Page 46 of Craving the Player

“Ithink he’sdead serious,” Ispit. He wouldn’thave brought it up if he wasn’tseriously considering it. There was no way that he expected his impromptu decision to sit well with me.

“Idon’tsee how he could expect us to follow him out there. Iwould rather chew off my own tongue than play for Toronto’shockey team,” Tyler grunts while wiping atowel aggressively down his face, leaving the skin red.

“I’msure Lana would be your number one fan.” Inearly choke on her name.

“Idon’tunderstand. Vancouver is our home. Gracie would feed me my own cock if Ieven considered uprooting us.”

That has my scowl cracking. Talk about asight that Iwould pay ahefty penny to see. Gracie Hutton may be small, but damn she’svicious. “Idon’tcare how hot the girl is. Nobody could make me leave Vancouver.” It’sthe only place any of us know.

Tyler remains silent for along moment, and Ihave afeeling that he’sgoing to tell me that that could change someday, but he doesn’t. Idon’tdoubt for asecond that he would follow Gracie to fucking Mars if she asked him to. But Tyler and Gracie are different. They’re the closest thing to soulmates that I’ve ever seen. There’snothing odd or abrupt about their love and adoration for one another. It’spure and raw.

“Idon’tthink he’ll do it. What about the gym?” Tyler takes adrink from his water bottle and moves his eyes around the empty gym. It’sclosed to the public right now so it’sjust us. Technically, we should be open, but Icouldn’trisk anybody hearing about Dad ditching out on us. It would have opened acan of worms that Idon’thave the strength to pry back shut right now.

This gym is home to the majority of my childhood memories. The good, the bad, and the fucking ugly.

Ispent more time here than Idid anywhere else. Hell, during my rebellious teenage years Ipractically slept here. These chipped brick walls and cushioned floor mats kept me sane during atime where Ifeared Iwould never be able to get agrip on my “angry at the world” attitude. Iwas pissed off at my parents for splitting and not being able to keep it civil between them, even at the best of times, not even for me. It took years for me to get my head out of my ass. And even then, Iwas still an asshole most of the time.

Iknew that Dad knew about the fights held behind his back, but he still let me get my ass beat time and time again without so much as ashrug in my direction. He never mentioned them when Icame home from the gym to shower and sneak food from the fridge with bloodied knuckles and bruised eyes or when he would drop me off on the curb outside of my grandma’shouse. He didn’tsay anything when Iwandered into his office requesting the first aid kit after getting absolutely rocked by aguy three times my size. And he definitely didn’toffer me any sympathy when Ibroke my nose for the third time in ayear because Irefused to wear headgear out of pure stubbornness.

At the time, his lack of attention to my dangerous hobby served as acatalyst, encouraging me to keep going and going until he finally acknowledged the fight Ihad inside of me. With every win came asense of hope that Iwouldn’tbe as invisible to him as Ithought that Iwas. Iwanted him to be proud of me. Icraved it with every fibre of my being.

With his time spent between adivorce lawyer, financial meetings regarding the gym, and training afull list of aspiring boxers, the only time Isaw him was right before Ileft for school. He would be leaning against the countertop with asteaming cup of black coffee in his hands when Icame to grab my lunch. Iwould get abrisk wave and atired grunt. Then we would go our separate ways until Isaw him at the gym after school.

Now that Ithink back on it, Irealize that he was just trying to teach me alesson. Iwas never invisible to him. He was going through ahard time too. Icould never excuse the shit that happened between my parents during their divorce and the years that followed, but Ican give them some leeway.

Every loss Itook taught me the benefits of not giving up when shit got hard. My body hated me for it, but I’mnot sure that Iwould change much from back then if it came down to it.

My stomach pitches as Iturn back to my bag and swing at it. My arm locks due to my lack of concentration and Ihiss from the burning pain that explodes through my shoulder when Imake contact with the punching bag. “Fuck!” Ishake out my arm and rip my glove off, tossing it afew feet away.

“Told you to stretch,” Tyler sings, earning himself an eyeful of both my middle fingers.

“And Itold you to stop being such aloser, but here we are,” Ishoot back, trying not to cringe from my lame insult. Imassage my shoulder and grit my teeth when it begins to throb.

“Wow, good one. What are you, ten?” Throwing off his own gloves, he grabs his water bottle and squirts astream of water over his torso.

“Are you leaving now? I’mnowhere close to done and you’re just pissing me off.”

He rolls his eyes. “You need to go home before you hurt more than just your shoulder.” He’sright. Ihave amatch in three days. Getting injured is not in the plans.

“It’sWednesday. Ican’thandle Clayton right now.”

Acknowledgment flashes across his face. Tyler is the only one other than myself and Clay’sfamily that knows about how bad his behaviour can get. “Okay, so go somewhere else. Just not here. Ican’tstay here all night and babysit your raging ass.”

Sierra’sbright smile dances through my head, grabbing at both my chest and my groin. She would tell me to grow the hell up if she saw me right now. Her smile would be there, though, teasing and distracting me. Iwouldn’tbe able to keep my hands off of her, seeing her in my domain, having her watch me do what Ilove.

“Ah, there it is,” Ty chuckles, tossing his gloves in his bag before zipping it up. “Anything that Ishould know since we last talked?”

“Huh?” Iclear my throat, focusing on him again.

“Are you really going to keep pretending with me? I’ve seen that look before. In the mirror.”

“She’sjust afuckbuddy.” The words feel wrong in my mouth. Iwant to swallow them back down and take them back immediately.

“Right.” His tone is evident enough that he doesn’tbelieve me at all. Idon’tblame him. It’sobvious that I’mlying. “Have fun with that then.”

He laughs to himself and tosses his bag over his shoulder. “Just be careful, Braden. Ithought it meant nothing when Iwas just sleeping with Gracie, too. Next thing Iknew, Iwas telling her Iloved her while standing butt-ass naked in her living room. It sneaks up on you and knocks you on your back.”

“Well, I’mnot you.” Ipaint on afake smile and swallow the growing lump in my throat. I’mnot him, but I’mnot sure that Icould go to the bar anymore and pick up anew girl without asecond thought like Iused to. So maybe I’mnot acting like myself, either.

If Ithought that Iwould be able to get hard for somebody else, Iwould try fucking her out of my system right now. I’mnearly desperate enough to do anything to wipe away this feeling of helplessness.

“Alright.” He throws his hands up in surrender. “If you’re so sure that she means nothing to you, then Ibelieve you.”

Ican only nod, not trusting myself not to unintentionally snap at him when he says that she means nothing to me. It’snot true, but Iwon’tadmit it. Holy, I’mtoo wound up right now.

“Just figure yourself out and calm down. Have sex or get drunk, Idon’tcare. Just don’thurt yourself.” He moves towards me and punches my good arm, saying, “Call if you need anything.”

Ipunch him back. “Will do.”

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