Clipped by Love (Bellevue Bullies #2) by Toni Aleo
He nods. “Have you talked to him?”
“No, why would I?” I ask, my nose wrinkling up. “Wait, have you?”
“No way, I’m with you. I think the only person who talks to him is Jace.”
“Which I don’t understand,” I deadpan, and he nods.
“I don’t either, but I let it go. He’s his own person,” he says then as I reach for my phone and shrug.
“I hope he doesn’t show up,” I say as I place the phone against my desk so I can tie my shoes.
“Yeah,” Jude agrees. “Is your girlie girl going?”
Grinning, I answer, “She’s on the team.”
“True, things still going good?”
“Great,” I inform him. “She’s really great.”
“Good, you seem really happy, Jayden. That’s good,” he says and I shrug.
“Right girl does that to you.”
“For sure. Does she know how you feel yet?”
Shaking my head, I stand up, shaking my leg out. “Nope.”
“Loser, just tell her.”
“No, I’m gonna let her do it first,” I decide, retucking my shirt. Turning to the phone, I ask, “How do I look?”
“Like a fucking pansy,” he teases with a grin.
“Aw, thanks, just what I wanted,” I say, laughing before reaching for the phone. “Okay, gotta go.”
“Have fun, and if Dad is there, ignore him, okay?”
I nod, my stomach turning from the mere thought of seeing him. “I’m gonna try.”
I just hope he ignores me.
When I show up, most of the team is already here. We were supposed to meet up five minutes before for a short meeting with Coach. I have bubble guts since I really don’t want to see my dad, but Jace has already confirmed that he’s supposed to show up. Not what I want, but instead of yelling at Jace like I was tempted to, I let it go. Taking a page from Baylor’s book, I decide not to let him have power over me. I am stronger because of him; I don’t need to worry.
But it’s hard to remember that as I walk in with Jace.
I tuck my hands into my pockets to keep them from shaking as Jace looks around and says, “I wonder where Baylor is.”
Looking over at him, my brow raised, I ask, “Why?”
“She’s bringing me my cuff links. I forgot them on my dresser,” he says, looking around for her.
“When did you talk to her?”
“In the car.”
“How?”
“You see there is a thing called a phone and you can text people and they can text back. It’s a superamazing invention,” he informs me like the little smartass he is. “What? Why are you looking at me like that? She’s my friend,” he says, making a face at me.
Glaring, I roll my eyes. “Whatever.”
“Jeez, Jay, why don’t you just put a sign on her that says MINE? Oh wait, she won’t let you,” he teases, and my glare deepens.
“Do you want me to kick your ass?”
“Not really, maybe afterward,” he says, and then he points to the left. “There she is.”
Looking at where he is pointing, I actually take a step back in utter shock, holding my chest to make sure I’m still breathing. Because the girl who is walking toward me is by far the most beautiful creature I’ve ever seen in my entire life. In a thigh-length, skintight, black lace dress, she walks nervously toward us in some very high black heels that sparkle in the light. Her dress is one-shouldered, with her other arm out for the world to see, and I love the way her shoulders look, so toned and defined. Her hair is down, straight, almost to her ass with some pulled up while her makeup is dramatic and eye-catching.
I said before that I don’t want to give anyone power over me, but Baylor, she has it.
She has it completely.
Sucking in a breath, I shake my head as she hands Jace his cuff links.
“You’re a lifesaver, thanks,” he says, putting them on. He then adds, “You look hot.”
Smiling shyly, she waves him off. “I look fucking stupid. I hate my hair, this dress is too short and too tight, my feet hurt, and I could kill Delanie for sending me all this shit.”
All I can do is grin.
“Yeah. Okay, psycho, learn how to take a compliment,” he says before walking away, shaking his head. I’m sure I heard him mutter that she was crazy, but all I can do is drink her in.
“What, stop,” she says, waving me off. “By the way, you’re stupid hot in a suit.”
Looking away, she runs her hands down her dress. And I can’t help it, I reach out and touch her jaw softly. “Baylor, you are…hell… Baby, you are a beautiful disaster.”
Her eyes soften, her annoyance fades away as a grin pulls at her glossy red lips. “I think I’m the only girl who would totally get that.”
“You’re the only girl I’d say it to,” I say as I take a step closer. “Honestly. I’m having a hard time breathing here.”
With her face turning a sweet pink color, she looks me deep in the eyes and says, “Um, well, thank you. I was sorta kinda hoping you’d like it.”
“I do,” I promise. “A whole bunch.”
As her lips turn up into a grin, she whispers, “I really want to kiss you.”
“Then do it,” I challenge, but she shakes her head.
“Everyone is here, and my dad is around here somewhere,” she says, looking around, but I can’t look anywhere but at her. She is so gorgeous. I love her like this, I do. But then I love her dressed in her equipment, ready to kick ass, and even when she’s in her jeans and a sweat shirt, ready for class. I love her no matter what, but my favorite is the tee and sweat pants. That’s when she is the most comfortable, and usually the time she gets naked for me.
The words are on my lips, ready to go, but then she bites into her lip before looking back at me. “There he is, come on.”
Turning, she walks like she’s been in heels her whole life and not on skates toward where the group is gathering around Coach. When I see the guys looking her over, my chest puffs out, and I wish I had that damn sign. I wish like hell she’d just let the world know. It didn’t bother me before, but as I watch my teammates check her out like she’s a single girl, anger eats at me from within. I dare anyone to touch her, I’ll kill them.
“Hey, Moore,” I hear McCarthy say then, and she looks over at him, her brows raised.
“Yeah?”
“You look fucking hot,” he whispers. “If you need someone to keep you warm—”
“I’ll get a jacket, thanks though,” she says, rolling her eyes, and I grin. She may not want the world to know we are together, but she is quick to turn down anyone who flirts with her. She’s mine. I know it, she knows it, so why do I care if everyone else knows?
“Okay, team, thanks for coming, and everyone looks very sharp. I’m proud,” he says, looking us all over. “Remember schmooze the hell out of these people. Explain why we need money for our trips and just have a good time. No drinking, though, but enjoy yourselves.”
After clapping his hands, we are dismissed, and as we walk away, Baylor falls into step with me. “I wish we could find a corner and hang out.”
“That would be ideal.”
“Eh, we only have to stay for a couple hours,” she says, letting out a breath. “Which I don’t know if I’ll last, my feet are crying.”
“I’ll rub them later,” I promise, tapping her thigh, and her lips curve.
“I’m holding you to that,” she says, pointing at me as we head to get some food. After piling our plates full of food, I watch as she smothers her plate with the mustard that she had to ask the waiter for.
“You know, I don’t think I’ve ever asked about the mustard thing,” I say as she drowns her food in it.
Looking over at me, she squirts the mustard from the container into her mouth before asking, “What mustard thing?” When I just look at her, she grins before shrugging. “I have no clue. I’ve loved it since I could remember. Dad says I used to drink it out of t
Making a face, I tell her, “I think I just gagged.”
But she isn’t gagging; her face is bright and happy as she devours her food while I sit there in amazement of her love for the yellow condiment. As much as we both don’t want to be here, soon we are having a good time. Being with her makes everything better, and thankfully, I haven’t seen my dad at all. As we talk to each of our benefactors, I find that Baylor is very good at schmoozing. This isn’t her first time doing this and everyone loves her. How could they not?
The night is going great. I feel like everyone we talk to is quick to donate. They are impressed with Baylor, her talent, and even more the fact that she is so personable, which is honestly mind-blowing. Baylor, personable? That’s like a happy fox. Have you ever seen a happy one? I sure haven’t.
When a tap comes to my shoulder, I fully expect to turn and see my dad, but instead, I find that it’s Jace behind me. “Can I talk to you real quick?”
Nodding my head, I lean in, pressing my hand to Baylor’s back. “I’ll be back.”
“Oh, okay,” she says with a small smile before carrying on about the game we just played a couple nights before.
I walk with him away from the conversation and ask, “What’s up?”
“Dad is here,” he says softly, and my stomach sinks, anxiety filling my chest.
“Okay?” I choke out.
“He wants to talk to you.”
“I don’t care,” I answer, tucking my hands in my pockets. “Tell him to go fuck himself.”
“See, I said that, and he’s insisting that I come and get you.”
“Why?”
“I don’t know, Jay. He said it’s about Mom, and he wants to speak to both of us about it,” he says, not meeting my gaze. “I was gonna just tell him to tell me, but then I kind of want you with me.”
As he looks up at me, his eyes are full of uneasiness and I don’t know what to do. No, I do know what I need to do, but I really don’t want to. But still, it’s my duty as his brother to be there for him, even when I don’t want to.
Nodding my head, I cup his shoulder and say, “Lead the way.”
“Thanks, Jay,” he says softly as we start to walk across the room, but I don’t say anything back as I prepare myself to face my dad for the first time in almost a year. When we reach my father, he has a beer in his hand as he talks with an older guy. Seeing us, he pauses and says, “These are my other two boys, Jayden and Jace.”
The older man smiles as he reaches for our hands. “Yes, I’ve seen you two play. Impressive.”
“Thank you,” Jace says, and I just nod.
“This is Bryan Fisher, the owner of the Nashville Assassins. Told him to come out for a good night and to get to know you guys,” my dad says, grinning at me, but I know what he is doing. He’s trying to blind me with a big hockey owner so that I’ll stay and talk. I don’t want to bite, but this could be my future. So I do what I have to. We talk to him, but I still ignore my dad. When he talks to me, I don’t answer, and I make sure he knows that I am only there to talk to Mr. Fisher. I find that he’s actually a really nice guy, which is surprising since my dad is such a dick.
“There is a girl on your team, yeah?”
“Yeah,” I say, meeting his gaze. “Baylor Moore.”
“River Moore is her dad?” he asks, and I nod.
“Yes, sir.”
“She’s something. I’ve seen her on YouTube. My niece, who’s also the co-owner of the Assassins, and I have actually discussed her. It’s a big risk taking on someone like her.”
I shrug. “I don’t see it as a risk since she is the best I’ve seen.”
His head cocks to the side. “Is that right?”
“Yes, sir,” I say confidently. “Her game is flawless, she’s always ten steps ahead of the competition, and she can take a hit like a full-grown man.”
He nods his head, looking out at the party. “Maybe I should go find her.”
“You should,” I say, turning to point her out. “She’s over there with Miller Raymond and Yuri Anderson.”
“Thanks, son,” he says, cupping my shoulder. “Good luck this year.”
“Thank you,” we both say as he walks away and I want to follow him, but then my dad is talking.
“Jayden, what are you doing? You’re supposed to talk to him not send him off,” he scolds me, but I look at him stone-faced.
“I explained my game, I sold it and Jace’s. There was nothing else I could say.”
“There is plenty. I just hope he doesn’t choose her over you.”
This is just like him, selfish, only caring about himself. He has tried to make me like that my whole life, and it drives me fucking insane. Remembering that he can’t control me, I shrug and say, “If that’s how the cards fall, then so be it.” He brings his gaze back to mine and glares as I ask, “Now what did you need to talk to me and Jace about Mom for?”
“Oh,” he says, taking a pull of his beer. “Where is she?”
Looking at Jace, since I’m pretty sure we were just played, I say, “She’s at home.”
“Didn’t want to come out?”
I shake my head. “Nope.”
“Hmm. Her loss,” he mutters with a shake of her head. “Probably knitting or something.”
“Or taking care of your granddaughter while your daughter works.”
He doesn’t say anything to that, almost ignores it as he says, “Well, anyway, I wanted to let you both know I donated twenty thousand to the team. I’m sure it can help out a lot.”
As he holds my gaze, a fire starts to burn in the pit of my belly. How dare he?
“Why?” I ask, and his brows go up.
“To help out.”
“Oh, really?”
“Yeah, Jayden Marshall, I want to help you guys succeed.”
Sucking in a breath through my nose, I shake my head. “It’s Mitchell.”
“Huh?”
“Jayden Mitchell is my name, and I’m sorry, but we don’t want anything from you,” I say as Jace’s eyes go wide, and I feel his gaze burning a hole in the side of my face.
“And why is that?”
“Because we don’t need it. And my thing is, if you have an extra twenty grand lying around, why don’t you give it to Mom so she doesn’t struggle?”
“She threw me out; she gets nothing,” he says simply, causing my nails to bite into my palms.
“Because you are a cheating bastard,” I say, my voice laced with anger. Jace starts to shake his head, his hand coming to rest against my arm, but I refuse to stop. “Why are you even here? Neither one of us wants you here.”
“Because you are my boys and I love you,” he says, his eyes staring into mine, but I shake my head.
“You’re a liar. We don’t matter to you. There is something more. Maybe you are trying to buy our love or sway us away from Mom, but I, for one, want nothing from you.”
“You’re overreacting. I’m just trying to do something nice for you,” he sneers, his eyes darkening to an almost black color. “And you’re throwing it in my face.”
“Because I don’t want it. I don’t want you. Anywhere near me. You are dead to me,” I yell then, letting my anger get the best of me.
“Jayden,” Jace says, squeezing my shoulder. “Calm down, buddy.”
“No, you’ve left all of us to clean up your mess. Claire paid the house off, all of us have been giving Mom money because she’s so in debt, and you just stand by and do nothing. But yet you have money to give to our hockey team! So fucking classic!”
He takes a step toward me, but Jace stands between us, his hand coming to Dad’s chest. “I am your father, you little shit, give me some respect.”
“No! You are nothing to me,” I sneer back. “So stay the hell away from me and mine.”
Turning on my heel, I fix my jacket before walking away, ignoring the unwanted stares. I feel like I’m about to come out of my skin, and
So why do I feel like utter shit?
“So do you think you could survive in the NHL?”
Grinning, I meet his gaze with my determined one. I don’t know how I got lucky enough to talk to Bryan Fisher, but I’m going to take advantage of my chance. “Don’t let the dress and heels fool you, I can hang with the best of them. You should come out and watch me play.”
Returning my grin, he nods. “Already planned on it. I was actually talking to the Sinclair brothers when Jayden suggested I talk to you. I’ve seen him play; he’s a dynamic player.”
“Best I’ve seen. His two-way game is on point, and his playmaking ability, no matter the situation, is awe-inspiring. I’ve been very lucky to play with him. He’s made me better.”
His grin grows. “He thinks very highly of you too. I’m very excited to see y’all play.”
The fact that Jayden was talking about me pleases me a little too much as I look up at Mr. Fisher. It makes me feel extraordinary, and while it’s weird to feel like that, I am glad Jayden thinks highly of me, because Lord knows I think the same of him. The past month has been amazing. When we aren’t dominating on the ice, we are together, and he is honestly my favorite part of my day. He makes me laugh all the time, and when he looks at me, I swear, I can’t even form a thought. He has been spectacular, and I know I’m falling for him.
Yeah, I know, scary shit. But the more time I spend with him, the more I know I’m reaching my nirvana. Of course, our unknown future scares me to the core. But for now, I’ll take what he is giving me, and I’ll hoard it in case later he’s gone. Just the memories we are making, I know I can’t live without. Like remembering how he likes to lick the tip of my nose when we are facing each other in bed seriously gives me chills. Or the way I love tucking my hands in his pockets. I don’t know what it is, but I just love touching him. It’s the little things that I seriously never want to let go of.
But still, I worry that we are on borrowed time. That at any moment something is gonna pull us apart. The thought really does scare me, and I know that’s what is keeping me from allowing myself to let go completely. I want to believe in the thought of complete nirvana, but it just seems so far out of reach. It almost seems like a fairy tale. A happily ever after that doesn’t happen for girls like me.