He lets me go and I give him a slight nod, letting him know that I truly hear his words. He has made his peace and now we can start working on mending that bridge that was torn down three years ago.
Coach watches on and can clearly see that whatever needed to happen here is done and makes his way over. “Logan Water’s, what the hell are you doing in my training session?”
Logan instantly switches to his usual charming self and gives Coach a warm grin. “Thought I’d come and make sure you weren’t screwing up these kid’s chance of defending their title,” he smirks.
“Watch it, Logan,” Coach warns. “Just because you’re a big hotshot now doesn’t mean that I won’t still snap you in half.”
“Like to see you try,” Logan replies fondly. “What do you say, I get on and show these dimwits how a real man plays hockey?”
“Fuck me,” Coach groans with a shake of his head. “I’m going to regret this,” he says, giving Logan a nod and turning away.
Logan grins before disappearing towards the locker rooms to get ready at the rink he called home for his whole college career. “You know Waters?” Coach asks with deep curiosity behind his eyes as I catch up to him.
“Sure do, Coach. We go way back.” I say, pulling my gloves and helmet back on.
He lets out a frustrated sigh as he considers my response. “I should have known, your technique is near identical.”
With a smirk I turn to face a bunch of teenage girls, all star struck by one of their current idols. “Quit drooling,” I tell them, “You’ve got drills to run and please don’t make me look like a dipshit in front of Logan. I’ll never live it down.”
With that, the boys get straight back into training, after all, we have our first game of the season coming up at the end of the week and these bastards need to be ready. Like Logan said. We have a title to defend. With Logan on the ice, the boys all kick it up a notch. It doesn’t take them long to realise they all still have a lot to learn.
Logan kicks their asses while giving them as much encouragement as possible, the same way he had done for me when I was a kid. It’s completely surreal having him share the ice with me again but something about it feels right, comforting almost.
It’s crazy to see in person just how much he has improved since the last time I played against him, though I guess that’s expected when he has played for the NHL for the past four years. He gives the boys a few tricks of the trade and I watch on as Coach gives Logan the look of a proud father.
The session comes to an end and we all pile off the ice. “You’re a good choice for Captain, kid” Logan says as he whips off his skates. “I can see how much you’ve improved. You’ve got what it takes.”
“Thanks,” I nod as he stands beside me.
“I got to run,” he says, grabbing his things then looks down at me hesitantly and I know the big bang is coming. “Look, I know it’s not my place to say,” he starts. “I have no idea what’s going on between you two or what even happened three years ago but Cass is all we have left. I know it’s hard and probably really sucks but look out for her, ok? Keep her out of trouble?”
“You know I will,” I say getting up and giving him a quick goodbye. “See you around, man.”
“Alright, thanks, kid. I’ll see you later,” he says, pulling me in for a quick hug and clapping me on the shoulder. With a grateful nod, he turns towards the locker room door, gives Coach a quick goodbye and disappears.
Holy shit. I was not expecting my afternoon to turn out like that.
I’ve got my brother’s back. While that road is still bumpy as shit, it’s still there and that’s all that counts. A sense of relief comes over me and for the first time in a long time, I start to feel content, like a piece of my heart has finally been given back to me, almost like a puzzle piece has finally found its spot.
Chapter 7
Cassie
“Come on,” Brianna whines as she puts a brush through her dark hair. “You’ve been sulking for days, just tell me what happened already and then I can make it better.”
“You already know what happened,” I shoot back. “And besides, I have not been sulking.”
“Whatever,” she scoffs, dropping down into the seat opposite me and pulling her legs up under her. “You’ve been a complete loser all week. And as for knowing what happened, there is a difference between witnessing the walls shake from the next room due to your intense screwing and actually knowing what’s going on.”
“Ugh,” I groan. “If I tell you, will you leave it alone?”
She considers my question for the slightest moment. “No. Probably not,” she answers honestly.
“You’re so annoying,” I grunt, “But fine.”
She squeals in excitement and grabs a cushion off the floor to get comfortable for story time. “There honestly isn’t much to tell,” I warn her.
“I don’t care, I want all the juicy details, right down to how much things have changed in the downstairs area,” she grins, holing up her hands and making estimations of the size of Jax’s dick, though at least she is one of the few girls who hasn’t had the pleasure of being screwed by Jaxon Payne.
“First of all. Jax is Jax, do you think he would be as popular with all the slut’s on campus if he was lacking in the equipment area?” I ask with a raised eyebrow.
“Hmm, I’d suppose not, though there really isn’t any point in having great equipment if the guy doesn’t know how to use it.”
“Trust me, he definitely knows how to use it,” I say, unable to hold back my grin as all the steamy memories come rushing back, making me needy for more.
“Yeah, I kind of figured, you know, by the way you were screaming his name. I’ve faked many of orgasms in my time and I tell you, that was not fake.”
“Oh, geez,” I grunt in embarrassment.
“Shit, I should have made some popcorn for this conversation,” she muses. “But get on with it.”
“Fine,” I groan. “So, he completely bombarded me at work on Saturday after some skank told him where to find me,” I say giving her a pointed look.
She shrugs her shoulders. “What can I say? The man is very charming, he does this thing with his eyes and, ugh, I just caved like a bitch in heat.”
I roll my eyes and continue my story. “Anyway, I was completely unprepared, I mean, I had everything sorted out for if I saw him on campus or something but I was not expecting it then so I’m pretty sure I froze.” I go on to tell her how he came back and we talked in the back room about my parents and how we held each other searching for comfort.
I explain getting locked in, jumping out the damn window, getting caught in the freaking storm and lastly, my car getting locked in the parking lot, all to Bri’s delight of course as she comments that my life is like a movie. “He insisted on taking me home, you know, Jaxon Payne, always has to be the hero making sure the damsel in distress is safe and sound. So, I said that I’ll get him a towel but instead of staying out here,” I say, motioning to the lounge room, “he followed me down the hallway, found my room and saw a few of the things that I’d been holding onto and… Then he touched me.”
“Hold on a minute, you little hussy. You’re going to have to clarify what kind of touch it was,” Bri interjects.
I think back to that moment, how his eyes gazed into mine and he lifted his hand slowly, making his intention clear. I know without a doubt that I won’t be able to explain this the right way so I get to my feet. Bri looks at me with a confused, blank expression. “Get up,” I groan.
She does as she’s told but still watches me strangely until I clarify, “I can’t explain it so I’m going to show you what happened.”
“Yes,” she says, pumping her little fist in the air.
“Alright, you’re me,” I tell her then give instructions to take her hair out and squat down a little so the height difference between us would be correct. She gives me an excited nod and puts on a dreamy face as she bats her eyelashes at me. “I do not look l
ike that.”
“Shut up and get the show on the road,” she demands.
I can’t help but laugh at her excitement as I put on the show of a lifetime. I focus on her eyes, giving her the same lustful look that Jax had given me, though by now, I swear I already had Goosebumps covering my whole body. I take the two agonisingly slow steps towards her, letting her know my/his intention as my eyes continue to bore holes into hers.
I finally step up to her and tilt my head down to her before slowly raising my hand and gently pushing her hair back behind her ear. My hand trails down the side of her face and down her arm as I shuffle my body closer to hers. “Holy shit,” she murmurs. “You’re going to get me all hot and bothered if you keep going.”
At that, I crack up and step back out of her personal space. “Yeah, well imagine how I felt.”
“Fuck, yeah, you would have been screwed.”
“Literally,” I laugh.
“I’m sorry, I know you don’t want to hear this but I’ve seen him in action, picking up countless of girls and not once has he looked at one of them the way you just did then. I hate to be the one to tell you, but that boy is still in love with you,” she offers.
I start shaking my head before she has even finished her sentence. “No, there’s no way. He made it pretty clear that it was a onetime deal. I broke his heart. No, I shattered it and I have to deal with those consequences.”
“Babe,” she says with regret in her voice and sadness in her eyes. “I think there’s still something there.”
“Yeah, I know, I could feel it from him but it was different. It’s not the same as it used to be. I don’t know, it almost felt like the goodbye we didn’t get three years ago.” I explain. “And besides, he is so close to his dream of being in the NHL, he doesn’t need me around screwing it up.”
“Well, with all due respect to Jaxon,” she starts. “He is a great player but I’m pretty sure he needs a girl like you around to keep him grounded. He’s most likely going to screw the wrong chick and get himself in trouble. Bye-bye NHL.”
“Probably,” I grunt in agreeance. “But it’s no hope. I broke his heart in a bad way and it’s going to take a lot to earn his forgiveness. Hell, I don’t think he would ever forgive me for leaving him.”
“Ok, well, answer these few questions,” she says, placing her hands on my shoulders and looking me straight in the eyes. “Are you physically and emotionally able to get through the day knowing he will never be a part of your life?”
“No,” I sigh, “That sucks too much.”
“Ok,” she continues. “Are you still madly in love with him?”
I look her squarely in the eyes as I answer. “Yes, Bri. I am.”
“Do you want him back?”
With a sad, resigned sigh I answer. “Yes. I want him back.”
“Good,” she smiles. “Then the new plan is to weasel you’re way back in. Go to every party, make your self-known on campus, become his best friend for all I care but be present. The boys run every morning around campus and now, so do we. You need to show him that you are here to stay and that you will do whatever it takes to earn his forgiveness.”
“Sounds like a great plan, Bri,” I say with a sad smile, “But this is Jaxon Payne. Biggest manwhore around. He isn’t the same guy he used to be and that’s all my doing. Getting him back is not going to be as simple as that.”
“It is that simple, Cass. I think the old Jaxon is still in there and I’m sure after the other night, there is no doubt in your mind that he is still in there. He’s just hurting and he needs you to take it away.”
“You really think that?” I sigh, already knowing she is right.
“Yeah, babe. I do,” she says with a confident nod of her head.
“I don’t know, I think it’s a lost cause. I’ve screwed up too much.”
“Look, the way I see it is, you can sit around here, fucking around each week avoiding him or you can go out there and give yourself the best damn chance of getting your man back. Yes, you fucked up. Yes, he is angry and hurt but you have this chance to earn his forgiveness and make things right…. Or would you rather regret it in 10 years when you’re marrying Tom from accounting and having 2.5 kids?”
“Fuck you,” I groan. “Why did I have to go and move in with the one person who could make me see reason? This freaking sucks.”
“So….,” she asks slowly. “You’re going to fight for him?”
“Yes, I’m going to fight for him,” I say, mimicking her annoying voice.
Bri’s face lights up like the 4th of July. “Oh, Hell yeah,” she says, jumping up and running to the kitchen.
“If this backfires, I’m blaming you,” I call after her.
“Get stuffed. The only way this is going to backfire is if you screw it up again. I’m telling you, that boy still loves you. It’s your job to make him realise it,” she says, coming out of the kitchen with a bottle of wine and a bag.
“What’s that for?” I ask, eyeing the booze and bag suspiciously.
“We’re going out this afternoon and you’re going to need this,” she says, holding up the booze, “to make you do this.” A wicked gleam is in her eye as she hands me the bottle of wine and starts digging through the bag. “We’re going to get your sexy on,” she declares.
“Ah, what?” I ask in confusion.
“When was the last time you got screwed?” she asks, then adds, “And I’m not talking about the pounding you got from the man of the hour.”
I know she won’t give in until I answer her question so I take a deep breath and confess. “A while,” I tell her. She looks at me with a raised eyebrow. “Ok, ok. It was a really long while,” I admit.
With a smirk, she pulls out two tiny black crop tops and the tiniest little school girl skirts. I’m completely confused until she pulls out a matching pair of super hooker heels. I let out a groan but she beams up at me. “That’s right, Ganga, you and me are going pole dancing and you’re going to remember what it feels like to be sexy so chug that wine and get dressed. We’re leaving in 10.” And with that, she disappears down the hallway and closes her door behind her.
I look down at the tiny clothes sitting on the coffee table and groan. Great, just freaking great. I crack the lid of the wine and take a big gulp. Yep, she was right, I’m going to need this. I grab the clothes and the ridiculously high heels and make my way down to my bedroom.
With another gulp of wine, I start stripping and pull the tiny clothes on in front of my mirror. Oh geez, I look like a freaking whore. I add the shoes and have to laugh. Bri comes in at the sound and gives me an approving whistle. “Oh shut up, we look like a pair of cheap hookers,” I say, taking another drink of wine, only to have it taken from my hand as Bri does the same.
“No,” she argues, “We look freaking hot.”
With a shake of my head, I pull a singlet over the top and grab a pair of sweatpants and flip-flops. I stuff the heels into my bag and wait for Bri to do the same. “Ready?” she calls out from the kitchen.
“Yep,” I murmur, grabbing the bottle of wine off my bedside table and heading out to meet her.
We lock up the house and get going. As it’s a beautiful day we decide to walk and finish off the bottle. We are both very happy by the time we push through the doors of the pole dancing studio and I can actually say that I’m pretty damn excited about this. It’s something I’ve always wanted to try but never had the guts to do.
We introduce ourselves to our instructor and she directs us to the other group of beginners. We stand among the other girls who have already started to rid themselves of their clothes. Bri and I follow suit and strip off our tops and track pants while doing our best to hold in our tipsy giggles. I kick off my flip-flops and find my bag. Bri does the same and we each pull on our wicked high hooker heels.
The second we are ready to go, we each take a look at ourselves in the mirror which covers the full front of the room. Hell, yes. “Got to say, Bri, I’m freaking excite
d now,” I tell her.
“I knew you would be,” she laughs.
As the rest of the girls finish getting themselves ready, we crouch down around my bag and sneak another swig from the wine bottle. I stand up a little too quickly and realise I’m probably a little tipsier than I had thought but I honestly couldn’t care less.
Bri notices the happy glaze in my eyes and I giggle seeing the same look in hers. Yeah, this is going to be fun.
The instructor pumps us all up and says she is ready to get into it then turns to put on some music. We all spread out through the room and find ourselves a pole. Bri and I head to the back as it’s our first time and prefer to take our time with each move.
Our spot is right by a massive window but for once I can’t seem to care, instead, all we can manage to do is giggle like school girls at the intrigued faces of the men and women walking by.
Our instructor gets us started off with a sexy warm-up dance that has us swaying our hips, smacking our thighs, bending low and shaking our tits and asses. Even though we can hardly keep up with the moves, we are both having the absolute times of our lives.
We watch as the instructor places a hand on her pole, positions her feet and allows herself to spin around the pole and I know its super basic but I’m freaking impressed. Bri and I give each other a grin before we try for ourselves. We both drastically fuck up our first time but we eventually get the hang of it.
Next, we move on to learning how to climb the pole which is another hilarious experience though, I must admit, so far it has proven to be an amazing workout and I know my arms, stomach, and thighs will be killing me come tomorrow, hell, probably by later this afternoon.
We’re about an hour in when we start learning the real cool stuff like flipping upside down and doing something the instructor calls a superman move and I can’t believe how much I’m enjoying myself. The majority of the booze has worn off but I feel that I don’t need it anymore.
There are women of all shapes and sizes in here and not one has turned up her nose at another or watched another with lustful eyes and I feel like this is a place I could come again. I turn to Bri who is currently upside down on the pole but struggling to find grip and slowly sliding down. “Thanks,” I smile, knowing that without her this never would have happened. I’d be sitting at home, sulking about Jax and how I haven’t spoken to him in nearly a week. Instead, I’m here, upside down on a stripper pole, getting my sexy back with a plan to get my man back.
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