Rusty

- Chapter 26 -

Desirae

This dinner is decent, it's weird not being here with Celia. I'd love for her to be here right now. Jax has calmed down completely, he's really comfortable right now. I guess he has to be, he'll be spending a lot of time over the next 7 or 8 months.

"You okay?" He asks me, resting his hand on my thigh. Which increases my breathing rate slightly, "Yeah." I smile at him, focusing again on my food. Honestly, I wouldn't be surprised if the team thought I was mute. I would like to talk to people, but being around hockey players that aren't my boyfriend. I've been humbled.

Not to mention how beautiful their girlfriends and wives are. Like that is really humbling, like I'm not some Instagram model like they are. I'm a girl who studied architecture who still doesn't have a job, a month after getting her degree.

I am trying to get a job, I swear. It's really hard in this field though, there's only so many firms that are willing to hire graduates. I do have a few interviews next week.

"So, Desirae. When are you getting married." A player asks, how he knows my name. I don't fucking know, I'm not even going to try think.

"Uhm, we don't know. We don't have a date set, sometime soon though." I tell him, Jax puts his hand in mine under the table. I wouldn't say I'm anxious, but it does make me feel a little nervous. "Is that your girlfriend?" I ask him, looking over to the girl sat next to him.

"Yeah." He says, looking to his girlfriend. Who is focused on the food in front of her. "I'm Vera." She smiles at me, she clearly overheard our conversation, "Congrats" She says.

"Thank you! I'm Desirae." I smile back at her.

"We know." Her boyfriend laughs, "He doesn't shut up about you."

Jax overhears the conversation and immediately turns his head to face the other end of the table, "What does he say?" I ask.

He shakes his head, "Nothing bad, he really cares about you." I smile to myself, I squeeze his hand and he turns to look at me again.

"Thanks for that, Jason." He sighs, Jason laughs at him and turns back to talk to his girlfriend.

"You talk about me?" I ask him and snicker, he just rolls his eyes at me.

"Always, my love." He tells me. "It's not like your not in every one of my Instagram posts." He laughs at my realisation.

"Oh, yeah. Forgot about that." I lean against him, only for a moment before sitting up again. Why? One word, dessert.

I ordered my dessert earlier, the choices were endless. Like I wanted cake, but cake is too informal. Then I wanted Ice cream, but it's winter I'd fucking freeze.

So I got pie, why? I don't fucking know, I don't even like pie that much but everything deserves a second chance. Even pie.

"Pie? Since when did you eat pie." Jax asks me.

"I don't, I haven't in a while. Who knows pie in Canada can be different." I smile at him and he just scoffs at me. Not in a negative way, in a jokey way? Is that a word?

"Pie is pie?"

"Whatever." I roll my eyes at him and look at the slice of pie, it looks pretty. But it really, really doesn't taste pretty. I try to hide the disgust on my face but he can see it, "I should have got the cookie dough." I complain and he laughs at me because he knows he was right.

Let's be honest he was always going to be right when it comes to pie.

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"What did you think?"

"What did I think about what? The food, the people, the place? Help me out here." I ask him, lacing our fingers together. "Everything?" 

"Uhm, I liked Jason and his girlfriend. I didn't really talk to anyone else." I tell him, getting into our car. "How come?" He asks, when he sits down.

I think for a moment, maybe it's because I know no one or I'm socially awkward and can't start a conversation. "I don't know? Maybe I'm getting more socially awkward."

"I get it, it's a lot to take in." We haven't left yet, god forbid someone walks out and sees us talking in our car. That's a joke, but I don't want them to think we're talking about them.

I mean I guess we are? No, no we're not. We're talking about the event as a whole, plus the people who went. That doesn't make it any better, does it?

"Y'know it's weird, Im fine on social media but the minute I'm around a bunch of men and their girlfriends, I get really awkward." I laugh at myself, mainly because I'm clearly trying to kill myself off by trying to embarrass myself.

"It's different, I guess?" He's trying to make me feel better. I think? I don't know.

I turn my head to face the parking lot, breaking our eye contact. I rest against the seat, trying to make myself comfortable. "You okay?" He asks.

"Yeah, I'm okay." I nod, "Just tired." I'm fiddling with my ring, he looks at my hands. I can't tell what he's thinking, normally I can read him like a book, but his face is blank.

"Are you okay?" I put emphasis on the you because I'm trying to redirect his question at him. I turn my head fully to face him, rubbing my eyes slightly to adjust to the light from the restaurant.

He puts his hand back on my thigh, filling me with a sense on relief. "No, I'm good." He smiles slightly, it's a genuine smile, but he's tired. "Okay." I put my hand on top of his.

Although we're exhausted, this is nice. This is comfortable, the most comfortable I've been all night. Let's be honest we're tired since we've been moving for one and have got little to no sleep in weeks. But it's also because it's nearing midnight and we're normally asleep by now.

We may as well be 10 year olds, mainly because we sleep at the same time they do and we do the same amount of stuff they do.

"Oh, I forgot to mention that Amber is coming over for a week or so. I didn't get a choice before you ask me."

Amber is his older sister, I haven't seen her in years. We did speak after we broke up but she was quite arrogant towards me. She's really, really protective over him. Understandably, but I doubt she knows what went down.

It's not like it matters, I'd like to patch things up with her. I liked her before, she was a better sister then mine was. Deja vu anyone. In simpler words, his family was always a better family to me then mine ever was.

"It's fine, baby." I tell him, resting my head on his shoulder.

"Okay." He breathes out heavily, he was holding that in all day. Whether he forgot or not, it's a weight lifted off his. And onto mine.

I can give her a second chance, I did to her brother. I just hope she's willing to do the same.

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Hey!

I probably wont check up on you all next chapter, mainly because I have not a lot to mention. Plus, this book is about to take a turn. I apologise in advance.

Also how do we feel about seeing other characters perspectives? I do want to do a chapter from Jax's pov.

Especially because of my ideas for the end of the book.

-Cami <3