"I'm with Alec and Lily," he finally said. "We're in an apartment in Irvine. Park West. Okay? Can I go now?"
"Yes, of course. Of course, Jackie. Thank you. You hear me? Thank you. Good, good luck this season, huh? Maybe, maybe I could come to one of your games."
"I have to go," he said, his voice quiet, maybe even gentle. He didn't give her a chance to argue before hanging up and throwing his head back.
He cracked his knuckles. He was itching for a fight. His mom seemed to bring out the best in him.
6
Lily
After Lily pummeled her pillows, kicked the side of her bed, and shook her head so hard she pulled a muscle in her neck, she decided she had indulged for long enough.
"You need to actually do something about it," she muttered to herself as she stomped over to her computer and picked it up. Luckily, it didn't seem broken beyond repair. In fact, nothing seemed wrong with it, so she plugged it back in and woke it up from its sleep mode. "If that asshole thinks he can scare me, he has another fucking think coming."
Lily didn't even flinch when the swear word passed her lips. Her brows were furrowed as she tapped her foot impatiently, waiting for the laptop to load. She started to pace when it took longer than she expected. She had too much energy she needed to get rid of. If she didn't, she felt as though she would suffocate.
After typing in her password, she brought up the email again and hit reply. She didn't even think.
Go fuck yourself. Post it.
She clicked send, a rebellious thrill going off inside of her like a flare lighting up the night sky.
And then reality set in.
What had she just done? Had she just told her blackmailer to go fuck himself? What if he had more material? What if he planned to release more of it? What if—
She couldn't sit around and wait. She needed to do something. She had too much energy she needed to get rid of. She was going to suffocate if she didn't. Her face started to get hot. Too hot for her. Her throat seemed to close up. It was difficult for her to get a breath in. When she swallowed, it felt like she had sandpaper in her mouth and she couldn't get it down her throat. Tears started to build up in her eyes, but this time, she couldn't blink them away. She needed to get out of this room. She needed to get away.
But first, she needed to get dressed.
Lily was suddenly reminded that Jack was in the next room, doing who knew what. She hoped he hadn't heard her having a meltdown in her room. That was the last thing she needed—someone else concerned with her because she couldn't figure out how to handle a situation on her own. Even if he had, Lily knew Jack would never say anything about it. He would pretend he was ignorant of everything.
But she couldn't think about that right now, not when she had to get out of this place.
She threw on a pair of yoga pants and a T-shirt before lacing up her tennis shoes. She hadn't run in months—since the track season wrapped up in high school. But maybe now was the perfect time to get back into it, especially living in Irvine. There were so many different places to run, including the river trail.
She grabbed her phone and headphones and a hat before she walked out of her room.
Jack's head snapped up from the couch to see her standing there and he scrambled to sit up.
"Hey," he said.
If the circumstances weren't so serious, Lily would have been amused. "Hey," she said.
"Everything all right?" he asked. He glanced down at her outfit, but there was no desire in his eyes. Not that she expected any, but he wasn't trying to be a creep.
"I'm going for a run," she told him. "Where's Alec?"
It had been too quiet here.
"I, uh, I actually don't remember," Jack said. "Out, I think." He stood. "Do you mind if I join you?"
"Oh." That surprised her. "Sure."
"I'm not trying to intrude—"
She waved the thought away before he could finish it. "You're not," she insisted. "I'll wait."
Jack stood and headed into Alec's room. Lily placed her hands on her hips and began to stretch. She hadn't warmed up before running a couple of times and had paid for it after her race. They said you could get away with not doing it at a young age, but Lily knew better.
A few minutes later, Jack came out of the room, rolling his shoulders back. He was in a tight white T-shirt and shorts that fit him just right and reached his knees. He was one of the few guys Lily knew that could get away with high socks that met the middle of his toned calves. A worn pair of Nikes were on his feet. In fact, the more Lily looked at them, the more she realized these were the same ones he had worn in high school.
"Ready?" Lily asked, forcing herself to meet his eyes. She didn't want to make him feel uncomfortable.
"Yeah."
The two left the apartment and headed down the nearby staircase. They started jogging out of the complex, passing a golf course and a Kindercare. There were trails if they headed closer to University High School, which they could reach if they went left onto Harvard.
"Anywhere you want to go in particular?" she asked.
He shook his head. "I'm following you," he said.
"You're brave."
A small smile slid on her face as she hit the pedestrian button. It felt foreign, like after everything she had just experienced in the past hour had made her feel as though she had forgotten how to smile. She hated that feeling. She didn't want smiling to feel strange. She couldn't let that asshole take that away from her.
They turned left on Harvard and continued to pass a bright green golf course. Everything about Irvine was bright and clean. It was the first thing Lily noticed when she first moved here: everything was so much cleaner than back home. On top of that, there was much more greenery, tons of parks and golf courses, and even a man-made lake where people could go fishing with the proper permits closer to the Woodbridge area.
Talking to people who grew up here, Lily learned that many thought this place was a bubble, protecting the residents from the real world. The entirety of the land was owned by the Irvine Company, houses all looked the same and there were restrictions placed on them that one wouldn't find in another city. Even the police seemed to harp on giving out tickets for something like jaywalking, which wasn't a huge deal compared to what they could be doing. It was also incredibly affluent, with the bulk of the population Middle Eastern and Korean, which meant there were many more stores and churches and mosques in the city as well.
If Lily could be honest, she appreciated the orderly city more than some of the residents. Sure, the cops maybe could let certain things go, but the limited experience that she had with them was that they typically didn’t. A ticket was issued for a bad attitude or a second-time offender. More than that, Irvine was the safest city in the nation. There was a reason for that.
They jogged in silence. It was a surprisingly overcast day for summer. Southern California had pretty predictable weather and even if it wasn't hot, the sun would still be out and the sky would still be clear. However, looking at the sky now, Lily realized there was a good chance it might actually rain.
Perfect.
She needed the rain. It might cleanse her of the frustration and anger she felt every time she thought back to that message. She clenched her teeth, tightening her fingers into fists as she ran. How dare he even email her at all? How dare he take video of them having sex without her consent?
Lily sped up. She couldn't help it. All of the anger bubbling up inside of her body needed to be released in some way. Jack managed to keep up with her without any issue. It didn't seem like he even broke a sweat as he ran.
Bastard.
The truth of the matter was, she felt better with him here, if only slightly. He made her feel like everything was going to be okay, even if that might not exactly be the case.
She continued down Harvard, passing apartment complexes and residential areas, until they got to the University Towne Shopping Center. It was across the street from some of the dormitories
that belonged to the university. Lily slowed her running to a light jog before coming to a stop. She needed a moment to breathe, to just feel the burn in her chest and her lungs. It felt good. It made her feel alive, in control.
"I didn't realize you liked to run," Jack said. Again, he didn't sound out of breath. It made a small part of her want to smack him. "At least, I don't remember you running back when we were in high school."
"Yeah, well, there're a lot of things I did and didn't do in high school," Lily snapped before closing her eyes and shaking her head. She hadn't meant to snap. She opened her mouth, ready to apologize when Jack jumped in.
"I suppose you're right," he said.
She opened her eyes to look at Jack, but he had paced a couple of feet ahead of her, his body facing the Trader Joe's. One man had a Gulls cap on and Lily felt herself smile.
"I didn't mean to snap," she said. "I just, I'm just going through something right now."
Jack turned to catch her eye. "Did you want to talk about it?" he asked slowly, almost hesitantly.
Lily wanted to tell Jack everything. She wanted him to make her feel safe, the way she felt when they were running. Instead, Lily crossed her arms over her chest and looked away. She couldn't tell Jack about her ex, about the video. God, she would be embarrassed. Jack might not look at her the same way once he found out. Not that he looked at her a certain way now. They were acquaintances at best, but the last thing she wanted was for Jack to find out.
"It's fine," she said, waving it away. Her eyes were glued to the concrete underneath her feet. "I can handle it myself. You have so much on your plate already and I definitely don't want to bother you with it."
"You wouldn't bother me with it at all," Jack insisted. He placed his hand on her shoulder, his touch light, perhaps even hesitant. "Look, Lily, I know we have a strange relationship, but I want you to know that I'm here for you."
There was a low rumble in the distance, causing Lily to jump. She had been so caught up in the moment between her and Jack that she had completely forgotten about the fact that there was a good chance it was going to rain today. One big fat drop of water landed on the tip of her nose. She drew her eyes in that direction, trying to look at it. When she heard Jack laughing, she realized she probably looked cross-eyed.
He leaned closer to her than he already was and used the tip of his finger to wipe the rain from her nose. She sucked in a breath. Her heart pounded against her chest and she felt her cheeks heat up under his dark, penetrating gaze. His eyes dropped from her nose to her lips, and before she could stop herself, she darted her tongue out, sweeping her bottom lip. His eyes widened and his mouth dropped open slightly.
This was it. Lily was sure he was going to kiss her. She didn't know if that was what she wanted. She didn't know if this was right, but she couldn't seem to pull away.
Another boom caused Lily to jump as the shock of thunder vibrated through her body.
"We should probably get home before we get drenched," Lily murmured, looking away.
Maybe the rain wasn't a bad thing. It would certainly help her cool off.
7
Jack
It rained the rest of the day. Around one o'clock, Jack had to leave. He and Alec were required to go to the Great Park and get ready for a scrimmage against the other rookies at five o'clock that evening. It was an important game, despite the fact that it meant nothing, because it would be the first time Jack was able to showcase his abilities.
He should have been focused on it. He should have been focused on everything from visualizing the smooth passes he was going to make, to warming up, to making sure his skates were sharpened and his blade was taped up. Taping up the blade of his stick always put him in the right frame of mind. It helped calm him down and focus on the game.
But Jack was not focused or thinking or visualizing. All he could think about was Lily and how something was bothering her but he couldn't put his finger on what that was. More than that, he wanted to. He actually cared what was bothering her. He wanted to make sure she was okay. The whole impromptu jog in the rain was not typical of her. It was strange and cathartic and yes, he had ample opportunity to kiss her, but chose not to. Looking back, he regretted that decision, especially since there was some part of her that wanted him to kiss her too. The way she looked at him, the way she darted her tongue across her lips…Jack groaned just thinking about it.
"You okay, man?" Alec asked, stepping into the living room. He was completely dressed in his tracksuit, concern in his pale green eyes. "Did going on that run with Lily in the rain get you sick? I swear, she is only focused on herself sometimes." He put his hands on his hips and shook his head.
Jack felt his lips curve up. It was a joke, he knew, one of Alec's lame attempts at talking shit on his sister, who was practically perfect.
Jack stood up from the couch and shrugged a shoulder. "My mom called," he admitted. It wasn't a lie and Alec would instantly know what that meant. Any thoughts of Lily would vanish from Alec's mind.
"Oh." Alec paused. "I'm sorry, man. Anything I can do?"
"Nah." Jack shook his head as they headed out the door together. "It was weird. She didn't even ask for anything, just wanted to know where I was staying because she wanted to make sure I was safe."
Alec wrinkled his brow. "That does not sound like your mom," he said. He opened the door and Jack made sure to close it once he was outside. "Are you sure she's not using some sort of Jedi mind trick?"
Jack shook his head. "She doesn't even know what a Jedi is," he pointed out. "Plus, she isn't that clever."
Alec opened his mouth but then shut it as they headed down the stairs. "You good for tonight?" he asked. "The last thing I need is you distracted."
Jack practically rolled his eyes. "Yeah, yeah." They bounded down the stairs and headed to the parking spot where Jack kept his car. "Don't worry. I'll make you look like a god; I just need you to make sure you're ready for the passes, okay?"
"I was born ready, bro."
This time, Jack did roll his eyes.
- - -
Scrimmages at the AHL level were still fun to watch. The organization didn't charge anyone for coming in and watching. They were only charged for the food they bought once they were inside the stadium. As a member of the team, Jack didn't have to pay for parking or even park in the general lot with everyone else. Instead, he was waved over to a special part of the lot and ushered down a small slope that allowed him to park his car in an underground garage. This way, he didn't have to worry about anyone following him or trying to steal his shit during or after a game.
The car itself was a Ford Taurus. It used to belong to his mom, but now Jack drove it. He wished he didn't have to, but he had no other choice. If he wanted a car for transportation, he would put his pride aside and use it. It was the only thing his mother ever gave him that was of use to him, even though the Check Engine light was always on and the gas light would randomly turn on even though the needle was positioned in the middle of the gas scale.
Once the car was parked, Jack and Alec grabbed their bags from the back and slung them over their shoulders. They headed inside the stadium and curved to the right where the locker rooms were. The design was similar to the Ice Palace, which was exactly what Ken Brown, the original owner of the Gulls, wanted. If he ever had to send players down or bring players up, he wanted to ensure everything was familiar to them so they wouldn't be too discouraged.
Jack and Alec saw some of their teammates and gave them all cursory nods and small greetings. They found their individual lockers and started to get undressed. Their coach, a Russian-American Bostonian, had yet to show up.
Alec saw someone he knew and headed over to chat. Jack, on the other hand, didn't like to socialize before a game, only because he needed the time to focus and get his mind clear. Taping his stick really helped, but he was in the habit of doing it only when he needed to in order to not waste the tape and have to be consistently buying it, so it was difficult for
him to talk himself into doing it more consistently now that he was making money playing hockey. At least he could write off the tape on taxes.
"All right, boys." Jack turned. He hadn't even realized Scott Kabanets was inside the locker room until just then.
Kabanets was a young guy, probably in his thirties, holding a clipboard to his chest. Jack didn't know much about him except that his family emigrated here from Russia when Kabanets was young so he had an odd Bostonian-Russian accent. Rumor had it, he also played for the KHL in Russia and even spent some time here in the States before a player went for his knee and shattered it, thus ending his career. He had a hybrid style of coaching, with a firmness that reflected old school hockey, while also learning new and innovative plays to teach his team.
Jack had only met the guy a couple of times, but when Seraphina Hanson drafted him, he was told that Kabanets pulled heavily to pick up Jack and Alec because they made a good pair.
"Tonight, we play a friendly matchup against the San Francisco Grizzlies," he said. "For those of you who don't know, the Grizzlies and the Mayhem have a big rivalry. Just like the Gulls have one with the Prisoners and the Hollywood Stars, we have one with the Grizzlies and the Pasadena Ice Dogs. This game is going to be chippy. The crowd is going to be into it. Don't get disheartened when you see the stadium half-full. Remember, we're still in summer. We have a big following, especially in Irvine. We will get sold out games throughout the season—but you have to make the team first. Some of you were drafted just last month. I want to see how hungry you are for this. It may be practice, but play hard, you got it?"
The locker room all nodded. Even Jack moved his head up and down once.
Rookies Do It Better: Book 1 in The Minor League Mayhem Series Page 4