The Not-Outcast by Tijan

34

Cut

Hendrix dropped his towel on the bench beside me.

I didn’t look up. Everyone was pissed. Hendrix was pissed. I was pissed. Alex. Crow. Everyone. Coaching staff. Margo swept through the locker room with a scowl of her own. We lost games. That was part of the job, but it wasn’t a good part. Every game counted because we wanted the Cup this year. Bad.

Pulling on his pants, Hendrix dropped down, snagging a shirt on the way. He raised it up over his head, before yanking it down to cover him. “Talked to some of the guys. They’re up for heading to Bresko’s. Want to forget this game for the night.” He eyed me. “You in?”

Cheyenne was here, but checking my phone I saw that Chad, Deek, and Hunter were also here.

I frowned. “Uh… maybe.”

He smirked. “Got to run it by your woman first?”

I shot him a smirk back. “Spoken by someone who’d love to have a woman that he runs things by.”

Hendrix’s laugh was quick and slightly abrupt. He stood back up. “Right. Maybe, if the right one comes along.” He reached for his shoes, starting to pull them on, but frowned at me again. “That Not-Russian friend of your girl’s, maybe you should invite her tonight, too.”

I rubbed at my forehead, enjoying what I was about to say. “She owns Tits, you know.”

His eyebrows shot up. “The strip club?”

I nodded.

“No shit?”

Another nod. I was right. I was enjoying this.

He whistled under his breath. “Now I’m really intrigued.”

“Heads up, though. She’s somewhat involved with Chad.”

“Your boy Chad?”

I nodded.

Hendrix got all serious. “Good to know, but Bresko’s though?”

“Maybe.” I was in the mood for some dark corner, sitting in a booth, holding Cheyenne and forgetting this game. I grabbed my bag up, giving Hendrix a nod. “Heading out. I’ll let you know about the club.”

“Sounds good. Bring her with you. I forgot to add that. That was a given.”

I assumed.

Going through the door, my bag over my shoulder, I took two steps before my phone starting ringing.

Chad calling.

“Hey, man.” A bunch of people were coming down the hallway.

They saw me, and a few raised their hands in hello. A couple stood back, waiting for me to pass. I had to lift my bag up and over a little kid, and his eyes were bugging out. I grinned down at him. “Hey, kid.”

His mouth fell open.

I kept going.

“Hey…”

Everything tensed inside of me.

That wasn’t an easygoing-ready-to-down-some-beers Chad. That was his I-have-to-tell-you-something-you’re-not-going-to-like voice.

My mood was going to take a nosedive. I felt it coming. “What happened?”

He took a breath, and I could hear some voices behind him. Male voices. One sounded younger.

“Who’s with you? That Hunter?”

“I have to tell you something and you’re not going to like it.”

I was just turning the corner for the parking lot, and there, standing just inside the door was Cheyenne. She was with her girls, Cassie included. The other three were talking, but Cheyenne was staring right at me. I took all that in, and I didn’t like what I was seeing or hearing.

Cheyenne had a knowing look in her gaze.

Chad was about to tell me something not good.

I bit into the phone, “What the fuck did you do?”

“I, uh…I got protective of Hunter, and Deek was there, and yeah. Not the proudest moment of my life.”

“Chad.” Another growl from me.

Cheyenne broke off from her group.

I was getting attention, but she was ignoring it.

I was ignoring it, though; I knew I couldn’t ignore it all. Sometimes shit that got overheard got spun and sold to websites and there was a whole section of click-bait hungry people out there, so I had to keep this neutral…for now.

Cheyenne had made her way to me.

I lifted my arm and she moved in, her arms sliding around me and her face touched my chest. I adjusted, putting the phone between my face and shoulder and cupped the back of her head with my hand.

“Hi.” She looked up, a whisper from her.

I smiled back at her, but I was tense. She felt it, and stepped back, a small frown showing. “Cut—”

“Where are you going after the game tonight? I need to explain things. And I think I need to grovel to Cheyenne, too.”

I ignored Chad and asked Cheyenne, “Why would Chad need to grovel to you?”

She stepped back so quick, it was as if she was snatched away.

“She’s there?” Chad in my ear, sounding slightly panicked.

My eyes on Cheyenne, I responded to him, “She’s here.”

He cursed at the same time Cheyenne looked away.

“Hey.”

She looked back, and I was looking. I was searching.

Something happened, that was obvious.

I asked, “Why am I getting a really bad feeling here?” That was to her. To Chad, I clipped out, “We’ll be at Bresko’s as long as Cheyenne can handle it. You want to grovel, get your ass there. And fast.”

I hit the end button and held my phone.

“I don’t trust myself to be at the house with him right now. Can you handle Bresko’s?”

She nodded, too quick for my liking. “I was going to ask you, actually. Cassie said a bunch of the guys are going and Melanie wants to go. Those two made up.”

I didn’t give a fuck, but I reached out, and pulled Cheyenne back to me. I just needed to hold her.

I sent Hendrix a text.

Me: In for Bresko’s.

Hendrix. Awesome! See you there. Bring your girl’s friends too.

I showed Cheyenne the text and she nodded.

“Wait a second.” She touched my chest, heading back to her friends.

Cassie was standing next to Melanie, and she tipped her head back.

Cassie was smart. She could read people and she was reading me.

She said something to the others, and it wasn’t long after when Cheyenne was giving each of them a hug and breaking off to head my way.

She got to my side. “Cassie offered to drive the girls.”

Thank you, Cassie.

I put my phone in my pocket, shifted my bag, and reached for Cheyenne’s hand.

Our fingers were laced and we headed out into the masses that way.