Page 118 of Mr. Broody

I open the door and let her enter first, picking up both of our bags. The pictures online didn’t do the place justice. It’s breathtaking how the sun is shining down on the water in front of our cabin.

There’s a small kitchen, living area, and stairs along the wall that should lead to the bedroom situated to face this magnificent view.

Of course, Jade bypasses everything else to head into the bedroom because she’s taunting me to make sure there’s nothing else on this getaway other than us in bed and my dick sinking inside of her.

I follow her with our bags in hand.

When I reach the bedroom, she’s sprawled out on the bed, her head in her hands, staring out the window.

“Henry, come. It’s gorgeous.” She pats the spot next to her.

She doesn’t have to tell me to join her on a bed twice. I drop our bags on the floor, slip out of my shoes, and join her.

“Too bad it isn’t fall.” Most of the leaves have already fallen off the trees.

“No.” She shakes her head. “That’s what makes it so uniquely pretty. The branches twisting up toward the sky, their silhouettes cast down on the lake. The sky isn’t blue and vibrant but subdued and pale. I love the stillness and muted grays and white. It’s the end of something, but you know in a few months it will be the beginning of something else.”

I kiss her on the cheek. “I’ve always loved your eye.”

She sighs. “Will others?” She cringes. “I mean, I kind of detoured off the path for a while, and I hope people find me again.” She turns to rest her cheek on the bed, staring over at me. “There’s this art boutique where different artists can display their stuff in River North. I’m debating adding my work there. I’d have to work there at times, all the artists take turns.”

“You should. Everyone needs your work on their walls.”

She laughs. “Always my biggest cheerleader.” She slides off the bed.

“You were always mine. Supported me in high school and college when I wasn’t sure of the player I’d come to be. That always meant a lot to me.” I watch her walk away as she goes to her bag.

“It was important to you. But you know my mom thinks I didn’t find myself because of your hockey.”

I sit up. It’s not a secret to either of us what Victoria thought when Jade decided to go to Minnesota. She once had a talk with me after Jade was off finding herself, that it wasn’t that she didn’t want us to date, she just didn’t want me to be the only thing in her daughter’s life. She wanted her to have dreams and goals of her own. Victoria thought what I did was admirable and selfless, but she wished Jade could have found herself alongside me instead of so far away. I’ll probably never tell Jade that story. The past is the past, and we can’t change it.

“What do you mean?”

She peeks up at me, unzipping her bag and pulling out her camera. “You know how my dad always picked work over me? Well, she thinks I gave up on what I wanted to make sure I never fully lost you to hockey. And I’ve been thinking lately that maybe she kind of has a point.”

“Really?” Was she unhappy with me when we were together? The thought makes my chest ache.

She comes over and sits on the bed. “I don’t think she’s completely right, but I don’t think she’s completely wrong either. I did probably cancel a lot of plans to be available for you back then. Maybe I did push my dreams aside so you could reach yours. But I was also really confused on what I wanted to do, and you had this very clear goal, this planned path, and it felt so certain. I liked helping you get what you wanted.”

“Shit, Jade, I feel like an asshole. It was my job to do the same for you as you were doing for me.”

She tilts her head and stares at me because we both know how lucky we were to even still be together then. How many of my teammate’s relationships did we see fall apart due to the grueling schedule.

She sets her camera next to her and crawls into my lap, straddling me with her arms around my neck. “This is the last time we’re talking about this. Agreed?” She tugs me by the hair when I don’t answer. “Agreed?”

“I kind of like the hair tugging.” My hands find her ass.

“This is serious.” She gives me her sternest look which isn’t that stern truthfully.

“Agreed.”

Her fingers loosen, and she runs them up the back of my head. “I wanted it for you. Henry, hockey made you happy. It was yours. I’m not sure if it’s because you lost your parents young, but you were always putting other people first, and you deserved to get what you wanted for once. I was happy to support you and be there for you, and it was amazing… hell, it still is amazing to see you get yours. I mean going to your games and seeing you on the ice still makes me choke up because you look so happy out there.” She hems and haws. “Most of the time.”

“Not when douchebag defensemen are all over me.”

“Technically, it’s their job.”

“Whose side are you on?” I move my fingers up her ribcage and tickle her.

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