Frayed: A Small Town Sports Romance (Willow Springs Series Book 1)

by Laura Pavlov

  “That’s where you’re wrong, Jett. I know exactly who you are. And you may have dazzled my daughter because she’s a little lost right now, but your shtick doesn’t work on me. You’re only going to college because you can throw a ball. And I’m sure you’ll manage to screw that up too and follow in your mother’s footsteps with a dead-end job. There’s nothing more I need to know. The apple never falls far from the tree.” She shrugged.

  My hands fisted at my sides. “Thankfully the apple falls far from the tree in your home. Your daughters are nothing like you, and you can’t stand that she has a mind of her own. Tell Adelaide I had to go. I’m done with this conversation.”

  “You best be done with a lot more than the conversation, Jett. Stay away from my daughter, or I promise to make your life a living hell.”

  I jogged down the steps and didn’t stop until I got to my bike. I was still in shock. Savannah Edington had never been kind to me, but this attack was a stretch even for her.

  I started up my bike and saw Adelaide running toward me with confusion. “Hey, my mom said you had to run. But I wanted to say goodbye to you.”

  I didn’t meet her gaze. “Gram’s not feeling well. I need to get going.”

  She reached for my hand and moved her head in front of mine to meet my gaze. “Okay. Text me and let me know she’s okay. I love you.”

  “Will do.” I pulled my hand away and revved my engine before taking off and leaving her standing there. I should never have told her I loved her.

  I should have never started this with her.

  Because now it would hurt like hell to walk away.

  But her mother was right. I wasn’t good enough for Adelaide. That’s the one thing we could agree on.

  I sent a text to Shaw and Jax when I got home, and they were both at my house within ten minutes. We climbed out on my roof, just like we always did, and Shaw pulled a beer out of his coat and handed it to me.

  “How did dinner with the in-laws go?” he asked over a chuckle.

  “Not fucking well. Her mother is a psychopath. She went all gangster on me and told me to stay away from her daughter. I should never have started this shit up with Adelaide. We don’t fit. I fucking knew better.” I tipped my head back and slammed the beer. The cool liquid hit my system and I relaxed a bit.

  “Fuck that,” Jax said. “Are you kidding me right now? Everyone knows Addy’s mom is a haughty bitch. She doesn’t know what she’s talking about. Tune that shit out.”

  But there were things even Jax and Shaw didn’t know about me. Things I didn’t want anyone to know. Especially Savannah Edington because then the whole damn town would find out. That wouldn’t be fair to Ma. Hell, she didn’t even know that I knew her secret.

  “Come on, brother. You’ve never let anyone tell you who you are. Addy is crazy about you. And keep in mind her mother wanted her to date that piece of shit, Taulson. She’s clearly a poor judge of character.”

  “We don’t fit. She’s right about that much.” I shook my head, tipping back the last of the beer in the can. “Why the fuck do I have to love the one girl that I shouldn’t?”

  Jax’s eyes doubled in size. “Holy shit. I didn’t know you loved her. I never thought I’d see the day. That icy heart of yours finally softened.”

  I flipped him the bird.

  “Listen, Jett. People in this town can be judgmental little shits, and Addy’s mom is the leader of the pack. But anyone who knows you—they know you’re a winner. Why else did thirty-two schools try to recruit you, huh?”

  “Because I can throw a fucking football.” I rolled my eyes, wishing he had another beer tucked in his coat pocket.

  “Bullshit. You’re fucking brilliant, and you know it’s true because I would never compliment you unless it were absolutely necessary,” Shaw said through his laughter.

  “What are you going to do?” Jax asked, and I saw the empathy when I met his gaze.

  “I’m going to take a step back and try to figure this shit out. We’re both leaving for school soon, and I’m guessing she’ll be staying here and going to State if her mom has anything to do with it.”

  “Dude, you know we always have your back, but I think you’re making a mistake on this one.” Shaw tipped his head back and looked up at the stars in the dark sky. Crickets chirped in the background, but it was otherwise a peaceful night.

  “You’re right about that. I’ve made a mistake by letting it get this far. All right, thanks for coming over. I’m going to sleep on it and try to figure this shit out.”

  “You want me to stay and hang out?” Jax offered, but I insisted I was fine.

  I wasn’t.

  But I’d figure this shit out on my own.

  Just like I always did.

  Chapter Nineteen

  Adelaide

  I’d called Jett several times last night after he’d left, and he hadn’t answered. Clem told me she heard our mother out on the front porch talking with him, but when I’d grilled Mama, she’d claimed they had a pleasant conversation and she’d inquired about his mother and grandmother.

  But when he didn’t show up to school or respond to any of my texts, I knew something was up. I’d pestered Jax and Shaw all day, and they wouldn’t say anything, but I didn’t miss the way they kept looking back and forth between one another.

  So, here I was. Driving to his fight with Coco, who’d just picked me up. I’d snuck out my bedroom window. It was a school night. Edingtons didn’t go out on school nights and certainly didn’t attend illegal fights. But I was quickly learning that I was a lot more than just an Edington. And Jett Stone was a part of me. He owned my heart. And I was determined to figure out what happened.

  I jumped in the passenger seat of the car and Coco turned to face me. “Okay. I’m going to tell you something. It took a lot to get Shaw to crack, but I think I know what happened.”

  “What?” I asked, my gaze searching hers for answers.

  “Freaking Savannah Edington went all mobster and told him to stay away from you. She said he wasn’t good enough, which is ironic, considering she thinks Alec is good enough, and we all know what a douchebag he is.”

  I shook my head. This was a stretch, even for my mother. She wasn’t a monster. Sure, she was set in her ways, but to pull him aside and tell him he wasn’t good enough. My hands fisted at my sides and I tried to calm my breathing. “What is wrong with her, Co?”

  “I think she lets Mama T get to her, and she’s probably been chirping in her ear every day about you moving on from Alec. Who knows? But you need to put her in her place, Addy. This is like a bad B movie where the mama goes all crazy and kills everyone in town because her daughter didn’t win the beauty pageant.” She pulled away from the curb and laughed.

  I rolled my eyes. “You have a twisted imagination. But I need to fix things with Jett first. Mama and I are due for a conversation, but I don’t even know if I can talk to her right now. I can’t believe she would invite him to dinner and then behave like that. I knew my mom could be snobby, but I never thought she was mean-spirited. My father will not be okay with this either.”

  “First things first. Get your boy back, and then we’ll figure out how to deal with your momager.”

  I laughed now, but a sick feeling settled in my stomach. People like my mother gave Willow Springs a bad name. And Jett might not want to deal with this kind of drama. He might not think I’m worth it. But I was damn well going to make sure that he knew I loved him, and if he was going to walk away, he wasn’t going to do it easily because I was going to fight for this.

  For him.

  For us.

  We pulled up at the warehouse and Shaw met us at the door. “Jesus, Co. You know he’s going to be pissed that you brought her here. Sorry, Addy. No offense to you.”

  “Listen, you’re hot as hell, Shaw. And if you’re lucky, this thing betwee
n us can keep going until we both leave for school. But make no mistake, it’s always going to be sisters before misters with me. Chicks before dicks. Hos before bros. You get it? This is my girl. She deserves to have a say before he kicks her to the curb.”

  “Okay, then. You had me at sisters before misters. No need to bring my dick into it.” Shaw crossed his arms over his chest.

  “Nor did you need to call me a ho,” I grumped, searching the space for Jett.

  “Addy was coming whether she came with me or not. I wasn’t about to let her come alone. So, let’s do this.”

  We followed Shaw up near the front with a good view of the cage. Jax looked at each of us and raised a brow at Shaw. “He’s going to kill you. You know that, right?”

  “Unless you want a lengthy explanation about sisters and chicks and dicks and hos, I suggest you drop it. She wants to talk to him.” Shaw motioned for me to slip in first and take the seat next to Jax. Coco sat beside me, and Shaw took the end seat.

  “Hey, Jax,” I said, looking behind me to see if I could find Jett. “Shaw didn’t invite me here. I came on my own. Don’t be mad at him.”

  “I’m not mad, Addy. I’m actually glad you’re here. He’s in a mood tonight and I’m guessing it has a lot to do with what’s going on between you two. But he’s definitely going to be pissed you came. That’s just Jett. He’ll get over it.”

  “I don’t really know what’s going on between us because he won’t tell me. He’s ghosted me since dinner last night. But apparently my mother tried to run him off. I’m just surprised he didn’t tell me.”

  “Maybe he didn’t tell you because he doesn’t want to hurt you,” Jax said with a shrug.

  “Well, ignoring me hurts a lot more than telling me the truth about my mom.”

  The crowd moved to their feet as Jett and the other fighter were announced. They made their way out to the cage and my stomach turned as the first round started. Jett was quick on his feet as his opponent went for a leg sweep and missed. They both got in a few hits and kicks, but Jett was definitely dominating the fight. He hadn’t looked our way yet, and I was grateful. I didn’t want to distract him, but I was damn well going to talk to him after. He made some sort of move with his leg and dropped the other guy to the mat. I screamed louder than I meant to, and his head turned in slow motion and he found me. All the air left my lungs when his dark brown gaze locked with mine.

  His opponent used the moment of weakness to his favor and flipped Jett on his back, taking control. My heart nearly jumped out of my chest. Jett took a hit to the face and scrambled to get back to his feet.

  “Shit,” Shaw whispered under his breath and I bit down on my bottom lip. “That was close.”

  Jett didn’t look back over again, as they went into the third round. He came out with a force, dropping the other guy to the mat and using a choke hold. Just beneath his right eye had started to swell and sweat dripped from his forehead. And he looked sexy as hell. I made a mental note that if he ever let me touch him again, I would definitely be inquiring about that tattoo on his left arm.

  Jett’s opponent tapped out and the fight came to an end, as the crowd went absolutely crazy. Jett was making a name for himself in the underground fighting world, and people came out to see him fight now. I didn’t like when he fought, but I found it admirable that he did it to help his mom.

  “Holy shit, Addy. He lost his focus when he saw you,” Coco said, coming up beside me as we made our way down the long hallway to meet him.

  “I know. I feel bad. He took a hard hit.”

  “Maybe it’ll knock some sense into him,” Shaw grumbled. “Don’t back down when he pushes you away. He’ll try, trust me. Be persistent. It’s the only way you’ll get through to him.” Shaw wrapped an arm around my best friend, and I nodded.

  “He’s really just a soft pussy under that badass exterior,” Jax said, and I appreciated Jett’s friends trying to help me with the situation.

  They could have judged me for how my mother had behaved, but they didn’t.

  But apparently, Jett did.

  “Okay,” I said.

  Jett stormed out of the locker room and pointed his finger at his two best friends. “You fucking brought her here?”

  “Her? You can’t speak to me now?” I said, moving in front of them to get in his face.

  “You shouldn’t be here.” He crossed his arms over his chest.

  “They didn’t bring me here. I came on my own because you’re being a stubborn ass and you won’t take my calls,” I hissed, assessing the damage beneath his eye as I spoke.

  “Did you ever think that I didn’t take your calls because I don’t want to talk to you?” he asked, squaring his shoulders and showing no emotion.

  Shaw, Jax, and Coco turned on their feet and pushed through the doors to the parking lot, giving us a minute alone. The cool air whooshed in, and I poked him hard in the chest with my finger.

  “No. I didn’t think that. Because typically you don’t tell someone that you love them, and then ghost them right after. I know my mom said something to you, and instead of talking to me, you shut me out. You don’t like being judged by everyone in this town, yet that’s exactly what you’re doing to me. I’m not my mother. You’re a coward, Jett Stone. You walked away the first time things got tough.” I stormed out of the warehouse a few steps behind our friends.

  He didn’t say anything.

  He was going to let me go.

  When I got to Coco’s car, I turned around to see him standing at his bike, running a hand down his face.

  “Ace,” he called out.

  “What?” I shouted, anger still coursing my veins.

  “Take a ride with me?”

  “Atta girl. You made your point. Give him a chance now,” Jax said under his breath, as he stood beside me, his back to Jett.

  “Go. Text me no matter how late to let me know you’re home,” Coco said, shoving at my shoulder.

  “I think we found Jett’s weakness.” Shaw’s words were barely audible, but I heard him. I nodded at Coco before walking toward his motorcycle.

  “Where?” I asked, standing with my hands crossed over my chest.

  “Get on.”

  I rolled my eyes, but I took the helmet from his hands and placed it on my head, before jumping on the back of his bike.

  We took off, and I had no idea where we were going, and I didn’t care. I just wanted to be with him. I slipped my hands beneath his hoody and leather coat, feeling his warm skin against mine, and I tucked my head behind him as the wind whipped around us. I was thankful that I’d chosen a heavy sweater tonight.

  We drove for what felt like hours, but in reality was probably only thirty minutes as we made our way around the opposite side of the lake from where we usually hung out. He pulled over down by the water, less than a block from my house. His motorcycle wasn’t quiet, so I was grateful that he’d thought of that. The last thing I wanted to do was wake my parents before we got to speak. He got off his bike and undid my helmet and reached for my hand.

  “Let’s go sit,” he said.

  I took his hand and followed him. We dropped to sit on the small beach area. It was dark, with just a little bit of light coming from the stars above. Water lapped against the shore, and I stared out at the darkness.

  “I’m sorry for ghosting you.”

  “Okay. Let’s talk about it.” I turned to face him and reached for his hand.

  “Listen, Ace, I don’t want to talk shit about your mom. Hell, there was some truth to her words. She doesn’t think I’m good enough for you, and she’s right. There are things that you don’t know about me. Things that would change the way you looked at me.”

  I pushed up to sit on my knees and used my thumb to stroke over the area swelling beneath his eye. “There is nothing you could tell me that would change the way I feel
about you. My mother is dead wrong. Keep in mind she thinks Alec, who has lied and cheated on me multiple times, is good enough for me. So, we aren’t dealing with someone rational. She doesn’t know what she’s talking about. I love you. That’s what’s important. Not my mother’s opinion. You can’t shut me out like that.”

  He covered his hand over mine, and his gaze studied me so intently, I lost my breath.

  “What is it?” I whispered.

  He removed his hand from mine and looked out at the water. “I overheard my mom talking to her best friend, Shay, a few months ago. She didn’t know I was home. I always thought my father just abandoned us.”

  He paused and his tongue came out and swiped his bottom lip. The water lapping against the shore didn’t soothe me enough to stop my heart from racing.

  “What did she say?”

  “She was raped, Ace. My father was a monster.” His words were so soft, so full of pain, and every part of me ached to comfort him.

  I moved forward, wrapping my arms around him, and holding him as close as physically possible. Wanting to make him feel loved. Because he was.

  “I’m so sorry, Jett.”

  He shifted away a little, and pulled me onto his lap, wrapping his arms around me. Tears streamed down my cheeks, and I felt wetness where he’d buried his face in my neck and I knew he was overcome with emotion too.

  “I’ve never told anyone what I heard. Promise me you will keep this between us.” He looked up to meet my gaze.

  “I would never tell a soul. But maybe you should talk to your mom about it? It might be good for both of you.”

  “No. She obviously doesn’t want me to know what a monster my father was. She prefers that I just think he left on some adventure. This is her secret to tell me when she’s ready.” He let out a long breath.

  “You can talk to me any time you need to about it. I’ll always be here for you, okay? And I’m really, really sorry that my mother treated you badly, Jett. She doesn’t know what she’s talking about. She treats everyone poorly, if I’m being honest. But I’m not her. I think you are—” I paused as tears ran down my cheeks and I clasped a hand to each side of his face. “You’re so brilliant, and talented, and beautiful to me.”