Total pages in book: 87
Estimated words: 83908 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 420(@200wpm)___ 336(@250wpm)___ 280(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 83908 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 420(@200wpm)___ 336(@250wpm)___ 280(@300wpm)
When we arrive, I hand him his tip as he gives me my bag, and he says, “Sorry about that. My sister…she dealt with a similar kind of ex, so I’m sensitive to it. It was really hard on her. He put her through a lot, and she felt alone, but I shouldn’t have mentioned it.”
Then it’s me feeling guilt like a weighted blanket. Sometimes it’s easy to forget that I’m not the only one who’s dealt with someone like Malcolm, only mine was public. “It’s okay. Sorry if I came off short. It’s just…it was a bad experience.”
He nods. “No problem.”
“I hope your sister is okay.”
I head for the building, but I carry that conversation with me the rest of the day. As I’m working and meeting with the local manager of the Portland Rockwell, I’m thinking about his sister, and all the other people who’ve been through what we have—the Jilted Exes—and hoping they have the support I do with Rylan, Donovan, and Anthony.
We’re still in a meeting when I know it’s time for Rylan’s game, and I can’t help checking my phone every few minutes to see how he’s doing. They pull out a win, thankfully, but I’d been worried it would go into overtime. Fortunately, there was a penalty, which led to a power-play score for the Rebels, helping us squeak out a win by one goal and…us? Am I suddenly a sports guy? “Oh my God.”
“Excuse me?” asks Harold, who’s sitting beside me.
My face gets hot, and I shake my head, hoping they’ll ignore me and my random outburst in the middle of a meeting.
Despite our late damage-control meeting, I’m lucky enough to get settled in my room just in time for Rylan’s video call.
He gives me his big, contagious smile, before cocking his head slightly. “Where are you?”
“I had to fly to Portland. Rockwell stuff.”
“Oh. Is everything okay?”
“Yeah, it’ll be fine. I should be back before you’re home from traveling.” Look at us, sounding like a real couple…which reminds me that we are, and my head spins.
I’m lost in a Rylan-induced trance when I hear, “Hi, Hayes!” It makes my pulse jump and the phone slip from my hand as I sit up straighter on the bed. Who the hell was that?
I pick up the phone and see a man standing behind Rylan. Kason Maddox, goalie for the Rebels. What is he doing there? He’s never in the room when Rylan and I talk.
“Oh. Hi,” I say dumbly and then just stare at them.
He tugs the phone from Rylan’s grasp. “What are your intensions with my defenseman?”
“Um…”
“Do you promise to treat him right?”
“Yes…?”
“You don’t sound so sure about that. He’s smitten. Talks about you all the time. It’s really annoying.”
I perk up. Rylan talks about me all the time? I know he said he did with his parents, but I like the thought of being on his mind. Does that mean the whole team knows he’s dating me? Do they all know who I am?
“All right, that’s enough from you,” Rylan says, tackling him to the bed to retrieve his phone. They wrestle around like a couple of teenagers while I’m trying to slow my breathing and not freak out that I’m going to wake up the center of another internet viral story. Nausea swarms like bees in my gut.
“I’ll be back in a little while,” Mads says as Rylan’s face reappears on the screen.
“Hey. I miss you.”
“I miss you too,” I tell him as he sits on the bed. “Does Mads know who I am?”
He gives me a slow, confused nod. “Yeah. He knows you’re my boyfriend. Considering I’ve never had one before, he wanted to officially meet you. If you mean your past, yes to that too. I needed someone to talk to about it when I first found out.”
The bees are wreaking havoc inside me.
“Is that not okay?”
“No. Yes. I mean, it’s fine. It’s just…embarrassing. God, he must think I’m the world’s biggest loser and wonder what you’re doing with me.”
“What? No. He thinks Malcolm is the world’s biggest loser, and he would be correct. Baby, nothing Malcolm did is your fault.”
He’s right, I know that, but man, it’s hard to internalize. Malcolm really did a number on me, and I haven’t been able to get past it…don’t know how not to be embarrassed by it. “Does everyone else on your team know?”
“No. Just Mads. I wouldn’t betray your trust like that. I know you think it’s better to stay secret for now.”
“You don’t?” My heart pounds against my chest. I thought we were on the same page there.
“I do. That came out wrong. It’s smart to be quiet until the end of the season. After that, I’ll follow your lead.”
Follow my lead? First, swoon. Why is Rylan the best? But second, I can’t help feeling like that means if I’m not ready, I’m holding him back from something he wants to do. That’s not cool of me. It makes me a bit of a dick.