Clipped by Love (Bellevue Bullies #2) (33 page)

“Sorry, my stick got tangled between your legs when I was looking to chop off your balls,” he says simply as he skates ahead of us all.

“For someone who isn’t trying to hit that, you sure are always taking me out when I fuck with her,” he says, and Jayden shrugs.

“You’re always in the way,” he says, and then he is skating with Jace beside him. Markus stays with me, and while I don’t need him to, it’s nice to have the company. It keeps me from thinking of Jayden the whole time because Markus sure does like to talk. Within seven laps, I know his whole life story.

“My mom and dad own a down-home restaurant; we should go there tonight,” he says after the third hour. We’ve already lost the first eight, and I would think the guys would be happy, but they clapped and wished the guys well. The more time I spend with these guys, the more I realize what Jayden meant when he said this was a family.

“Yeah, if we can walk,” I say, and he laughs as he nods.

“Right, man, I’m hurting.”

“I bet, but don’t give up,” I say, pulling in a breath through my nose.

“I’m not. I’m with ya, babe,” he says, and usually I’d correct him, but I can tell that Markus wants nothing more than friendship from me.

When the fourth hour starts, more people start to fade away. When McCarthy limps off the ice and pukes all over the bench, I want to laugh—he deserves it—but I’m doing everything to swallow my own puke down. Poor Markus puked on the ice but kept going. Jace and Jayden, though, are skating like they can do this for days. Me, I’m not sure. My legs are Jell-O, I’m hurting, and I’m ready to quit, but I have to stay on longer than them. I have to.

Another ten minutes passes and Markus throws his hands up. “Baylor, I’m done.”

I smile as I tap my stick on the back of his calf. “Good skate, Markus.”

“Knock ’em out,” he says and then he falls.

I look back, and I almost want to stop to make sure he is okay, but he looks up at me and waves me off. “I’m dead. Someone will help me, keep going.” I laugh as Shane starts to drag him off the ice.

Now, it’s only Jayden, Jace, and me.

“Well, we have our two alternates and our captain, now who is who?”

I’m the fucking captain.

When I hear clapping, I look over to see that everyone is on the bench watching, cheering us on. Looking to my left, I see that Jace is almost done. He’s white in the face and sweating so bad, but Jayden… He doesn’t even look like this is bothering him.

Another fifteen minutes passes and Jace shakes his head. I’m behind them, trudging along and trying to breathe right, but damn it, it’s so hard.

“I’m done.”

“Sure?” Jayden asks.

“Yeah, my feet are dead.”

“Okay, good go, bro. Proud of you.”

Jace nods and then falls to his knees before promptly puking down his jersey. Closing my eyes so I don’t see it, I suck in a deep breath, swallowing down the puke that is trying to escape. But I can’t. Soon I am stopping and puking with him.

“Guys! Come on! I have to clean this,” my dad yells, and I skate toward the boards, puking my ever-loving heart out. Tears sting my eyes, puke is burning my nose, and I want to quit so damn bad. But I can still hear his skates on the ice.

I can’t let him win.

“You done, Bay?” Dad asks, and I shake my head.

“No.”

Annoyed, Dad says, “Baylor, you’re puking your brains out.”

“No,” I say with more force before pushing past him and skating away. Coughing, I lift my cage and wipe my face free of tears, puke, and sweat before settling in. I’m basically moving at the speed of a slug, but I am skating.

I’m not giving up.

Jayden passes me twice before he finally slows down beside me.

“I have at least another hour in me.”

“Go away,” I grumble.

“Baylor, please, just stop. You’re gonna make yourself sick.”

“Go away,” I say again, and he shakes his head before skating off. As I watch him get farther away from me, the tears start to fall in rivers.

And then I fall to my knees.

“You’re done,” Dad says then, and it’s not a question. I nod my head and he says, “Get up and get off the ice with your head held high, Baylor Irene Moore. You lasted longer than most.”

When I look up at my dad, I can see the disappointment in his eyes. I failed him. As my lip wobbles, I slowly stand, ignoring the hand he has held out for me before I skate off the ice.

A loser.

I
think I am supposed to be happier than I am.

I just got the position I wanted.

I got my team.

But all I see are the tears streaming down Baylor’s face as she skates off the ice.

The tears she quickly wiped away so that no one saw. I saw them though, and even though everyone is making a big deal about the win, I don’t feel like a winner.

“Dude, how did you do that? You’re not even human!” Markus yells from the bench as I head toward it. I just grin as I throw up my cage, still looking for Baylor. She’s disappeared into the locker room. Which means I need to get there.

“Not even out of breath,” I joke even though it’s a lie. I feel like I’m dying, but since I slept all day and night yesterday, I’m good. Could probably go for more, but thankfully I don’t have to.

Which I should feel better about.

Last year, I wouldn’t have made it. I wasn’t in the best shape, but I’ve worked my ass off to be the best I can be, and I’m being rewarded for that. I’ve wanted to beat Baylor since the beginning, and now that I have, I’m disappointed with the way I feel. I should be elated, proud of myself. And I am happy, but I’m worried about her. She’s crushed, her body told me that, and I hate that. It’s beyond me how important she’s become to me. Never have I taken to a girl who wants nothing to do with me, but I have, and I need to make sure she’s okay.

“Shower, boys! Congratulations, Sinclair.”

Looking over at my coach, I can see the disappointment in his eyes. He wanted Baylor to win.

“Thanks, Coach,” I say before heading to the locker room. As I pass everyone, they tap my shoulder and my shins, congratulating me. When Jace falls into step with me, he’s on the phone.

“Yeah, he kicked ass! I’m alternate. Right! Beast mode for sure. Hold on.”

He holds the phone out for me, so I tuck my glove and stick under my arm to take it. “Hello?”

“Way to go, bro!” Jude exclaims, and I nod.

“Thanks, man.”

“Way to show them who’s boss around there.”

“Yeah, it feels good.”

“Liar,” he says after a moment. “What, did you make her cry or something?”

“Bye, Jude,” I say, hanging up the phone and handing it to Jace.

“What?”

“Nothing,” I say, pushing the door open to look for Baylor. She isn’t at her locker, and I can’t find McCarthy. “Where’s McCarthy?”

Everyone looks up and around them, but then Shane stands up from by the shower. “I kicked him out of here. He tried to go in there when Baylor was in there.”

I nod. “Thanks, Shane.”

“No problem. She’s been in there for a minute longer than usual.”

I chew the inside of my cheek as Jace says, “She’s probably pissed. Let her be.”

“Yeah, just let her cool down. She pushed hard,” Markus says, falling down on the bench.

Dropping my gloves and stick, I take my helmet off and then head to the shower. Pushing the door open, steam escapes out, but I can’t see her. I can hear her though. It takes everything out of me not to go in there and bundle her up in my arms. Not only would she probably beat my face in, but I also don’t want to see her cry.

Girls crying gives me the willies.

Especially when I’m the reason they are crying.

“Moore, you good?”

Sucking in a deep breath, she doesn’t say anything, and I call her name again. Finally, she says, “Yeah, fine. Just finishing up. Gotta shave my legs.”

I smile. She’s too damn proud. Letting the door shut, I meet Shane’s eyes and he shrugs. “Good excuse.”

“Yeah, for sure,” I agree before sitting down to take my gear off. When she comes out, she passes by without looking at me but acts like nothing is wrong. As she combs out her hair, she jokes with the guys, teasing Markus for puking and also giving him shit for having to make her bed and fold her clothes. Chummy, those two have become and I would be jealous, but I can see it in her eyes, she’s completely beating herself up on the inside.

Shaking my head, I head into the showers to clean up. When I come out, she’s gone. I was hoping to talk to her, maybe even see if she liked the gift and note, but obviously that will have to wait.

“Sinclair, when you’re dressed, come see me, please.”

Nodding my head, I say, “Sure, Coach.”

He nods and then disappears into his office as Markus says, “Dinner?”

I shrug. “Depends if I can move after moving into my captain suite,” I say with a grin.

“I get to share it with ya, right? Like Jude and you did?” Jace asks, and I nod.

“Yeah, bro.”

“And Baylor will have the other room?” Markus asks, and I look over at him as I pull my shirt down.

“That’s the plan. Why? You got a thing for her?”

He holds his hands up, his face breaking into a grin. “Whoa, Jay, simple question. I don’t want her upstairs with the other juniors.”

I nod then, looking away as I pull my shorts up. “I agree, and she won’t be.”

Eyeing me, Markus says, “If you like her so much, why don’t you do something about it instead of walking around and pissing all over her, marking her as yours, without her knowing?”

Scoffing, I roll my eyes as Jace starts to laugh. “Yeah, Jay.”

“Fuck both of you, and keep your mouths shut,” I say before sliding my shoes on. “Jace, be ready to go in a few.”

“Yeah, yeah,” he says as I head into Coach’s office. When I enter, he looks up and shuts his phone off before laying it on the table.

“You did great today, Sinclair.”

I grin as I fall into the seat in front of his desk. “Thank you.”

“I wanted to let you know that you had the position all along. Even if you had bowed out ninth today, it was yours.”

“Really?”

“Yup, it was yours Saturday night when you carried my daughter home after she puked on you.”

I grin as I nod. “I’d do it for anyone.”

“I know. That’s why the choice was easy.”

“Well, thank you,” I say. “That means a lot coming from you.”

“It’s easy to say. You lead this group with ease, you are a force to be reckoned with, and I’m proud to have you as my captain.”

I’m a little stunned by that. Sometimes I don’t think he likes me, and it pleases me to hear him say that. “Thank you, sir.”

“Now since you are the captain, you need to find a way to get along with Moore and keep your brother in line.”

“No problem at all.”

“You think so?”

“I know so,” I say confidently.

He grins. “Well, good. I tried to talk to my headstrong, bitter, sore-losing daughter, and she told me to get out of her face. Her words. So I did, but maybe you can talk to her.” I swallow loudly and he laughs. “Scared, eh?”