Page 17 of Breaking Free

Responses are immediate and Jayden strolls back with a grin. “It’s on.”

“Toast?”

He laughs. “It’s called A Toast Away, but nobody ever says the whole thing. I know it’s a weird name, but it’s the best bar in the local area.”

“Sounds good to me.”

“Where do you work?” he asks.

“I guess the second best bar. Three Sheets.”

Jayden laughs. “Maybe third best.”

I spot Trevor staring in our direction, and I try not to overthink the look on his face, but if I had to guess, it seems like jealousy.

I gesture toward him and say, “What about Campbell?”

Jayden looks over at him. “Ah, well, he’s still twenty.”

“Shame.”

Jayden angles his body, giving his back to Trevor so he can look right at me. “You got a thing for Trev or what?”

My eyes move from the scowling face of Trevor Campbell and meet Jayden’s dark gaze. “He’s nice to look at.”

He chuckles. “Yeah, all right. I wouldn’t get too caught up in Trevor. I know some other guys who are actually into dick, though.”

I laugh. “Maybe I’ll meet someone tonight.”

“Shit, hopefully I do, too.”

We laugh and talk for a couple more minutes before we’re dismissed to head back into the locker room. I keep my steps unhurried as the rest of the team seems to be in a rush to get changed and leave to enjoy the weekend. Besides the plans for tonight, I don’t have anything fun planned. My nights usually consist of making food and hoping my mom will actually eat some of it, while also trying to keep her in the living room instead of crawling into her bed.

I get she has to grieve. I may not understand why she’s grieving an abusive alcoholic, but I know I can’t force her to not care about the death of a man she spent most of her life with. I just want to make sure she’s caring for herself. I want her to know she has a full life ahead of her. My parents were young when they had me, so she’s only forty. She could find a man who loves her and treats her the way she should’ve always been treated.

So, I’m not in a rush to change and get home, and maybe that’s wrong of me. I should want to be home with her, but half the time I am there, I don’t think she notices. So I take my time getting to my locker and grabbing my bag to take to the showers.

Most of the guys choose to go home to shower since it’s already the end of the day, but there’s a few that shower here because they have to go to work right after.

“Give me your number,” Jayden says, shoving his phone in my hand. “Shea, hold up,” he yells toward the other door. “Anyway, I’ll text you later about where to go. Or we can meet up.”

“Sounds good,” I say, handing the phone back to him.

He hits my shoulder with his fist before he jogs toward Shea. When I turn around, Trevor’s watching me.

I think to say something, but decide not to. I just lift my chin and head to the showers, deciding to take my time getting clean.

When I turn the corner, I’m shocked to find Trevor sitting on the bench in front of the lockers, his legs bouncing while he waits.

I walk behind him and open my locker, ignoring his presence until he says, “We need to talk.”

8

“I don’t think we do,”I reply, shoving my shower bag into the locker and removing my clothes.

“What are you trying to do?” he asks, his voice thick with frustration.

“I’m trying to get dressed, Campbell. Then I’ll be heading home, where I’ll start getting ready to go out tonight. Is that okay with you?”