Chapter 23

GAbrIEL

I placemy middle finger down on Ruby's desk and move some papers aside.

Her newest designs are wild.

Not that I'm a fashion guy or understand anything other than hockey gear on the ice and jeans and a t-shirt off the ice…

But she's been working her butt off lately on these designs.

She doesn't know I know about this offer to go to Paris. I'm staying far away from bringing it up unless I have to. Bottom line is that Ruby has to go. Yeah, I'm crazy enough to follow her, but we will find a way to make it all work.

The second she starts signing deals and the second I sign with a pro team, we'll have enough money in the bank to buy a private jet and fly wherever the fuck we want to.

I think about it at times…

I picture it.

Me playing hockey. Finishing up a game. Rushing to the airport. Getting on a private jet. Sleeping as much as I can as I fly across the country or the world to get to the woman I love.

Land in Paris, get a ride to Ruby's expensive flat in the city.

Depending on time zones and all that fun stuff, I could show up while she's still sleeping… maybe?

I fantasize it that way.

I show up. She's sleeping. I sneak into her big bed and just go down on her.

Greet her with my tongue between her legs.

Have her wake up and gasp, then look down and see my eyes staring up at hers as my tongue rolls across her tender little clit.

Now that's fucking love, right?

Ruby opens the bedroom door and comes running at me.

"I said not to look!"

She basically throws herself onto her desk.

I throw myself right on top of her.

"I've always wanted to fuck you on your drawings," I say.

"Get off me," Ruby growls. "You're on my nerves too now."

"Too? Who else can possibly be on your nerves?"

"Who else? Mila…"

"Mila," I whisper, then sigh.

Mila and Ruby are like… I don't know… like Puckford hockey players and baseball players.

Well, maybe not that bad.

Ruby has a way with words… which we all know.

And Mila is just… Mila…

"What's happening now?" I ask.

"She's just-"

There's a knock at the dorm room door.

"Want me to answer it naked?" I offer.

"What? No! Nobody sees that hunk of meat between your legs but me."

I follow Ruby to the door.

It's Mila.

Whoa. Ut-oh.

"Hey," Mila says. "Sorry. I wanted to talk to Violet and then I remembered she's with Mac and they're… you know."

"Sucks," I call out.

Mac's old man isn't doing great at all.

"So I know Violet isn't here," Mila says. "But I was already at the door. I thought I would just knock in case you heard me."

"You're rambling," Ruby says.

"I am."

"Why?"

Mila looks right at me.

Ruby looks at me.

"What the hell did I do?" I call out.

Ruby sighs. "It's not you, Gabriel. It's who you play hockey with."

"Oh," I say. "Right."

"You know what? Never mind," Mila says. "I shouldn't have come here. I shouldn't have said anything."

"He's really got you flustered, huh?" Ruby asks. "I wonder why that is…"

"You really have no sense of sympathy ever, do you?" Mila asks.

"Not when it comes to certain things, Mila. And believe it or not, as much as you think I'm a bitch, I just want you to be happy."

"You've never given Ward a chance," Mila says.

"I didn't have to. I looked at him and read him like a book."

"You're awful, Ruby."

"Oh no, you hurt my feelings," Ruby says.

"Whoa, hey, okay," I say. I step between them. "Let's all take a breather here. There's a lot of emotion showing."

"Are you taking her side?" Ruby asks me.

"Hell no," I say. "You're not playing this game right now with me."

Ruby steps back and rolls her eyes.

Oh, she can turn the bitch meter up to ten thousand when she wants.

I face Mila. "Hey. Here's what I'm going to tell you. Jax? Jax is Jax. That's it. What you see is what you get. And I'm not saying that's a bad thing."

Mila nods.

She looks like she has more to say but she turns and walks off.

I clench my jaw tight.

The thing with Ruby though, is that under all that meanness she does care about Mila. And I'm pretty sure we all collectively agree that Ward is as useful as a bag of trash.

But it's not our hearts involved in this.

It's Mila's heart…

… and maybe Jax's?