Page 49 of Double Play

The timer beeps, and I slip an oven mitt over my hand before pulling the muffin tin out of the heat. I set it on the rack to cool, hoping I can at least get Arden to eat before practice. She refused yesterday, and I didn’t push the issue because I didn’t want to upset her any further. But she needs to take her meds, and I don’t want her leaving without some carbs in her system. She has another match in two days, and I know she needs all the energy she can get to prepare.

Just as I’m getting a glass for her water, quiet footsteps pad along the floor and into the room. I turn, pasting on the most reassuring smile I can muster as my eyes settle on her tired face. She’s fresh from a night of interrupted sleep, wearing one of Jackson’s old t-shirts and a pair of panties. Her hair is wild and knotted from tossing and turning, and her skin is still blotchy from crying. It’s raw and real, and even with everything that’s going on, I feel like the luckiest motherfucker in the world. She’s mine. She chose me—and that’s something I haven’t gotten to experience many times in my twenty-five years. I’ll spend every day for the rest of my life showing her how grateful I am that she’s trusting me with her heart.

“Morning, beautiful,” I say, stepping in and pulling her into a hug. “Pumpkin muffins are ready. I even threw together some cream cheese frosting, just for you.” Her sad eyes light up as she raises her head, and for the first time since yesterday, a small smile tugs at the corners of her mouth. My heart squeezes in my chest at the sight, because part of me was afraid I wouldn’t be able to console her with the same softness he does. And I certainly can’t fuck this kind of pain away—at least not right now. She needs easy and gentle…and she needs it from me.

“Where is it?” she asks, lowering her long lashes as she runs her hands over my shirtless chest and abs, stopping at the waistband of my black basketball shorts. I’m happy she’s even entertaining the thought of food right now; I was worried about her going another day without eating. It’s exactly why I went all out, using the unhealthiest, most sugar-filled recipe I have. If it makes her feel even a fraction better, I’ll hook her up with all the junk food she wants.

I raise a playful brow. “Gimme a kiss, and I’ll tell you.” Her smile grows even bigger as she pushes to her tiptoes and brushes her warm, plump lips against mine. Electricity zaps across my skin, and my stomach flips as she wraps her arms around my waist and melts into my body. Pressing my cheek to the top of her head, I breathe her in, and at this moment, I know that, even if we have to do it on our own, we’ll make it to the other side of this shitstorm. I hope Jackson gets it together and realizes that his place is right here with us, but if not, Arden and I will be okay.

She gasps as I secure my hands on her hips, lifting her to sit on the counter before turning to the refrigerator. I reach in, pulling out the bowl I’ve had chilling for the last thirty minutes, then return to my girl. She tilts her head shyly, and I take a chance, dragging my finger through the sweet mixture and raising it to her mouth. Just like the first night we touched each other, she parts her lips, wrapping them around me and gently sucking it from my skin. It isn’t filled with tension and desire like it was then. This time, it’s something different. The trust and appreciation in her deep gaze tell me everything I need to know right now. That she’s in this with me for good, and I’ll never have to feel the sharp sting of being left alone again.

“I love you, Hellcat. We’re going to figure this out, okay?” I whisper, dropping my forehead to hers. Her brown eyes flutter closed, and a wave of sadness tightens her expression before she exhales a shaky breath.

“I love you too,” she replies quietly. “Thank you, Hawk—for staying here with me. I know this affects you too, and I’m going to look into getting a place of my own as soon as I can. I don’t want Jacks to be uncomfortable, and I don’t think I’ll be able to handle being here if he comes back and acts like we’re nothing.” The despair in her tone makes me want to walk to the other side of this building, rip my best friend out of Ace’s guest bed, and haul him back here to see the consequences of taking matters into his own hands. I’m sure he’s confused and hurting too, but that’s even more of a reason to consider the pros and cons of his relationship with Arden instead of just ending it like this.

I take her hands in mine, rubbing my thumbs along her knuckles. “Let’s not make any rash decisions so soon, baby. He’s fine where he is at the moment. My main priority right now is making sure you’re alright, and I’m positive he wouldn’t want you leaving, either. Let’s just get through today, then we’ll worry about tomorrow. Okay?”

She nods, smiling weakly. “Yeah.”

The word makes the tightness in my chest dissipate slightly, and I’m grateful she’s not acting on impulse the way Jacks is. With her new endorsement and contract from the Flare, she could definitely afford to move into a place of her own, but I’m determined to keep her here with me—and eventually, with him.

I have no idea how I’m going to do it, but I have to find a way to get my family back together.

FORTY-ONE

JACKSON

“You good, man?”Ace asks, shoving his keys into the pocket of his jeans. “I’ll be gone for a few hours, but Lark will be in and out of her office. Just let her know if you need anything.”

I look up from where I’m lying on the couch. Even though it’s only been a few days, I feel like a freeloader. I go from the guest bed to the couch, too fucking weak and dejected to do anything else. I’ve considered going to a hotel or something, but the thought of being even further away from Arden than I am already makes me sick to my stomach. I know this is my fault, and I could walk right back through our door and beg her to forgive me for leaving, but I’m still convinced that I need to do this for her.

“I’m fine,” I say. “I’m going to get up and go for a run soon, anyway. I’m hoping the exercise will help me sleep tonight.”

He gives me a look that saysyeah, right—which I don’t acknowledge because we both know I’m not going anywhere—before turning and leaving for his monthly trip to visit the kids at his old therapist’s clinic. I sigh, returning my attention to the TV, where a random rom-com is playing. It’s one I haven’t seen before, but it has all the makings of something Arden would be into if she were here.

I close my eyes, trying to imagine her body in front of mine, my arms wrapped tightly around her as she giggled at the guy’s dumb jokes. I’d give her a hard time, telling her how cliché it all was, and she’d argue, telling me that I just didn’t know enough about romance to appreciate the cheesy storyline. I’d prove her wrong by pulling her even closer and coasting my lips along her soft skin as I told her how much I loved her. Then she’d whisper it back, reminding me that I’m the luckiest guy in the world for having the privilege of calling her mine.

I miss her so much, it hurts. It’s been a struggle not to just sayfuck itand go back home, but I’m trying to remember what’s at stake if I don’t stay away and the public decides to drag her through the mud. The delusional side of me thinks maybe it wouldn’t happen, and that everyone would be cool with her being with me and Hawk, but that’s not realistic. Both Fury and Flare fans would have opinions, and no amount of showing them how strong our love is would stop them from making small-minded comments—ones that could obliterate her career.

“You look like a lost puppy,” Lark says as she enters the room, pulling me from my thoughts.

I huff a laugh, sitting up and dragging my hands down my face with a groan. “Sorry. It’s been a weird few days. Ifeellost.” She rounds the couch, plopping down on the opposite end, and relief floods over me as her sympathetic eyes meet mine. Lark and I have had this unexplained kinship from the moment we met, and I know if there’s anyone I can open up to without the fear of judgment, it’s her. Maybe talking it out with an objective third party is what I need to move forward—because right now, I feel like I’m stuck between a rock and a hard place.

“Talk to me, Jacks,” she coaxes. “Why are you rotting on my couch when you have two people who love you more than anything on the other side of this building?”

Wiping my sweaty hands on the front of my sweatpants, I slump back into the cushions, releasing a shaky breath. “A few days ago, my mom and Arden’s dad were visiting from Pennsylvania. We agreed that at the end of their trip, we’d come clean about everything. We planned on telling them that Hawk and I were in love with her and that no matter what they thought, we were going to be with her. We figured they’d maybe be against it at first, especially with the two of us being stepsiblings, but we didn’t care. We knew they’d eventually get over it. But when my mom walked in on us kissing, she kind of freaked out—and brought up a whole other issue we hadn’t really even considered.”

Her eyebrows squish together, and she pulls her feet up onto the couch, hugging a throw pillow to her chest as she tries to get comfortable. “What issue?”

I slowly shake my head, my eyes fixed on my hand as it rests on my thigh. “Arden was just offered her dream deal with a really popular and well-respected brand. My mom went into agent mode when she put all the pieces of our situation together, warning us of the risks we’d be taking with Arden’s career if we went public. It’s obviously not illegal to be in two relationships at once, but it’s also not something that’s widely accepted in society. The way her contracts are set up leaves room for them to be voided if she does anything that could be deemed immoral. She could lose everything just by being with both of us, which she was fully prepared to do—so I made the choice for her, and I left.”

“Wait,” she says, blinking rapidly. “You leftbecause there’s a chance thatmaybeshe could lose her job? And she was willing to put that on the line because she loves you, but you decided to walk away without even hearing her out? Don’t you think that was kind of a dick move to dismiss her feelings the way you did?”

I wince because it sounds pretty bad when she says it like that. My intention was never to make Arden feel as though her wishes weren’t important to me. I just knew she’d choose us, and I wanted to shield her from all the bad things that could’ve come with that choice. Did I handle it well? Probably not. But I’m human, and there just isn’t a clear answer for this. No matter what, we’re all losing in some way or another.

“Yeah,” I mutter.

“And are you planning on going home at some point? Or are you just going to run forever?”

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