taking her jacket off.

“Talk with your brother?” I asked.

She shook her head. “No, and I’m not in the mood to talk about him, either. He told me there would be a room for me, and so I just checked in, figured I’d see him tomorrow. I’m sure he is plenty pissed off with me for not calling him or messaging him back, and after the drive, I just wanted to relax. I don’t feel like any drama.”

“It will be five sixty,” the server said, sliding the soda in front of Peyton, waiting for payment.

“Put it on my bill,” I answered, pulling my credit card from my wallet and handing it to the server as Peyton reached for her purse.

Peyton looked over at me, a tiny smile on her lips as she took a sip of the pop. “You didn’t have to, but thank you,” she whispered. “I’ve been dying for one of these, but I didn’t want to pull off the highway to get one.”

“So, what’s been going on with you?” I questioned. “Haven’t heard from you since the night you called sounding really upset.”

“Sorry. I wanted to message you, but…”

“But?”

“Never mind, I realized I never should have messaged you.”

“I don’t play games, Peyton,” I said, clearing my throat. “I told you, I’m a straight shooter, and when I said you could come to me, I meant it.”

“I know, but when you mentioned I should talk to my brother, I guess I was afraid you’d go tell him and I choked.”

“What happened?” I questioned.

She looked at me, worry clear in her eyes. Something had happened, and whatever it was, it hadn’t been good. I was sure it had to do with the money.

“I’m sure my brother has mentioned my lack of communication, and he more than likely thinks I spent his money on alcohol or drugs.”

“He mentioned something along those lines, yes.”

“That figures. He already thinks he knows. He never listens to me.”

“Do you blame him?” I asked.

Peyton looked up at me, her eyes lined with shock.

“Don’t look at me like that. I told you; I won’t sugarcoat shit.”

Her eyes locked with mine.

“Do you blame him?” I repeated.

She looked around the bar, looking everywhere but at me, and when she finally met my eyes, I could see they were glassy. “No, not really.”

“Why do you think that is?”

“My choices haven't been the greatest, I know that, and the lack of communication lately probably hasn’t helped.”

“That’s a start. Peyton, I’ll admit, I was shocked when you told me you weren’t done with Tor.”

“I am now. I see him for what he is. A cheater, a thief, a liar, an abuser, and I gave it a lot of thought. I don’t want that type of relationship anymore.”

“What changed your mind?”

She looked at me, sadness in her eyes. “That night with you,” she answered immediately. “I’ve replayed that entire night in my mind. I’ve never been with a man who blew my mind before. I’ve never been with someone I couldn’t stop thinking about, and I’ve never been with someone who could comfort me by just thinking about the time we spent together. That was what happened.”

I swallowed hard. That night hadn’t left my mind since it happened. She had literally been my highlight reel for the past few weeks. I hadn’t gone out. I hadn’t hung out after games aside from signing autographs, and I’d turned down many nights of company with some attractive woman, all because of that night. She hadn’t left my mind and was like an itch I couldn’t scratch, but now that she was sitting in front of me, she was all I wanted.

“So, what happened?”

“When I returned to the house, Tor showed up at the door. At first, I thought about not letting him in, but I changed my mind. I knew I needed to end things with him. So, I let him in. He found the money Knox had given to me to take care of things, and he took it. I tried to get it back from him, but he refused. That was when I ended things with him and kicked him out. Things got a little heated.”

“What do you mean, they got heated?” I questioned, feeling my muscles tighten. I swore, if he hit her, I’d drive down there tonight and put an end to him. “Did he put his…”

“No, he didn’t touch me. He probably would have, but he just raised his voice and tried to take control of things, but I wouldn’t let him. I stood up to him for the first time in my life.”

“No, you mean you stood up for yourself, there is a difference,” I said, watching her.

She nodded her head, meeting my eyes.

“You know, I think your brother would be proud of you.”

“You do?”

“I do. I am. You can do so much better, Peyton. You’re bright, beautiful…sexy as hell…”

"You think I’m beautiful?”

Her eyes meant mine, and I glanced away, downing the rest of the beer in the bottle. All I could think about when she looked at me was kissing those full lips agai,n and I knew if given the chance, I wouldn’t be able to say no.

“Yes, I do. I think you’re beautiful, and I also think it would be wise that we both say good night and go our separate ways,” I said, placing the bottle down on the table.

She slipped out of the booth at the same time as I did and led the way out of the bar to the elevator. Once inside, I pressed the button to the 12th floor and glanced at her.

“Thirteen,” she said.

The doors closed, and we both stood there looking forward. It was almost as if we were afraid to look at one another. I could feel the tension building in the small elevator as I looked up to see we’d only moved about three floors. I shifted my stance when I felt her hand slip into mine.

I looked over at her—first at her lips, then at her eyes. Want and desire screamed inside of me. Each second that passed I could feel myself growing weaker until, in one quick motion, I pulled her into my arms, kissing her hard.

The moment her lips touched mine, the ache that had been running through me quieted and everything that had been building inside of me felt at peace. When the elevator stopped at my floor, I didn’t think twice. I pulled her with me, leading her to my room.