It buzzes, and Jack answers after a few moments. “Why the hell is half the Comets roster at my gate right now?”
I find the camera and stare him down through it. “You know exactly why we’re here, Ledger.”
“No, I really fucking don’t. I’m busy icing my eye after what you did to it last night, Kovacic. I don’t really want to deal with you now.”
Zhuri takes my spot in front of the camera. “Jack, please. We wouldn’t be here without a good reason, and you know exactly what that reason is. Just let us in so we can talk.”
He doesn’t reply, but the sound of buzzing tells us he’s giving in. The gate opens for us, and we all walk up to the large front porch as Jack walks outside to meet us.
“Come back to give me a matching one?” he sneers, pointing at the black eye I gave him last night.
“I’d be more than fucking happy to do that after what you fucking did.”
Jack crosses his arms and eyes us. “Again, I have no idea what the fuck you’re talking about.”
“Cut the shit,” Zhuri asserts, pulling out her phone and turning it around for Jack to see the picture he sent us last night. “We know you sent this.”
“What is that?” he asks, looking closer. “Why would I send you a picture where you’re just walking into a hotel room?”
“You sent the same one to me, dick.” I mirror his position and take delight in the fact that I’ve got a few inches on him.
“Can someone please fill me in on why the fuck I supposedly sent you a random picture, much less why I would send it to both of you?”
Zhuri looks at him cautiously now. “This has to be from you, Jack.”
“I don’t even fucking know what that is, Zhuri!” he yells, waving his arms wildly in frustration.
“It’s a picture of her coming into my hotel room!” I shout back, and suddenly it seems to dawn on him.
“Wait a second. You think I came to your hotel to snap a picture of my ex-girlfriend sneaking into your hotel room for… what? Because I hate you? Because you told me you’ve been fucking her?”
“Watch it,” Zhuri bites.
Jack rolls his eyes and lets out a breath. “Look, I honestly don’t give a shit if you two are hooking up. We broke up like ten years ago. I’m notthatpetty.”
“Really?” I say in disbelief. “You expect us to believe you’d just let that go when you know damn well it’s against our contracts? It’s against the league rules at that.”
“I don’t know what to fucking tell you,” he sighs. “I think the rule is stupid in all honesty. We’re grown adults. I think we can make our own decisions about who we want to sleep with.”
Zhuri watches him in confusion before she seems to have her own light bulb moment. “You’re sleeping with one of your teammates.”
Jack looks visibly uncomfortable. “Like I said, the rule is stupid.”
I let out a shaky breath. “Seems like we can all agree on that.”
“For what it’s worth, I’m sorry someone seems to be blackmailing you, but it’s not me. Can’t really hold that over your head when I’m breaking the same damn rule.”
“So…” Zhuri looks at me, her voice shaky with worry. “Who did this, Cam?”
“I don’t know,” I admit, “but whoever it is didn’t find out from me. I only said something to Jack.”
“You want my opinion?” Jack asks.
“Why would I want your opinion?” I chastise.
“Because I’m trying to help you, dick. That picture literally just shows Zhuri walking into a hotel room. Even if they know it’s yours, you two are fucking co-captains and apparently friends.There are plenty of reasons she could have been in your room that aren’t against the rules.”
I look at the picture again and realize he’s right.
