Rookies Say It Better: Book 2 in The Minor League Mayhem Series Read online

  She waited another breath. Then another.

  Nothing.

  She shook my head. She needed to get a grip on herself.

  When Noah finished packing up her bathroom, she stepped into her living room. The furniture was either rented or picked up second-hand for ridiculously cheap. She wouldn’t miss it, but she appreciated having it. It was nice to have an apartment on her own, even if it was only for a couple of months.

  The problem now was figuring out where she could go. Riverside County and Orange County were forty minutes from each other on a typical day. All of her family was in Riverside after she graduated from University High School in Irvine. Her mom wanted to make sure she got the best schooling and then decided to move somewhere more affordable. When she saw an opportunity to move in with Aaron, who was able to pay his rent in Irvine with ease and have money left over.

  Of course, Aaron had his own demons, demons Noah didn’t recognize until it was too late.

  She reached in her back pocket and pulled out a phone. Maybe looking through her short list of contacts would help her figure out where she could turn to.

  Mom was a no. She tried that before and the results had been disastrous. She refused to put anyone she cared about in danger again, so she needed it to be someone who Aaron didn’t know.

  She flipped through a couple of names – Chelsea, Hunter, Hawthorne. No, nope, and no way. Chelsea was a cousin who moved up to Seattle, and while she didn’t want to put her mother in danger, she didn’t want to leave her either. Hunter was an ex who she went on two dates with freshman year of high school who she deduced she had no chemistry with. And Hawthorne was her physical science partner she texted twice about a project and then stopped talking to once she switched classes.

  How have I not removed him from my contacts?

  She quickly deleted him and continued to scroll through the names until a familiar one caught her eye.

  Lily Sinclair.

  Lily was the type of friend she had when she was in class but never actually hung out with outside of school. They didn’t have the same social circles – though, maybe if they had, Noah wouldn’t have made such stupid decisions – and they didn’t participate in the same extracurriculars. And yet, they always managed to have a couple of classes together.

  Noah glanced down at her phone, rubbing her lips together. Her thumb hovered over the name, but she hesitated. Would Lily even let her stay over? Was it right to even ask?

  Tears blurred her vision and she looked away. It was moments like this one when she hated the situation, she was in. She didn’t like other people knowing her business because she didn’t want the help. She wanted to be able to do these things on her own.

  And she had.

  Until Aaron had found her.

  You don’t have a choice. The worst she could say is no.

  Noah knew all of that. What she had to figure out was what did she tell Lily? Did she tell Lily the truth, or did she hide it? She definitely didn’t want the extra sympathy she got on the rare occasions she did tell people what had happened to her. People never knew how to react and Noah never knew how to react to their lack of reaction so the whole situation was awkward. And yet, she thought it was only fair to give Lily a head’s up about what was going on. After what happened to her mother…

  Noah closed her eyes, trying to suppress a shudder. And her mother knew the kind of monster Aaron was and still couldn’t fully prepare for what happened.

  “Maybe I shouldn’t…” She let her voice trail off. Maybe she shouldn’t ask anyone for help. Maybe she should try to figure something out on her own.

  But she knew she couldn’t do that. There was too little time she had. Aaron found her. Aaron threatened her. He would make good on his threats.

  Her mother would help, she knew. Even now, she knew her mother well enough to know that she would always protect her babies – Noah and Ellie – no matter what.

  Noah knew she was only nineteen. She still felt like a kid, whether she went to Disneyland for her eighteenth birthday or she cosplayed as Sailor Moon that one time she snagged Comic Con tickets. But she still liked to think she was capable of protecting herself into the mess with Aaron. Not her mother. Not Ellie. She needed to be the one to get herself out of it.

  She looked down at her phone.

  She should call Lily. Lily might help.

  But did she really want to burden Lily with this?

  Did she really have a choice?

  Noah let out a breath. As far as she could see, she had two options: she could figure this out on her own and probably have Aaron catch up with her just as he did before, or she could try something new, something he might not expect.

  Nut up, buttercup.

  Noah pressed Lily’s name. She held her breath. Maybe she had changed her number since high school. Maybe she wouldn’t remember who Noah was. Maybe she would tell her no.

  Whatever would happen, Noah would handle it. She would survive. She always did.

  “Hello?”

  The familiar warm voice caused Noah’s breath to hitch in her throat.

  “Lily?” she breathed out. “It’s Noah, Noah Stone. I need your help.”

  3

  Alec

  The first thing Alec did when he got back to his apartment was grab a beer from the fridge.

  “So, the meeting went that badly?” Jack Ruby asked from the dining table, his legs stretched out long in front of him.

  Alec gave his best friend a cursory look as he snapped open the can. At nineteen, he technically wasn’t allowed to be drinking, but after the meeting he had just had with Seraphina Hanson, he figured he was entitled to it. The bubbling, tangy liquid slid down his throat smoothly, cold and refreshing. He didn’t immediately get a buzz, which was okay with him. He just needed something to take his mind off of that meeting and what Seraphina had planned for him.

  “So? You going to keep me in suspense or what? I didn’t take it you were the dramatic one, Sinclair.”

  Alec opened his eyes, looking at his friend dryly. “Yeah, whatever my sister tells you is bullshit, you know,” he said. “Just because you guys are dating doesn’t mean she’s right.”

  “She’s right because she’s right,” Jack said as though it was obvious. “Trust me, you think I want her to be right all the time?”

  “Where is she, anyway?” Alec glanced around, waiting for his younger sister by about a year to make her appearance. It was shockingly silent in the two-bedroom apartment, especially considering Jack had moved in around the time he and Lily officially started dating.

  “Some friend called,” Jack said with a shrug. “Sounded pretty serious.”

  “Hmm.” He took another sip of his beer, swirling it around in his mouth before swallowing it.

  Jack wrinkled his nose. “That is disgusting. I don’t get why you do that.”

  “I’m thinking.”

  “That’s surprising.”

  “Fuck you.”

  “I’m probably one of the few people you haven’t fucked,” Jack pointed out, lifting a brow.

  Alec wanted to come up with a clever retort but couldn’t think of anything to say. Jack wasn’t wrong. He let out a breath, hanging his head, shaking it. He stepped towards the dining table and dropped into the chair across from Jack. He leaned back, set the beer down, and spread out his legs, taking up as much space as he possibly could.

  “Wanna talk about it?” Jack asked, the corners of his lips twitching up.

  Alec didn’t even bother to respond. He still couldn’t get over the fact that Seraphina wanted him to date. And not fuck around, like he already was.

  “If the audience – our family audience, I will remind you – thinks you’re in a committed relationship, they’re going to be focused on your play on the ice rather than your play in the bedroom,” Seraphina had said.

  She seemed so proud of this idea. Alec nearly quit the team right there. He didn’t think it was fair for someone to dictate his personal lif
e, even a job he loved more than anything in the world. Who cared what he did in his personal life as long as he showed up on the ice every day, and that was what he strove to do?

  “It would seem that Seraphina Hanson is not impressed by the women who fawn after me,” Alec said, bringing the bottle back to his lips.

  “I don’t think Seraphina gives a shit, quite frankly,” Jack said. “I think she’s more concerned with the Mayhem’s brand and what you represent when you adhere to your own set of standards rather than the team’s.”

  “But I’m not wearing a jersey when I’m fucking them,” Alec said, standing up and gesturing with his free hand. The other continued to clutch his beer. “I mean, come on, Jack, do I not get a private life?”

  “Sure.” Jack shrugged. “As long as your private life is actually private. When you hook up with girls, it’s not like they keep quiet. They take these pretty scandalous selfies with you and then the local sports reporter picks it up and it’s like old news, different faces: once again, Alec hooks up with a pretty brunette.”

  “To be fair, brunettes are my type.” He grinned. “There’s something alluring about dark hair.” He shrugged. “I don’t know. Must add to the mystery.”

  Jack rolled his eyes.

  “Oh, come on,” Alec said. “What, just ‘cause you’re dating my sister, you think you’re above appreciating the female form.”

  “I never said that,” Jack said. “But I don’t notice it as much.”

  Alec scoffed. “I highly doubt I’ll ever be able to find someone who gets me to forget to appreciate the female form.”

  “Famous last words.” Jack wiggled his eyebrows. “Probably why your shot’s been off. You know, maybe you should be celibate. Ever think of that? Just for the season, at least.”

  Alec nearly choked on his own beer. “Please tell me you’re kidding.” He headed into the living room, eyeing the couch. It had been a long day already and sinking into the cushions was pretty damn tempting. “I play better when I get laid.”

  Jack snorted. “Dude, the season just started and you haven’t done your lucky five-hole dance yet,” he pointed out, arching his brow. “I mean, I know you’re a center, but shit, at this point, you usually have a goal or two under your belt.” He shrugged, leaning back against his chair, kicking his foot up on an empty chair. “Maybe you’re getting laid too much.”

  “As if there’s such a thing.”

  “Look, Seraphina Hanson took me aside at one point too, okay? It wasn’t just you. But my issue was my temper. If I hadn’t had that meeting with her, I’d still have anger issues.”

  “What are you talking about? You still have anger issues. You just know how to handle it better. Being out on the ice gives you an excuse to drop the gloves.”

  “Nah, man.” Jack shook his head, his dark eyes serious. “It’s not even about that. Not anymore. I mean, sure, I like to get into fights. The difference is, I don’t go looking for them. I don’t back down or anything, but I’m not going out of my way. I’ve learned you get your ass handed to you if you go out of your way to start fights.”

  Alec flared his nostrils, loosing a sigh. He wanted to come back with something, something witty, but Jack was right. Quite frankly, looking for a fight was a way to get your ass handed to you, and Alec didn’t want that to happen to him. However, Alec didn’t have a temper. In fact, he was probably one of the most laidback guys he knew. Reacting wasn’t an issue. Playing off the ice was.

  “Look, I’m young, I’m a damn fine looking dude, and I have money I can play with.” He leaned forward and shook his head. “I think I should be able to do whatever the hell I want just as long as I show up.”

  “You keep complaining about the same thing, man. She said you have to pretend to date someone?” At Alec’s nod, Jack continued. “Then put on your big boy panties and suck it up. What you have to worry about is who the hell would want to pretend to date you? Sure, these chicks will hook up with you just to say they hooked up with Alec Sinclair, but actual dating isn’t something you’re good at.”

  Alec furrowed his brow. He knew Jack wasn’t trying to be a dick, but he couldn’t help but feel slightly offended. “Whoa, dude. I’m right here.”

  “Have you been on a date?” Jack asked, arching a brow. He dropped his leg from the chair only to replace it with the other one. “And I don’t mean, you call a girl up and meet up at a club where you can subsequently hook up.”

  “Subsequently? Really? You’ve been hanging out with my sister way too much.”

  “I’m not kidding.”

  “Look, Seraphina stressed the fake part of the whole ordeal,” he said before bringing the bottle to his mouth once again. “It’s not like we have to date officially. Hell, we don’t even have to actually date-date. We can just say we’re dating. I just need to find someone who will lie to everyone and say we’re dating when, you know, we’re not.”

  “Can’t you just, I don’t know, pay someone?” Jack asked. He looked down at the tip of his shoe and wrinkled his brow, leaning over to check up on it. “Keep things simple, make her sign some kind of contract?”

  “I don’t know, man.” Alec made a face. “Seraphina said she could look into things but as owner of the team, it borders on prostitution, you know?”

  “No, I don’t know. How does paying someone to pretend to be your girlfriend – okay, I see it now.” Jack began to move his thumb against the toe of his shoe as though he was trying to wipe something off. “Even then, that’s a stretch, but I guess even the implication could make her look bad and it’s not like she needs any more scandals.”

  “At least Thorpe is retired so technically they can be together without much of an issue,” Alec pointed out before shaking his head. “What the fuck are we even talking about?”

  “I’m not sure but I have the sudden desire to get a manicure and drink some kind of fancy-ass coffee.”

  “You wouldn’t be able to handle the shots of adrenaline,” Lily said, coming into the room, throwing Jack a good-natured smile. “You get your kicks on the ice. Save the espresso shots for the big boys, hmm?” She winked playfully.

  Alec glanced away, though his lips curled into a small smile. As much as he didn’t want to admit it, he was happy for both his sister and Jack. Sure, the fact that they started dating recently hadn’t been easy for him. It was his sister and his best friend. They shared a fucking bedroom, and Alec wasn’t stupid. He didn’t like to think about it, if he was being honest.

  After a while, though, Alec couldn’t help but see the way Lily looked at Jack and he couldn’t help that Jack did everything in his power to always touch Lily. Not in a gross, pervy way. More like he wanted her to know that he was there for her, like he would go to the edge of the earth just to make sure it was okay, and he wouldn’t care.

  Which meant it wasn’t as bad as he thought. They were both genuinely happy. And even if Jack was maybe more of a whipped guard dog than some kind of attack dog like he had been before, he was still Jack. Lily hadn’t tried to change him in the slightest.

  “Where’d you get off to?” Alec asked. He downed the rest of his beer and stood up too fast. He nearly stumbled forward but managed to catch himself by stepping out and shook his head. “Goddammit, one beer. What the fuck happened to me? I could hold my own under normal circumstances.”

  “You and normal?” a familiar voice asked as she stepped into the apartment. “I didn’t think you could use that word in the same sentence as you.”

  “What the fuck is this?” Alec asked, looking at Noah.

  Jesus Christ, she looked much better than he remembered from high school; long wavy hair, big green eyes. He didn’t remember those curves the way they fit in those skinny jeans. Though she wore a hoodie, he could only imagine what she might be hiding underneath there.

  Even though she annoyed the shit out of him.

  Alec wouldn’t say they were enemies, but if the world ended tomorrow and she was the last woman on earth, he would thi
nk really hard before he had to fuck her, and he would resent the fact that he would have to at all.

  Noah fucking Stone.

  What the fuck was she doing here?

  “Guys,” Lily said slowly. Though she was referring to both her boyfriend and her brother, Lily’s eyes stayed firmly on Alec. It was obvious to him that she had more issues with him than she did with Jack, but that was because she was probably biased. “You remember Noah Stone?”

  “Unfortunately,” Alec muttered.

  Noah gave him a wink – which he did not appreciate.

  “Well, she’s going to be staying with us for a while.”

  4

  Noah

  The last thing Noah wanted was to be anywhere near Alec Sinclair, but it was better than being around Aaron. She let out a breath, dropping her eyes to the floor. She shouldn’t be here. It was stupid that she was. She wouldn’t have called Lily if she had known she and Alec were still living together. She had kept up with Lily throughout the years via social media, even the last eight months when Aaron when he didn’t want her seeing anyone except for him. She had heard that Lily was dating the hockey player but she hadn’t realized Alec was still in the picture. In fact, she was surprised he was still on the team. Sure, Alec was good, but he had proclivities with women.

  “…you even listening to what I’m asking you?” Alec asked, waving his hand in front of her face.

  “This was a bad idea.” Noah shifted her gaze from Alec’s pale green eyes and looked at Lily. “I should go.”

  “No,” Lily said. She went over to Alec. Despite being half a head shorter than he was, she still somehow had this way about her that made her seem taller and more intimidating than she really was. “Alec, no. She’s staying here. I’m putting my foot down. You’re the one who’s in hot water with Seraphina so you don’t really get a say.”