Total pages in book: 129
Estimated words: 121764 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 609(@200wpm)___ 487(@250wpm)___ 406(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 121764 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 609(@200wpm)___ 487(@250wpm)___ 406(@300wpm)
I was alone.
I’d experienced this exact scenario more times than I could count — being dropped off at an airport with my next destination unknown. And yet, out of all those times, this was the first one where I felt lonely.
Or maybe, it was just the first time I admitted it to myself.
I stood there for a long pause before taking my phone out with shaky hands. Pulling up Jaxson’s contact, I stared at our most recent texts, the jokes and the emojis, the texts we’d sent to find each other when we’d been separated at the festival.
Swallowing past the lump in my throat took more effort than I could manage.
Me: Coast is clear.
I waited for the dots to start bouncing, for a message to pop up and tell me he was on his way.
But nothing came.
It had been scorching hot all day long, sweat sticking to my skin even though I wore shorts and a spaghetti strap crop top. But now, a shiver rolled over me as I sat on the curb by my suitcase, hugging my knees to my chest.
He’s not coming.
I felt that with absolution the longer I went without a reply, but I couldn’t find it in me to make my next move. I had my luggage. I could easily get a rental car inside the terminal. I could get a hotel for the night. Hell, I could just get a ticket on the first plane out of here.
But I didn’t want to do any of that.
Nearly half an hour passed, my heart sinking further as car after car drove right past where I was seated on the curb.
Just when I was ready to give up, to peel myself off that sidewalk and figure out what came next, a black G-Wagon pulled to a stop right in front of me.
My heart caught in my throat, and I jumped to my feet, lighting up at the sight of Jaxson crawling out of the driver’s seat.
But he didn’t say a word to ease my worry.
Instead, he heaved my suitcase into the back and then opened the passenger side door for me, shutting it softly once I was safely inside.
His jaw was set, his shoulders so tight it looked like they were attached to his ears as he rounded the car and slid into the driver’s seat.
I didn’t know if we were continuing the road trip, or if he was taking me somewhere to break my heart.
But the fact that he already had that power was all I could think about as the headlights blew by in a blur.
Too Damn Bad
Jaxson
“You’ve got to be fucking kidding me.”
I grumbled the words under my breath, but it must have been loud enough for both the women near me to hear. The one behind the desk swallowed uncomfortably, keeping her eyes on her computer screen.
And the one next to me stiffened like I’d hit her.
Everything had me on edge — last night, the talk with Will, the call from my dad. This state of agitation was one I was used to during the season. But during the season, I had ice to take this energy out on. I could skate. I could hit a puck, hit a fucking grown man if I felt like it. It was why I went out after every game, too — win or lose.
Because if I didn’t do something with this energy, it would eat me alive.
I pinched my eyes shut, forcing a calm breath before I managed somewhat of a smile that I aimed at the receptionist. “We’ll take it,” I said, referring to the only room they had left.
The one with a single queen bed and no pullout couch.
I was too damn tired to keep driving any farther tonight, and we had found a small town that I was pretty sure only existed because a highway ran through it.
I was also anxious to talk to Grace, especially since she hadn't opened her mouth once to speak to me since I picked her up. She just sat with that goddamned fake smile plastered across her face, staring out the window, like she couldn’t sense that something was off.
Which I knew was bullshit.
Then again, I hadn’t said a word either — mostly because I didn’t know where to start, or what to say, or what I fucking wanted.
Half of me felt pulled in the direction of obligation to, and respect for, my teammates.
The other, stronger half only felt pulled to her.
“Do you at least have a rollaway? A cot?” I asked. Having a room with only one bed certainly wasn’t going to help me in my attempts to keep my hands to myself. And that was what I needed to do. I needed to back us up into friend territory.
Even as I thought it, I internally laughed at it actually happening.