Page 5 of Power Forward

His jaw drops, brows lifting so high they almost touch his hairline. “Fuck you.”

“Nah, you’re not my type, but thanks.” I clap him on the shoulder and steer him toward the bar. “Can you spot the hors d’oeuvres? I skipped out on breakfast this morning.”

He follows me, ignoring my question.

“I can’t believe you don’t think I’m hot,” he chides, sounding genuinely upset.

I have to swallow back my laughter. “Hey, I never said that. I said you’re not my type. Plus, you’re straight, if you’ve forgotten.” I smirk.

He splutters, and I can’t hold my laughter back any longer at the sight of his put-out expression. “Well, yeah, I am, but I also have feelings, and that kinda hurt, Cassie.”

“Aw, I’m sure you’ll get over it.” I wink, pinching his cheek like my grandma used to do with me when I was twelve before heading in the direction of the waiter holding a tray full of food.

The rest of the afternoon and into the early evening passes by in a blur. The dinner was incredible. I’ve caught up with people I haven’t seen in years. Now, the drinks are flowing, the vibe is vibing, and the fairy lights have been turned on, adding a soft glow to the sky as the sun sets behind the mountains.

Standing by the makeshift bar in the courtyard, I sip on a whiskey as I glance around. Throughout dinner, I had theperfect view of Jackson. Every time he laughed, my heart lurched in my chest. The need to talk to him has become borderline desperation. But I don’t know what I would say. It isn’t the right time to say I’m sorry for everything I put him through, but I need to speak to him. About anything or everything, regardless of the inevitable rejection that will come my way.

But I’ll take anything he’ll give me. Whether it be him telling me to fuck off or a tiny scrap of his time.Anything.

I spot him standing next to Blaine, Alex, and Peyton. His head tips back as he laughs at something Blaine says, and I realize this is the perfect opportunity. Jackson’s too nice of a guy to tell me to fuck off in front of his teammates.

Right?

I place my empty glass down on the bar top, my body humming with anticipation and anxiety swirling in my stomach as I make my way over. Taking a steadying breath, I remind myself I’m confident and charming. I can do this.

Who am I kidding? I’m neither of those things. But I sure as hell can put on a convincing front because nobody knows what I’ve been dealing with in the almost nine years since I had the decision of my retirement taken away from me, except for two people. One of them being my ex-wife, Zara.

Jackson’s laughter trails off as he sees me approaching, his face slipping into a frown.

Okay, maybe I was wrong. Maybe hewilltell me to fuck off in front of his teammates.

“Hayden! Thank you for coming!” Alex beams. He wraps his arms around my shoulders in a welcoming hug.The move earns me a scowl from Blaine, so I wink at him and give a cocky smirk over Alex’s shoulder.

The first time I met Alex, he let it slip that he used to have a poster of me on his bedroom wall when he was growing up and how he had a crush on me. Something I like to tease Blaine about at every given opportunity because he’s a possessive bastard.

Plus, if I’m teasing him, I’m not thinking about how old the comment made me feel.

“Thanks for inviting me. I can’t believe I missed my chance,” I sigh jokingly, placing a hand over my heart when Alex takes a step back. “We could’ve had such a fun love story.”

Blaine wraps one protective arm around Alex’s stomach and flips me off with his free hand. “Fuck off, Cassidy. You might be my agent, but I’m not afraid to punch you in the nuts.”

I laugh. “I don’t doubt that for a minute.”

“You’ve met Jackson, right?” Alex asks, leaning back into his husband.

I risk a glance at Jackson. His blue eyes are hard with his glare. There’s a deep crease between his brows, and the muscle twitches in his jaw when he gives a tight nod.

I clear my throat. “Yeah, I have.”

“Wait!” Peyton blurts, his outburst causing me to flinch. “You go way back, eh? You played in Boston together before I was traded? I remember now! The power forward duo.”

“That was a long time ago now.” Jackson’s voice has a cold edge to it, and a chill washes over me when he holds up his empty glass. “Excuse me, I need a refill.”

I drop my gaze to the floor as Jackson walks away. Everyounce of courage I managed to build up drains from me like liquid as silence falls upon the four of us.

“Huh,” Blaine says, confusion lining his brows.

I lift my head, looking at him out of the corner of my eye. “What’s up, Olsen?”

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