Page 68 of Weak Side

“I tell you about my sex life all the time.” She pouted for a second but then bumped her shoulder into mine. “Chad’s been quiet?”

I nodded but kept quiet. The last several days had been a breath of fresh air without Chad lingering in the background like a possessive shadow, but if I allowed myself to think about it, I felt panicky.

I’d taken a small break in my extra rehearsals and babied my ankle during actual practices—something everyone had noticed, especially my professors. Angie sent me home from work one evening after she overheard Theo tell me I’d cause more harm to myself if I didn’t take care of my ankle. She promised I could pick up some extra shifts in between my classes the following week, so I listened and went home with Theo—who had been in our room every chance he could get.

We were more wrapped up in each other behind our door than in front of it, but not because he didn’t want to keep up with the charade in front of campus, but mainly because he wanted me all for himself—his words, not mine.

I wasn’t complaining, and neither was my body.

In fact, I was giddy just thinking about his hands on my skin, and although that should have scared me, it didn’t. Instead, it exhilarated me, just like it did as I watched him on the ice, working with his team to secure the win.

“Yes!” I shouted, raising my hands and jumping up and down. The sports commentator announced through the speaker that Bexley was the winner, and I clapped my hands, feeling my eyes well up from relief.

“Oh my God.” Taytum laughed from beside me, and I glanced over, feeling my cheeks ripen. “Who even are you?”

My smile was hard to hide, and I shrugged. “I’m not sure anymore, but I kinda like it.”

Taytum grabbed onto my hand, and she nodded. “Me too. You look happy, Claire. Happier than I’ve ever seen.” She paused before asking, “Is that because you’re rid of Chad, or is that because you have Theo?”

I nibbled on my lip as I looked down at the jersey I was wearing before taking my attention back to the ice. The rational voice in the back of my head reminded me that I wasn’t quite rid of Chad yet, but I still answered Taytum. “Both.”

Her head went to my shoulder, and I inhaled, finding number 15 surrounded by his teammates who had ripped their helmets off and all shared the same victorious smile. Ford came up beside Theo and ruffled Theo’s sweaty, dark hair. My stomach did a somersault when he searched the stands, and when he landed on me, I smiled brightly and gave him a thumbs up. I was proud of him.

Taytum whistled as Theo pointed at me from the ice, and I swore I saw every head in the stadium turn toward us. My cheeks blazed, and a choked laugh left my throat.Damn him.I rolled my eyes, and when he cocked an eyebrow at me, I remembered what I’d promised him I’d do if he won the game. My hand went up to my mouth, and I blew him a quick kiss. He winked in return, and eventually, he and the rest of the team all skated off the ice, and I knew that my next part was about to come to play.

“Okay, wow.” Rose’s eyebrows went to her hairline, showing off her shimmering makeup. “I just got butterflies for you.”

I laughed, and we all rushed out of the stands and headed down the long, darkened hallway that Taytum and I had gone down the first time we’d met the guys after a game. It was quiet, but the closer we got to the locker room, the better I could hear voices. Jealousy started to creep in as I thought about seeing puck bunnies standing there, trying to get the guys’ attention, but I gently pushed that thought away because although I was a little jaded when it came to trust, I knew that puck bunnies were no threat to me.

When I rounded the corner, proudly wearing Theo’s jersey, I felt a buzz in my back pocket. I paused for a second, pulling it out, and frowned at the name on the screen.

Chad: So you’re wearing his jersey now? Is that how you wanna play this game?

Taytum huffed from beside me. “Tell him the game is over, and he’s the loser.”

The color drained from my face. “I can’t. Not yet.”

I still had to figure out what to do to get out from under Chad’s thumb. I hadn’t heard from my mom since the last time she’d asked for help, but even so, I knew she wouldn’t listen to me about not taking money from Chad’s parents again. The more she took their money, the more debt she was in, and the more I was dangling out there in the open as some type of ransom to Chad.

It wasn’t as if the thought didn’t occur to me that I could leave my mother to fend for herself. She was old enough to understand how to budget, and she’d surely been an adult longer than I had, but for as long as I could remember, my mother and I were a team. We were always in survival mode, and if I ruined our relationship, who would I have left?

She was my mother, but when Angela Bryant got betrayed, she didn’t let it go. I’d learned that by hearing her talk of my illegitimate father for the last twenty-two years of my life. She’d feel betrayed if she knew I was with someone like Theo, and she would be up in arms if I stopped giving her money and ruined the relationship with Chad and his parents.

“And who is this lovely lady wearing my son’s jersey?”

My head popped up, and my hair flew out of my face as I locked onto an older man smiling kindly with a gentle-looking woman walking beside him. She was holding onto her purse strap, but her other arm was draped over his as they continued to head my way.

“Hi,” I whispered, clearing my throat. “I’m—”

“You must be Claire.” The woman, who I assumed was Theo’s mother—or grandmother, but known as his mother—smiled at me, and I felt it bury itself into my belly like I’d just eaten a warm chocolate chip cookie from her kitchen. “Theo said he wanted to introduce us, but he’s a little busy.”

The older man edged his head behind him, and I peeked back, squinting my eyes as I watched Theo talk with someone wearing a suit that likely cost more than what my mother owed to Chad’s parents.

“Who—”Oh, my God.It was the man from The Bex. The realization clicked immediately, and I instantly felt guilty for the judgment I’d placed onto him when I saw that he wouldn’t stop staring at me.

“That’s Tom Gardini.”

I pulled my attention away and hoped my cheeks weren’t too red from my silent embarrassment. It was no wonder he was staring at me. He was probably trying to figure out what kind of guy Theo was, and considering Theo’s eyes were on me that entire evening, he must have wanted to know about me too.

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