Page 134 of Never You

“And how long is that going to take?”

“I don’t know? Weeks? Months?” I wish I fucking knew, but even if I go against my mother with full force, I have no clue what and how many skeletons she’ll pull out of the closet to make us all fall in line.

“So, that’s it?” Bodi argues. “You’re just going to let her walk? Because I can tell you, she won’t be waiting for you until you feel confident enough to pull your head out of your ass in a few months.”

“Thanks for the encouraging words.”

“Just telling it how it is, mate.”

I grind my teeth.

“Does Emily know you’re not going to be playing for the Knights next season? Does she know you’re not going to be living in LA anymore?” Bodi questions.

I listen to him, and I frown. Cocking my head as something crosses my mind, like lightning in a thunderstorm, lighting up the dark sky, I pause.

“No, she doesn’t,” I answer. Thoughts are racing through my head, wondering if I can find a solution to at least one of my problems. The one that keeps a girl tied to me for all the wrong reasons.

“You’d think she'd be cool with moving to Canada? Or worse, Russia?”

I snort. “Hell no.”

“Maybe that’s your solution. Where are you?” Bodi asks when the calling out of my gate rings in his ear.

“The airport.”

He lets out a reluctant groan. “Jensen, you’re not seriously going to do this, are you?” He doesn’t wait for my reply. “Don’t throw your life away, man. I’m sure Kay will be able to get you a team that doesn’t give a shit about what Asher Jensen wants. We just have to find a way to get your sister off the hook.”

“I know. You’re right.”

“I’m right?” Disbelief is etching through his voice, then he quickly recovers. “Okay, so what’s the plan? Do you have a plan?”

Shaking my head, a smile tugs in the corner of my mouth. “No, but I have an idea to fix one of those problems.”

“Okay, ideas are good. What is it?”

“I need to make a call. I’ll call you back.”

Before he can say anything, I hang up the phone, dialing the one person who might be able to help in more than one way.

Anxiously, I ball my hands into fists, walking toward the gate.

“Come on. Pick up,” I mumble. I need to have something to hold on to before I get on this plane, and I know just the guy to give me that kind of hope.

“Hey, man! How are you?” His cheerful voice sounds through the line, and I let out a relieved breath. Maybe this isn’t all going to shit after all.

“Like shit. I need your help.”

43

My head spun 180 degrees in fucking twelve hours but when I finally land in New York two hours later, my confidence is slowly rising.

As soon as I signed my contract, I’m positive Emily will walk without a fight, and that’s at least one less thing my mother can hang above my head. Now all I need to do is find a way to make sure my sister isn’t the next socialite that will walk down the aisle at the end of the summer.

My bag hangs heavy on my shoulder when I walk through the gate, and a surprising face greets me with a beaming smile.

Dressed in an Armani suit, he looks every part the lawyer that he is, his brown hair slick over his head. The same bright blue eyes light up when they connect with mine, and when he moves into my space, a level of comfort washes over me.

“Finn? What are you doing here?” I throw my arms around my big brother, and he does the same, clapping my back in a friendly manner.

---