Page 27 of Truce: Declan
After we get cleaned up, showered, and dressed, a few of us have to deal with the press interviews. Thankfully, Kyler, Aiden, and Chase take the helm.
I escape without having to do a press junket which I'm relieved for because I hate the press. They like to twist our words around for the ultimate headline.
"You coming to Blue Line?" Jasper asks as we head out of the locker room.
"When don't I enjoy a few victory drinks?" I'm hoping that Charlotte stays after the game. "Is Amber coming tonight?" The girls were together at the game, which makes me hope that if Amber is joining us, then Charlotte will as well.
Not that the girls live together. They used to live near each other, and both attend NYU, but Amber lives with Jasper.
I almost feel stalkerish knowing what I do, but it's because Jasper yammers on about his girlfriend, and I have a good ear, taking it all in.
Jasper quirks a grin. "You're asking because you want to know if Charlotte is coming to Blue Line. Did you invite her?"
I snort. "When has that stopped Amber from showing up?" And while I did mention it to Charlotte and was hoping she'd come hang out with us, I wasn't exactly sure where we stand after a few nights ago.
"She's my girlfriend," Jasper says and knocks into me. "Don’t forget that."
"How can I when you're saying lines of poetry to her and writing her love letters?"
Jasper glares at me. "I donotdo that."
"Right," I say and smack him on the back. "Too manly to do that chivalrous stuff, I get it."
"Whoa, now! I never said I didn't know how to woo a girl. I got Amber, didn't I?"
Seriously? Does he think he won Amber over, because that girl was chasing after him for months before they finally hooked up, or so I've been told?
Jasper didn't tell me when they hooked up, but the sexual tension between them had been palpable for months. And then, one day, it wasn't nearly so bad.
Hence, they had sex.
Not that it's any of my business. But the point remains, he didn't have to woo her. She was already into him for a long time. Hell, I was the one trying to convince him not to hook up with her, but that had more to do with bro code than anything else.
I don't answer his question. If I point out that they were roommates and that's what landed her in his bed, he might jump my ass, and I'd prefer to keep the physical brutality to the ice.
"Fair enough," I say with a tight smile. We head out together, making our way to the back exit where the girls are waiting for us. I glance at my phone, and my stomach somersaults.
The paternity results are in.
I shove my phone into my back pocket. I'm not ready to see the news. I'm not sure how I even feel about all of it.
There's no sign of Charlotte. She isn't standing beside Amber. I force a smile, trying not to look dejected when it's clear to me that she didn't care enough to stick around. And maybe that's for the best. If I'm the little boy's father, can I really drag Charlotte into my mess?
As it is, my career has always come first. If I have to put a kid at the top of my priority list, a girlfriend will fall even lower on that list.
Exhaling a sigh, I rub the back of my neck, my fingers itching to reach for my cell phone.
No.
That's the last thing I need to see, the results tonight in front of the guys. There would be too many questions from them, and until I know what the results state, I'm not telling a soul.
Jasper pulls Amber into his arms, their lips locked in a searing kiss. I glance away, not needing to watch them play tonsil hockey.
Irritation sets in my veins.
I can't explain the discomfort, the rawness of their glee hitting me in the face.
"Ready to hit the bar?" I ask, interrupting their make out session. Can't they wait until we grab our table at Blue Line before they go at it?
