Page 42 of Elite Player
How she took pictures of Gus and me and edited them so perfectly, I immediately ordered enough copies to send out to the entire team at Christmas.
How I started watching videos on knitting so I can learn.
How when I read my latest fated mate book, I thought maybe it was fate I hit her with that puck. That we were meant to crash into each other’s lives.
“This is the dumbest idea I’ve ever heard, which is really saying something.” Malcolm sighs, exhausted.Iam exhausting him. “Because I’ve heard a lot of dumb ideas.”
“You’re so mean.”
“This will implode,” he goes on, like I didn’t say anything. “And when it does, Josephine will be collateral damage.”
“I would never hurt her.”
“Maybe not on purpose, but by trying to save her, you’re only going to make this worse.”
His warning sets my skin ablaze, angry on my own behalf, but mostly for Jo. “Do you really have to be such an asshole about this? Aren’t you supposed to have my back? Make me look all shiny and pure? I’m doing the work for you!” I throw out my arm, as if I could motion to Josephine in her tiny apartment, probably putting on her makeup, drying her hair in front of the mirror with her Post-it. “I’m trying to fix the problem.”
“By pretending to be engaged? Do you even hear yourself?”
“Barely. You’ve been shouting at me so much, it’s difficult to even think around you.”
“I was hired to do the thinking for you, but clearly, you know what’s best for your career, so I don’t even know why I’m here. You want to ruin your life with this idiotic plan? Go right ahead. I don’t have the time to stand here, convincing you otherwise, but do not call me when this all goes to hell.”
He takes off toward the exit once again, leaving me with one parting shot, “Because it will go to hell, Nico. Just don’t take her down there with you.”
I’m so irritated, I can’t do anything except glare at his back.
I’m not going to take Jo down. I’m not taking her anywhere except on a few dates and hopefully my bed.
With a grunt, I turn, intent on heading to the parking deck but, instead, run right into Sheffy coming out of the training room. His shoulder has been bothering him lately, and he starts rambling about whatever exercises they’re having him do, but I guess I’m not sufficiently interested because he stops. “What’s going on with you, man?”
“What?”
He motions to my face. “You pissed off or something?”
I’m not normally this guy, the aggrieved one, but all thatgarbage Malcolm said? It was bullshit. And it’s one thing I can’t let go.
I can’t act like it doesn’t bother me.
That the possibility of hurting Jo doesn’t make me irate.
Sheffy lays his hand on my shoulder, squeezing. “You all right?”
“No.” I give in to an exasperated sigh and tip my head, so he’ll follow me to the corner, where we can speak more privately. Alex is the closest thing I have to a brother, and I don’t have any qualms about relaying my argument with Malcolm, assuming my best friend will agree with me, but he doesn’t.
He merely blinks at me.
As if there is more.
I widen my eyes. “So?”
“So…?”
“So, he’s totally off base, right? To come at me like that. Makes me want to tell Jameson to shove this whole babysitting idea up his ass. I don’t need Malcolm. I don’t even need Jameson.”
Sheffy shakes his head like I’m a child having a tantrum. “You need your agent. Don’t even pretend you can go rogue. He’s saved your ass from being traded.”
I almost—almost—say it’s not worth it, not if I’m stuck with an asshole in a really nice suit but a terrible fucking attitude. “I don’t want to deal with King anymore.”
