When I pull up to the front of her building, my anger and confusion only grows. “Specs, what the fuck are we doing here.”
But instead of answering me, Sadie unbuckles and climbs out of the SUV so fast, I’m scrambling to turn off the car and follow her.
“Thanks for the ride, Maverick,” she calls out as she moves to the front door, sidestepping a pile of garbage.
“Stop,” I say, and I guess she can tell from my tone, I’m not fucking around. “Sadie. What the hell.”
She turns slowly, defiance sparking in her eyes. But I can see the tremble, the embarrassment hiding underneath. I’m familiarwith that feeling. Shame over where you live, or how, or what things you own, or don’t. I grew up in that world. I recognize those emotions even as she tries to hide them.
“It’s fine, Maverick. Good night.” She turns to walk away and I reach out and grab her arm.
“Fuck that, I’m walking you up to your apartment.”
Pressing the button to lock my vehicle with one hand, I keep the other firmly on her elbow, not missing a step as we walk into her building. The musty smell of damp carpets and lingering cigarette smoke permeates the air. A guy wearing a stained white tank top and shorts comes shuffling down the hall, bringing with him a waft of stale alcohol. He leers at Sadie and given the fact that she’s all dressed up from dinner, I know exactly what kind of shit he’s thinking. I glare at him, the promise of pain in my gaze if he doesn’t back off. He sees me and stumbles, rightfully reading the rage I’m pushing at him. He gives us a wide berth as he walks out the front door, but I notice how he turns back to look at us. He notices me watching him and darts away.
Sadie bypasses the elevator for the stairs, and we make our way up to the third floor. The stairwell stinks like a dirty locker room if the players all smoked and pissed in the corners.
When we reach what I assume is her apartment, she stops and turns to me. “There. You walked me up. Now will you leave?”
I simply arch my brow. She lets out a little huff, and if I wasn’t so unamused, I’d probably smile. But she doesn’t force me to go, turning back to unlock her door.
“Just so you know, the Vancouver rental market is awful right now. It was either this or staying with my parentsfor another month, and I could only take so much of their badly concealed pity. They loved Dirk, and even though they know what he did is unforgivable, they’ve got it in their heads that my life is now ruined because I’m not with him.”
I’m not touching that statement with a ten-foot pole. But as soon as we walk into her apartment, I start shaking my head.
“No. What the hell, Sadie. You can’t live here.”
I turn slowly, taking in the water damage on the ceiling and the loud hum of a refrigerator that is probably about to die. There’s a rickety table and two chairs, a nasty-looking couch, and that’s it for furniture. A glance at the door shows me it doesn’t even have a security chain, just a deadbolt. How the fuck does a woman with a successful career end up in a place like this? Jesus fucking Christ.
“Pack a bag, Specs. Whatever you need for a couple of days. We’ll get the rest of your shit later.”
“Excuse me?”
I turn at her incredulous tone to see her standing with her hands on her hips, eyes narrowed at me.
“What part of that wasn’t clear?”
I’m being a demanding, controlling ass, but I don’t fucking care. The sooner she packs, the sooner we can get out of this shithole.
“The bit where you decided you have the right to dictate where I live. That wasnotpart of the agreement.”
I fold my arms across my chest and stare back at her. “You’re telling me you like living here?”
It takes a few seconds before I see her resignation. “No. I hate it. But I’m not joking when I say it was the best I could find inmy budget. I needed something fully furnished because when I moved in with Dirk, he convinced me to sell almost everything I owned. And furnished apartments in the city are hard to come by.”
Fuck. She sounds broken, and I hate the thought that at least some of it might be from me being too heavy-handed. Lowering my arms, I move closer, cautiously, as if she’s a feral animal and not a woman I’m starting to care for a little too much. Lifting one hand, I move painfully slow, giving her time to step back. But she doesn’t, her eyes now showing more of that vulnerability and less defiance. I tuck a strand of red hair behind her ear and drift my hand down until it reaches hers. Picking it up, I hold it softly. “Come on. Let’s pack some shit up and get out of here.”
Her tongue swipes across her lips as she considers my words, and as I wait for her to accept or reject my offer, my heart pounds loudly in my ears. If she says no, I’ll have to stay here. I’ll camp out on her couch or in the hallway. I’m not leaving her here alone.
“Okay.”
She says it quietly, but I can hear the relief in that one word, and I know she’s grateful for me getting her out of here. Without dropping my hand, she turns, and I let her lead me into the bedroom. I keep my eyes turned away from her bed where a pair of panties is sitting on the sheets. When I hear her muffled curse, my lips quirk up, knowing she’s spotted them.
Barely five minutes later, she’s standing in front of me with a suitcase and a duffle bag. “Alright, I’m ready.” I take the suitcase and let her lead me to the front door.
On the way out, she grabs a pair of runners from the closet, but other than that, Sadie doesn’t hesitate in leaving her slum of an apartment behind. When her hand slips in mine after locking the door, I don’t react. At least, not outwardly. But inside, something in me cracks open at the trust she’s placed in me, at the way she’s seeking and accepting comfort and security from me.
We’re silent the entire drive across the city to my building. I don’t live in a fancy high-rise like some of my teammates, but my place is nice. When I bought it in my first season with the Tridents, all I cared about was having somewhere safe and comfortable to lay my head at night. I didn’t give a shit about amenities or the view. But compared to the shithole Sadie was living in, my place feels like a fucking palace.
