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Because it makes him feel bad about himself
Gah, that is so
I’m affronted, and I can’t help it I pull back and he releases the grip on my chin I stare at hi I push away and roll out of bed, turning to look at hiain now that there is some distance between us
“You’reof my life? Because I’ve moved past the trauma of my past?” I know my voice sounds shrill but I can’t help it
Alex moves fro honest, but you didn’t let ry and envious and probably a whole slew of other negative emotions, that only makes up a very small part of what I feel when I’m with you It pales in comparison to the respect I have for you, for the desire I feel It gets paler every day I spend with you ”
I feel the tension leave my body, unaware of how stiff I had been until I heard those words Pulling my face back, which he had tucked under his chin, I look at him “Alex…you don’t have to be trapped by your past You’ve already busted through so many barricades you had in place ”
“I know,” he says while bringing a hand up to strokeI don’t want the bitterness I hold toward o ”
My heart aches for the longing in his voice I plasterhtly I feel the thuainst hter
I will do whatever it takes to move Alex completely away from that darkness
Chapter 23
Alex
I pick upboth in loom, I kiss Sutton on the forehead and she stirs
Opening up her eyes slowly, she stretches her arives me a sleepy smile She then reaches out and takes one of my hands “Hey, you Why are you up so early?”
Standing back up straight, I keep a grip on her hand and squeeze it “I have a breakfast o out for a while and walk around the city Sound good?”
She nods with a goofy grin on her face and yawns “Okay ”
Bringing her hand to my mouth, I place a kiss on the inside of her wrist and release it “Go back to sleep ”
She rolls over ather hand up under her chin, then she’s out like a light I stare at her athat sweetly painful squeeze that co at Sutton She’s precariously close to becohts out of me I’m not sure I’m ready for that responsibility, particularly not when I have so hosts that continue to torture me
Turning away fro, I just want to crawl back in bed with her and spend the day there, I head out of ht in New York because we have an afternoon game just across the Hudson with the Wildcats I have an afternoon practice skate, but that givesto stay in New York and watch toht causing a smile to plaster across my face as I walk to the elevator
After a short ride down to the lobby, I ly empty, and immediately spot Cameron We had made plans to meet in New York because that was a shorter trip for hi he arrived last night as he drove in, and he planned to head back after our
Cameron spots me as I walk toward him and he stands from the table I haven’t seen him in almost three years, the last time when I made a short trip to Ha my hockey coach, as sick We look a lot alike in the face but he wears his dark hair in a buzz cut and he’s starting to develop a little bit of a gut
Outside of his looks and knowing that he owns a hardware store in Hamilton, I really don’t know much about my older brother at all I approach him and he looks atI take the decision out of his hands and grab hold of the chair opposite where he was sitting and pull it back I glance at him briefly and say, “Cameron,” then I sit down
He follows suit, taking the napkin on his plate and placing it on his lap “It’s good to see you, Alex I caught the gareat ”
My head pops up at that revelation, because as far as I’ve known, Cameron was not a fan of the sport and never talked to me about my career I don’t even knohat to say, so I take a sip of water that had already been poured and cut to the chase “So how is Dad doing?”
Cauess he’s a little ht now They gave him some steroidstopped ”
“Is he drinking?”
The look Caested rehab to him?”
“Yes and he won’t do it Maybe if you talked to him—”