Page 32 of Trade Deadline

Unshed tears prickle my own eyes now.

Hoping to try and lighten his mood, I clear up the paperwork and stack it neatly to one side, as it will still be here tomorrow, but right now, my focus is making sure Jacob eats and gets a decent night's sleep before we do it all again tomorrow.

“Have you eaten?”

He shakes his head.

I retrieve a saucepan from the cupboard and bring some water to the boil to make a quick and easy pasta dish. Searching through the cupboards, I find a packet of chamomile tea and make him a cup, hoping the hot, calming drink will help ease his stress. Once the pasta is cooked, I serve it in two bowls and sit down at the table opposite him.

His voice is quiet and tearful as he thanks me.

“I think I’m going to let Blaine know that I can’t make it tomorrow,” I announce, voicing the worry that’s been running through my brain since I got home.

Jacob's head snaps up, the firm shake tells me he doesn’t agree. “No, don’t do that over this.” He motions to the stack of bills. “Cancel only if you genuinely don’t wanna go. The money we’ve set aside for dinner isn’t going to make a significant difference, and I’d rather you enjoyed yourself.”

I chew on the inside of my cheek. I know I’m acting hastily on the anxiety whirling inside of me with a snap decision, and he’s right—the money we set aside is less than a hundred dollars, so it won't be a game changer when the debt is eight hundred times more than that.

“Alex,” Jacob sighs.

He leans across the table, his hand resting on my forearm. His smile is tired and sad, but his eyes are pleading. “Please go. Enjoy yourself. Don’t let these opportunities pass you by; you will only live to regret it.”

Ten

Blaine

Restingmy laptop on the cushion in front of me, I wait impatiently for Hayden’s video call. He texted me this morning to let me know he needed to talk ahead of my game tonight, and panic instantly zapped in my chest.

Is he going to call to say that I’ve gotta pack up my shit because I’ve been traded? I’ve done everything that’s been asked of me and kept my name off of the blogs this past week—OK, that’s not entirely true, because now my name is on there for a different reason. They are now discussing the fact that I’mnotgetting my dick wet.

Damned if I do, damned if I don’t.

One thing I need Hayden to get in place is a no-trade clause in my contract, especially now that Elliot’s here, and if things develop with Alex…

Fuck.

I’d hate for things to fall into place and then need to uproot my entire life to another city.

Thankfully, the chime of Hayden calling me echoes through the speakers on my laptop before I can spiral into a vortex of anxiety. His face fills the screen, his hair blowing in the sunny California morning breeze. Behind him, through the open patio doors of his beachside mansion, is the ocean.

I’ve been there once before, and it’s gorgeous. He must be sitting at his dining table, which overlooks a wrap-around terrace and his own private beach.

It’s definitely a life-goals kind of house for me.

“Hey!” I wave to the camera, then cringe at myself.

Hayden gives a throaty chuckle at my awkwardness. “Hey. How’s things?”

“Good.” I nod. “Really good, actually.”

“And your hip? Still giving you trouble?”

After the hit during the St. Louis game, I’ve become a regular with Joe, asking him to relieve some of the discomfort. In each game since, it’s been like the other team could smell that I’m a little sore and targets it on purpose. We’ve done a few scans just to be safe, and it was nothing more than a strain, but with the repeated hits to an already weakened spot, I’m really feeling it.

I move my hand from side to side. “So-so; it's feeling better every day. It’s only a sprain. I was starting to worry it was going to turn into something more serious.”

He nods. “Sprains are still serious, Blaine. Make sure you do as much recovery as possible. I’d hate to see it get worse.”

I know he didn’t call to talk about my hip, and the anticipation makes my mouth go dry. I take a sip of water and wait for him to get to the point.

---