Chapter 14
Jaxon
I stand in front of the mirror taking myself in. I’m an absolute mess of nerves. My hands shake, I’m all fidgety and my heart is threatening to beat right out of my chest. I take a deep breath, hold it in and then blow it out, the same way I do right before a big game.
I check my suit in the mirror once again and grab the little box off the vanity as I double check that I’ve done everything, after all, I want to make a good impression. I’ve shaved, remembered deodorant and even shined my damn shoes.
Shit, it’s either now or never, I’d never be able to scrounge up the nerves to do this again. I fire off a quick message to Cass just to double check she won’t be home.
I put the little velvet box in my pocket and rush down the stairs before I have the chance to back out. I head out through the front door without a backward glance in the direction of my parents who call after me, wondering what the hell is going on.
I consider cutting through the fence to next door but I want to do this right. I walk the whole way up the driveway, cross to the next property and back down to the house before climbing the stairs and hitting the doorbell.
I wait for a short moment before the door is answered by Cass’s dad, Brad Waters. “Mr. Waters,” I greet with a nod and a smile.
He stands before me in silence as he takes in my attire. “Shit,” he sighs, skipping over the fact that I addressed him formally, which I haven’t done since he ratted me out about it when I was twelve. “Either someone died or you’re here for something else and to be honest I’m kind of hoping you’re on your way to a funeral.”
“No, sir,” I say, “No funerals in my immediate future.”
“Hmm,” he grunts. “There’s about to be.”
With a grin, I ignore his quip. “May, I come in?”
He steps out of the way to allow me to pass. “Don’t know why you don’t just sneak through Cassie’s window like you usually do.” My eyes go as wide as saucers. Shit, I didn’t realise he knew. What the hell was I thinking coming here? He is going to chew me out for sure. “Relax kid, if we had a problem with it we would have said something when it started 4 years ago.”
Hmm, I don’t know what to think about that but I take it in stride and follow him into the house. He leads me through the kitchen and grabs a beer before passing one to me. We walk into the good lounge and he offers me a seat. I take it gingerly and wait till he is comfortable before getting started.
“Wait,” he cuts in, holding up a hand with a gleam in his eyes. He gets up and steps out the open door before hollering up the stairs, “Boys, get your asses down here. Young Jaxon has something he'd like to discuss with us.”
Oh shit. I’m fucked.
Brad walks back into the room and sits silently before me, watching me freak out as we wait for Cassie’s older brothers to come down.
Each of them enters with a smirk before taking me in and changing their smirks to a scowl. “Fuck me,” Carter says as the boys flank their father and turn on me.
“Alright, kid,” Brad says. “Now we’re ready.”
I let out a shaky breath before getting to my feet and pulling the box out of my pocket. I open it up to reveal a silver engagement ring and place it down on the coffee table between us.
“Well,” Brad says, ripping his eyes off the ring to focus back on me. “I’m honoured but you’re really not my type, besides, I’m not sure my wife would approve of me getting a boy toy.”
The boys’ chuckle at his response and it’s deathly clear where they all get their humor from.
“Sir,” I say, looking him in the eye. “I have known Cassie since the day I moved in next door and knew I wanted to be with her since the very next day. As you know, next year we are heading to college and will be living together. So, I’m coming to you today to make you aware of my intentions. I am not some kid who is messing around with her or would ever hurt her. Cassie is it for me and it’s important that I let you know that.”
Brad slightly raises his chin to me with respect and I continue. I eye the boys before focusing back on her father, so they know they are included when I ask this question. “Sir, I would like your blessing to propose to your daughter.”
He takes a deep breath and wipes a hand down his face. The boys give each other knowing glances but I focus my attention on Brad. He slowly rises from his seat and makes his way over to me before holding his hand out. I reach to shake his hand but he pulls me into a hug. “Son, I have known for years that your intention was to marry my Cass and you have both mine and Cathy’s support.”
“Thank you,” I say as he releases me.
“My only concern is your age, you’re just a kid, Hell, Cass is just a kid too. I know your relationship is heading that way but there is no rush.”
“I think what Dad here is trying to say is that Cass would have a fit and kick your ass if you asked her now,” Sean supplies.
“Yeah, I know,” I tell him. “My plan is to wait a little while first, I just wanted you to know my intentions before we moved in together.”
“Thanks, son,” Brad says, with a big cheesy grin on his face and pride in his eyes. “Welcome to the family, Jaxon.”
“With all due respect, I feel like I’ve been a part of the family since I was a kid,” I tell him honestly.
“Shit,” Logan laughs, “Looks like the old man is about to cry of happiness.”
I wake with a start and it takes me a moment to realise where the hell I am. I’m in Cassie’s bed, the morning after the wedding and I have to admit, it was a bit eerie dreaming about the day I asked for Brad’s blessing to marry his daughter right after I’ve been to his son’s wedding and the girl in question was sleeping in my arms.
Maybe it’s just being in this house again or maybe it’s just Cass but I’m starting to think and feel things I haven’t felt in a long time.
Desperately needing to clear my head I get up out of bed and head downstairs for breakfast. The place is a mess but not a soul is awake, well apart from the clean-up crew who are running around the place like headless chooks. I know Cass and the boys won’t be up for hours so I fix myself a bowl of cereal and head into the media room and catch up on the last game.
It’s an hour later when I decide it’s probably time to head back to campus. I go back up to Cassie’s room and give her a kiss on the forehead. “I have to go,” I tell her. “We’ll talk when you get back to campus.”
With that, I grab my things and my filled hockey bag of shit that I stole from my parents’ house and head downstairs. I throw the bag in the back of my truck but spy Cassie’s car a few down from mine and an idea hits me.
I skip back up the stairs two at a time and break into her old recording room and start dismantling as much of the important stuff as possible. I take it down, bit by bit and load it into the back of my truck. I can’t resist but to go back to her room and give her another kiss before leaving. She mumbles a goodbye and snuggles deeper into her bed, I gently close the door and climb into my truck.
It’s nearly nightfall when I wake on the couch. Shit, I’d gotten home and headed to the gym with Bobby. I immediately collapsed on the couch and fell asleep assuming Cass wouldn’t be back on campus until late afternoon, she would have stayed in bed all day.
I had a lot to think about with Cass after everything that had happened at the wedding so I did what I do best and worked it all out at the gym and absolutely killed myself.
Bobby had taken one look at me, smirked and said, “Looks good on you.” I gave him a blank stare denying that I knew what he was talking about but it is pretty damn obvious. I have Cass back in my life, in a strange, not really together kind of way and for the first time in years, I’m starting to feel settled within myself. I’ve not been as grouchy or dying for the party lifestyle like my reputation suggests I would. I haven’t chased after any chicks or acknowledged them when they attempt to climb all over me, I just don’t feel the need anymore, there is no longer a void that needs filling.
For the first time in a long time. I feel like myself and clearly, Bobby has noticed.
“So,” I hear Bobby say and realise he is sitting on the opposite couch watching ESPN when he could be doing that at his own place. “Ready to talk about it yet?”
I send a scowl his way as I sit up on the couch. “Don’t know what you’re talking about.”
He nods towards a cold beer on the coffee table and I reach forward and take a sip. My stomach instantly clenches as it attempts to reject taking any more alcohol into my body. I place it back down with a cringe. “Quit pussy-footing around,” Bobby says. “How was the wedding?”
“Good,” I grunt, not offering much more than that. He gives me a pointed look and I let out a resigned sigh. “Fine,” I say, telling him what he really wants to know. “Cass and I talked and sorted some shit out.”
“And?” he prompts.
“And I don’t know. She still wants to be with me but I’m not sure I can trust her not to up and leave again,” I tell him. “I can’t go through that shit again. Why do you think I’ve avoided this shit with chicks?”
“Honestly, dude, I think you’ve avoided it because you’ve been holding onto hope that Cass would come home, or at least waiting for someone who could even resemble the kind of person Cass is,” he says, “Though, you never would have discovered anyone like that because you don’t give any of them the time of day.”
“Seriously? The kind of chicks I’ve been with are not really the type of women who are interested in a relationship, they’re after the bragging rights which I was more than happy to give them.”
“And what about now?” he asks.
“Now?” I repeat with a sigh, “Now the thought of being with another woman makes me feel sick like I’m betraying Cass in some kind of way. It’s ridiculous though because we’re not even together.”
“It’s not ridiculous,” Bobby says channeling his inner Dr. Phil. “You’re in love with her and you know as well as I do that if you were to be with someone else it would hurt her. It only makes sense for you to want to protect her from that.”
“Yeah, I guess but doesn’t change the fact that she’s the only one I want in my bed. I just have to make sure I can trust her now.”
“Holy shit, Jaxon Payne has seen the light,” Bobby says as dramatically as possible. “I never thought I’d see the day.”
“Shut up, man,” I say, grabbing the cushion off the couch and launching it at him.
He catches the cushion with lighting fast reflexes, which I must admit is one of the reasons he makes such a great hockey player. “You going to head over and talk with her?” he asks, “Because if you are I may as well head over and steal their food. I’m fucking starving.”
I think it over for a moment before shaking my head. “Nah, man. She probably isn’t back from her place yet. She most likely stayed to help clean up a bit and from what I know of her, she probably needs a bit of space to sort through everything that happened last night.”
“Yeah, ok. In that case, I better go and scrounge up my own dinner,” Bobby says.
With a lift of my chin, Bobby heads out the door. I get up off the couch and find myself some dinner before settling back into the couch and watching the game.
I wake on Monday morning and I just know this is going to be a good week, all the pieces of my scrambled puzzle are finally falling back into place. There are only a few pieces left for me to work out.
I rush out the door to meet the boys for our morning run and we instantly get into it. I lead the pack with Bobby by my side and the rest of the boys following us up.
A smirk plays on my lips as two petite brunettes come jogging on the opposite side of the road. Bobby and I recognise them instantly but they are too lost in their chatter to realise anyone is around.
Bri notices us first and nods with her chin towards us. Cass looks up and instantly zero’s her eyes in on me. I jog across the road and the boys follow behind so that we are heading straight for them. A playful smile comes over Cassie’s lips and I know within just a few moments that smile will be gone.
I adjust myself on the path so that I am running right in her way and stare her down. Heat rises in her cheeks and I know she is thinking about the other night. She sucks her bottom lip into her mouth and begins biting on it making me want to pin her up against a tree and fuck her right here not caring who the hell is watching.
I push the thought from my head or I’ll never be able to concentrate on the rest of my training session. The closer we get the more evil my smirk becomes, she instantly releases her lip from her teeth and the flirty look in her eyes disappears. She starts shaking her head but it’s too late, we’re right on top of them now.
She tries to sidestep me but I can read her like a map. I bend low and wrap my arms around her legs as our bodies crash together. She lets out a squeal but before she even knows what is happening, she is thrown over my shoulder as I continue my run.
Bri turns and runs with us while Cass kicks and pounds on my back, begging to be released. I can’t help but laugh as I smack her on the ass. “Would you put me down, you big jerk?”
My laugh completely takes over me and I have no choice but to stop and put her down before I hurt us both. I place her back on her feet and she narrows her eyes at me in annoyance. I step into her personal space and stare down at her and the annoyance instantly disappears from her eyes and is replaced with need and heat.
She leaves her stubborn little fists on her hips as I lean into her and kiss her deeply before releasing her and sending her a flirty wink. “Gotta go, babe,” I say, taking off with the boys and leaving both Cass and Bri staring after me dumbfounded.
A chuckle from beside me has me glancing over at Bobby. “Fuck man, you got it bad.”
With a roll of my eyes, my fist comes shooting out as I nail him in the shoulder, completely throwing him off the path.
The rest of the day fly’s by and before I know it, I’m finishing up my on-ice hockey training session and Coach is hollering across the ice for me to join him in his office.
I step off the ice and make my way to Coach’s office as quickly as possible as I have got myself some plans for tonight. “What’s up, Boss?” I ask, flopping down into his chair, though with all my hockey gear on, it’s not as easy as it sounds.
“Just checking your head is in the game,” he says with an accusing tone.
I’m instantly on edge, “It is,” I demand, “All my games have been spot on, I haven’t missed a beat.”
“Chill out, kid,” he says with a grin. “You’re right, your games have been flawless, your training session with the boys are fantastic and your dedication to your role as Captain is commendable.”
“Huh?” I grunt, completely confused.
“What I am saying is that anything hockey related is near perfect but don’t act like I don’t notice you boys, once you step off my ice. Your head is a mess.” He accuses.
“Nah,” I deny. “I’m all good.”
He gives me an annoyed look and gets straight into it. “You’re running three times as much as the others, you’ve logged a shit load of hours in the gym, you’ve stopped your wild partying and the moment you step off the ice, you sink away into your own head,” he says, “Now, I know I may be getting old but fuck me, Jax, I can see when something else is going on. Now, you have three seconds to tell me or you’ll be on during the next figure skating session doing your drills.”
Damn it.
With a sigh, I look up at coach. “There’s a girl.”
“Oh, shit,” Coach groans.
“Yeah, my thoughts exactly,” I say. “She’s kind of the girl I’ve been in love with since I was twelve.”
“What?” he grunts in shock then immediately starts choking on his own breath.
“We were together for six years before she up and left for New York without a goodbye and now she’s back,” I explain.
“I’m not seeing your problem,” he tells me. “It was years ago.”
“Yeah, well I keep accidentally falling into her bed.”
“Right,” he says with an understanding nod of his head. “The way I see it is you both have some unresolved issues and you need to sort it out before you run yourself into the ground.”
“Agreed,” I say.
“Good, now get out of here,” I get up from my chair and turn to leave but he stops me in the doorway. “Jax,” he says with a more serious tone in his voice. “If your still in-love with this girl after years of being apart, then I dare say she is the one for you. You’d be a fool to mess that up.”
“How do I trust that she won’t leave again?” I ask.
“Faith, Jaxon,” he says. “You know as well as I do that trust is earned not given. Maybe she just needs the chance to earn your trust back.”
With that, he gives me one final nod and turns his eyes down to the paperwork on his desk before excusing me from the room.
I head back down to the locker room to change, with my mind once again in a rush of thoughts but one thing is right. If I’m still in-love with Cass after so long then maybe she is the one and maybe I have been messing around. I just need to forgive her already but then again, how the hell can I be sure she won’t leave again. I don’t think I could bear to be left by her again, it was horrible the first time, another go of it might just kill me.
I find Bobby in the locker room and sit down beside him to take my skates off. “All good, man?” he asks, referring to my meeting with Coach.
“Yeah,” I grunt. “He just wanted to bust my balls a little,” I explain, kicking off my skates and stripping out of my training gear.
“Heading home?” he asks as he stands and picks up his hockey gear.
“Nope,” I say with an unintentional grin.
He shakes his head and heads for the doors with a goodbye to the rest of the guys. I grab a towel and head into the shower, after all, I don’t want to smell like a dirty locker room when I’m sliding into Cass later. I strip off and step into the shower, feeling the warm water rushing over my sore muscles and realise that maybe coach is right, I might be overdoing it a little.
Movement catches my eye and I turn to see Xander walking out of the showers, trying to pull a shirt on. His arm raises above his head and my eyes instantly zero in on a massive purpling bruise to his ribs, in fact, there are smaller cuts and bruises all over him.
What the fuck?
“Dude?” I say, stopping him in his tracks. He turns to look at me and instantly realises what I’ve seen.
“It’s nothing, man,” he says with a shake of his head before pulling his shirt the rest of the way down and leaving the room. I think about going after him but I’m starkers and I’m not really in the mood to get my ass whipped by 20 towels for leaving the showers in my birthday suit.
I finish off my shower wondering who the hell could have done that to him and more importantly, why? If he was in some kind of trouble, he knows he could have come to us and we would have backed him up or at least helped to keep him out of trouble, I mean, if he gets caught fighting, especially on school grounds he’d be kicked from the team and the kid is too valuable to lose.
I step out of the shower and wrap a towel around my waist before heading back to my locker and pulling on a pair of jeans and a shirt. I promise myself to look into this thing with Xander or at least try, though the kid is a bit of a black sheep and if he wanted to tell us something, he would have done it already. With a sigh, I grab all my things and jam them into my hockey bag and search my locker for my phone.
I look down at the screen and scoff at the missed call from my dad knowing he would be questioning me about the missing shit from my old room. I hit delete and bury my phone in my pocket. I don’t have time for his fake shit, I have much, much better things to be doing.