Page 102 of Honey Undone
“If that didn’t impress your agent, I don’t know what will.” Kaia stepped toward me and helped me off the ground. “Put that ball through the posts and let's get drunk.”
JENSEN
“Idon’t think I’ll ever get used to the bruises,” I said, opening her apartment door for her as she carefully navigated herself. She was keeping her weight off her bandaged thigh, and from what I could tell, it was starting to bleed through again. I had offered her the sweats in the back of the car, helping her slip into them after the game and dramatically carried her up the path to the elevator while she protested that she could walk just fine.
Kaia had argued against the rescue mission from the locker room, trying to get Adeline to go to the Hollow to celebrate, but I hadn’t seen her one on one for nearly four days and I was taking what I wanted. Kaia could fight me later about it.
“How about a bath?” I asked her as I set her duffle on the island. She stripped from hoodie with a tiny hiss but nodded. “Stay, don’t get anymore naked.” I warned as I backed away to her bathroom. I ran the water hotter than I could stand but she’d still complain it was cold.
When I got back to her she was downing a shot of whiskey with a pained look on her face in her sports bra. “I am unbelievably sore,” she said, pouring another. “I’m bringing this with me,” she declared as I knelt in front of her to help her from her shoes and sweatpants. Her legs were a mess with fresh, glaringly sore bruises that ranged in shades of purple. It took a second but in a feeble attempt to keep it painless I pulled back the ruined bandage to expose the nasty imprint in her skin.
“You can do whatever you want after that performance.” I kissed her tattoo, grateful that it was her other thigh that had suffered the attack. The paint on my arms and chest had dried painfully and my entire body was itchy as I moved toget her out of her spanks and bra. I scooped her off the ground, carrying her to the bathroom and lowered her into the tub.
She slid forward without a word, setting the bottle on the edge of the tub but I shook my head. “I’ll turn the water blue,” I laughed but she pouted at me and it was enough to have me stripping from my sweater. The water was too hot but I stifled the groan as I sank down behind her.
As predicted, it turned a murky color but she didn’t even notice as she snuggled back against my chest and closed her eyes. The apartment was quiet except for the soft sounds of our breathing tangled together for a long while. If she was finding relief I didn’t want to bother her, I was content to just wrap my arms around her chest and hold her close.
“How’s your thigh?” I asked her after a while.
“It’ll be fine,” she mumbled. She sounded less tense than before which helped me to relax a little more against the back of the tub. Every second spent with her was a blessing, I’d never thought it was even possible to feel so attached to another person the way I had become with Adeline. “I have to talk to you about something.” I felt her stiffen and knew what was coming.
“Please don’t break up with me in a bathtub full of blue water when I have a semi…” I chuckled but my heart was racing like a horse. Adeline looked up at me and shook her head.
“I’m not breaking up with you,” she scowled but I could hear the tiny laugh leave her throat. “Why do you think I’m breaking up with you?” Her voice strained with hurt at the end and suddenly I felt like an asshole for assuming.
“Talking is usually a bad sign,” I said, pushing a few pieces of her hair away from her face and cupping her cheek as she stared up at me.
“It’s not that—” She stopped, inhaling a long breath before talking again. “I’m being traded to a team in San Francisco.”
It took everything in me not to sayI know.
“Hey, that’s incredible.” I did what I could to keep my voice cracking under the sadness I felt trying to be happy. “I’m proud of you. This is big.”
Leave it to me to fall in love with a girl moving across the country.
“Yeah,” she said quietly, confusion lacing her tone. “It’s pretty crazy…” she slowed down, “how come you aren’t upset?” She asked bluntly.
“It’s your dream, I’m never going to be upset about you getting to live it.” I swallowed the urge to tell her I loved her and her leaving was going to kill me.
“Even if I have to leave? California isn’t close,” she reminded me like I didn’t know.
“I’m aware of the geography of the United States, Belle. The thing is since the day I met you, this has been your life. Rugby is what you want, what you need. I’m not going to stop you from chasing that dream.” I said to her, each word chipping away another piece of my heart. She stared at me blankly and for the life of me I couldn’t figure out what was going on in her pretty little head. “What?” I finally asked after a long stretch of silence.
“I just…” Adeline stopped, her words dying on her lips.
“Want me to be pissed off, angry? Sad?” I said, wetting my bottom lip. “If what you need to hear is that I don’t want you to go, it’s a lie. Your dreams are important, Adeline, and I’m never going to stand in the way of them, but…”
“But what?” She perked up, and it stung. I didn’t want to be the reason she had an excuse to stay. If that’s what she was looking for I didn’t want to be that guy. The man that stifled,TheAdeline Sarah.
“But the truth is I am sad,” I confessed. “Of course I am. A few months ago I would have laughed in your face if you told me I would be sitting in a tub with the most beautiful girl trying to be a better man.”
Her expression softened, “And now?”
“I don’t want to be the reason you don’t do this, and I’m a big boy. I can be sad and supportive. I’m capable.” I explained.
“I don’t want this to end,” she said, turning in my arms and kneeling between my legs with a soft groan. “There’s still a few months left in the season and maybe you can come with me for my trip to meet the team?”
“You don’t want to bring Kaia?” I stopped her.
