SWNOVELS The Faceoff: Chapter 28
I’ve searched every inch of this goddamn bar and I can’t find Eden anywhere. I even asked some random chick to check for her in the bathroom for me, but she wasn’t in there either. Panic laces itself through my veins, overriding my system. I’ve called her phone at least a dozen times and sent her more messages than I could count.
Every single one, she didn’t even bother to leave me on read. Instead, they just showed delivered so I know she hasn’t looked at a single one. I can’t help but think that something bad happened to her. I wish I had a way of tracking her.
Rushing back over to the table, I find Asher and Sterling still sitting there nursing their beers. They both look at me, their eyebrows tugging together in concern.
“Neither of you have seen Eden at all?” I question them, the panic evident in my voice.
They both shake their heads. “Have you tried calling her or anything?”
“I did and she didn’t answer. I don’t know where the fuck she is and I’m starting to worry.”
Asher purses his lips. “Maybe she went back to her hotel?”
“Why the fuck would she do that without saying something to me?” I practically snap at him. I can’t help it right now. The fear is presenting itself with anger and I shouldn’t take it out on either of them.
“Maybe she didn’t feel well,” Asher offers.
“Or maybe she saw you and that other girl,” Sterling chimes in, his tone hard with accusation.
Fuck.
Closing my eyes briefly, I swallow hard, silently praying to the gods that she didn’t fucking see that. It’s the only reasoning I can come up with in this moment without assuming something terrible happened to her. If I were Eden, where would I go after seeing that?
“Before you jump to conclusions that something bad happened, maybe try checking her hotel to see if she went back there for some reason?” Asher suggests, and I don’t give either of them another moment of my time.
I should be thanking him for being the sound voice right now while my mind is a clusterfuck. I’ve already wasted enough time searching for her. If she’s simply at her hotel, then I will definitely feel at ease knowing she’s safe. It’s at least a good place to start.
Since I came here with the team, I’m forced to take an Uber, but the closest one won’t be here for twenty minutes. The hotel she’s staying at is only six blocks away. Glancing up and down the street, I inhale deeply, contemplating what to do. Locking the screen on my phone, I slide it into my pocket and take off into a sprint in the direction of the building.
Fuck waiting. I don’t have time to wait for an Uber to get here. I’ll get there on foot a hell of a lot faster and I need to get to her now.
I’m out of breath by the time I reach the hotel building. Thankfully, I’m in shape, so it wasn’t too bad of a run, but there’s a reason I play hockey and don’t do track. My lungs are practically screaming from the depravation of oxygen and the cold air that burned with every breath I took.
My heart pounds erratically in my chest, threatening to break free as I race to the elevator and press the button for her floor. It feels like it’s an eternity, riding it up to where I might find her. I can’t help but pace like a caged animal, the panic and adrenaline mixing in my system.
The elevator doors are barely open as I slide through the small opening and step out into the hall. Breaking out into a sprint, I race down to her room. I reach into my pocket, pulling out the room key I got earlier when I came in and left her my jersey and set everything up for her.
Sliding it through the key slot, it blinks green and I shove open the door in a haste. The lights are on in the suite and I hear noise coming from the bedroom. My feet move quickly as I take long strides, moving to where the sound is coming from. As I reach the door to the bedroom, my stomach sinks and my heart constricts.
Eden has her suitcase on the bed and she sniffles as she continues to shove things into the bag without bothering to fold them. I’m glad to see that she’s here and safe, but fuck. My heart is in my throat at the sight of her hastily packing all of her things.
“Eden,” I breathe, stepping into the room. “What are you doing? What’s going on?”
She spins on her heel to look at me. Her eyes are bloodshot with streaks of mascara mixed with her tears staining her cheeks. “I’m leaving, Hayden.”
“Baby, baby, baby,” I murmur, stepping closer to her. My arms reach out for her, but she shakes her head and takes a step back. “No. Please, don’t leave.”
“I have to, Hayden. I can’t do this anymore.”
My heart is in my throat. “What’s going on? I don’t understand.”
Eden tilts her head to the side, her eyes slicing to mine with an icy glare. “You don’t understand? That’s comical, King. I’m the one who doesn’t fucking understand why you were calling me your girl and then had another one in your lap.”
Fuck. She did see Carly with me.
‘I promise you, it’s not what it looked like at all,” I implore, my voice thick with emotion. “She was drunk as shit and came over to me. I tried to get her to leave but she wouldn’t.”
“And what? She just so happened to fall into your lap?” Eden’s frigid tone sends a shiver down my spine. She’s made of ice again and I fucking hate it.
“Yes,” I tell her, practically pleading. “That’s exactly what happened. She tried to sit down on my lap and I tried to push her away and she lost her balance. I made her get off of me immediately.”
Eden snorts and shakes her head as she turns away from me, turning back to her suitcase. “Save your bullshit for someone who will buy it, Hayden. I can’t do this with you right now. Please, just leave.”
“Fuck that,” I growl, stepping closer to her as I pull the shirt from her hand that she was about to put into her suitcase. “I’m not fucking going anywhere until you understand that I’m telling you the truth.”
Eden turns back to face me, crossing her arms defensively over her chest. “Then tell me who the hell she is and why she was wearing one of your old jerseys.”
Dread rolls in the pit of my stomach. Part of me feels completely defeated. She’s never going to believe me when I tell her the truth about Carly. This is over and I did exactly what Sterling told me not to do.
I fucked this up entirely.
‘Her name is Carly,” I admit, my voice quiet as guilt washes over me. “She’s the reason why I moved to Wyncote. She was my coach’s daughter and we hooked up, which caused an entire scandal. She wanted more from me and I couldn’t give her that.”
Eden stares at me for a moment, her face contorting as a strangled laugh slips from her plump lips. “Of course you couldn’t.” She sighs in defeat as tears fall from her eyes. “You have a reputation for a reason, and you know… for a moment, I believed that wasn’t the real Hayden King. How fucking stupid of me.”
“Eden, please listen to me,” I urge, the emotion thick in my voice. “You’re the only girl that I see. Since that night in your tent, it’s only been you. I haven’t been able to get you out of my head since. You’re literally all that I want.”
“Funny, considering you don’t do relationships. You literally just told me about your past with this Carly chick and you expect me to believe a single word you’re saying right now?”
“Yes.” The word comes out in a rush. “Because I’m telling you the fucking truth. Can you stop being so fucking stubborn for two seconds and hear what I am saying? This is the truth and you told me you didn’t want it.”
“Well, I don’t want it now either.” Her words are so final, the ice sliding over her heart. “Whatever this is, is done, Hayden. I can’t keep up this charade, and I’m certainly not going to look like a fool for believing you when this is over.”
The tension is so thick between us, it’s like I could reach out and grab it with my hands. She’s hurt, completely shattered, and I don’t know how to get her to believe me when I’m literally showing all my cards. She’s angry, I get that, but that doesn’t mean I can’t be frustrated as fuck right now.
I step closer to Eden and she takes a step back. I keep inching forward and she moves farther away from her suitcase. Tearing my gaze from hers, I reach for the bag and lift it into the air.
“Put my stuff down!” Eden practically yells at me, reaching for it as I turn it over and her things begin to fall onto the floor. “What the fuck, Hayden!”
“I’m not letting you leave this hotel room until you hear everything I have to say to you.”
I toss the suitcase on the bed and we’re caught in an intense stare-down. Eden is closer now, only two feet away, and if I wanted, I could reach out and grab her. But I won’t. I won’t touch her until she wants me to. She’s silent, and it’s my chance to tell her the truth that I’ve been holding back for far too long.
“I’m in love with you, Eden Finley.’