“He’s such a kidder.” Noah patted Alec on the chest, and it was stiff and awkward, like she had no idea what she was doing.
Alec had no idea what the hell was going on, but something was clearly wrong. Even if it was just Noah losing her mind. He shifted his shoulders – the weight of his hockey bag was getting him out of alignment. Typically, he was tossing it in the back of his car by now.
“Alec, this is, uh, this is one of my friends from a few years ago,” Noah said, dropping her hand from Alec’s chest. For some strange reason, she angled her body towards his, like she was trying to use him as some kind of shield. “Pat, Pat Zummo.”
“Oh… kay.” What was he supposed to say to that? Was this some sort of game? If Noah expected him to read through the lines, he couldn’t. He didn’t understand what she needed from him. What bothered him was that part of him, a small part of him that was growing bigger with each passing second, wanted to understand.
He was also the journalist that couldn’t stop writing about Alec’s dick. Alec knew that once he heard the name. He could also guess that Zummo was here to try and get more dirt on Alec and possibly more clicks to his shitty articles. But what Alec didn’t know was how Noah knew him. He didn’t want to admit it, but he happened to be watching the two of them talk every now and then from where he was on the ice. Usually, he was able to shift his focus and put it all on his game and perfecting his abilities. However, Noah’s presence had thrown him off more than he wanted to admit. As such, he kept looking over.
“I’m her boyfriend’s friend,” Pat said. “And I’m a sports journalist you may have –“
“Boyfriend?” Alec didn’t even care that he cut Pat off. How did Alec not know she had a boyfriend. And, if that was true, why was Noah here, living with Lily, rather than being with her boyfriend?
“Aaron is not –“ she began, holding up a hand to explain herself.
“Well, maybe not, but that’s how I know you,” Pat said. His eyes were narrowed as he took in Alec, his lips curling into a frown. “I didn’t realize you moved on so quickly.” He turned his attention back to Noah. “I didn’t realize you even liked hockey let alone knew a player enough to date one. Granted, he’s just AHL, but still.”
Alec cleared his throat. Just AHL? “I’m sorry, who are you again?” he asked. He stepped closer to Noah. He didn’t think she needed protection, but she was practically on top of him and he wanted to let her know that she could back up slightly. He would handle this.
Pat Zummo didn’t look like much. He wasn’t tall and he wasn’t strong. Alec wouldn’t call the guy skinny or fat, but somewhere in between. He had on some skater brand t-shirt and basketball shorts with ankle socks and Nike shoes. Alec was pretty sure he could knock the guy out in three punches or less, though the guy might be able to use his weight to his advantage. What Alec didn’t know was how Noah knew him in the first place. It sounded like she knew him through a boyfriend, but as far as Alec knew, Noah wasn’t dating anyone. Which meant this journalist was a liar.
This shouldn’t surprise Alec in the slightest. The guy could barely string two kernels of truth together in an article. He was like the Star Magazine of sports writers, focusing only on the drama in any capacity he could find it.
“So, is it true, then?” Pat pressed, shifting his weight. “Are the two of you together?”
Alec frowned. What sort of question was that? Even with the Noah’s outburst, he didn’t particularly feel comfortable saying anything of the sort. If it were true – which it definitely was not – why would Pat think he had a right to know that? It boggled his mind.
“I’m sorry,” Alec said, tilting his chin down. “Why do you think that’s any of your business?”
“As a fan of the franchise for practically my whole life and as someone who gets paid to write about its players, I have a vested interest,” Zummo said. “And, considering the rumors floating around about you, I felt it was my duty to ask the direct questions and get some sort of answer.”
“Just because you’re a fan doesn’t give you the right to my personal business,” Alec said, his nostrils flaring. His temper had been simmering, ever since Noah’s ex-boyfriend had been mentioned. Not because he was jealous – there was no reason for him to be – but because he could tell Pat Zummo used that piece of information as a powerplay. Judging by how Noah reacted, she played into it. Something distressed her enough where she said he was her boyfriend. Something was up. And while he wanted to figure out what that was, he wanted to help Noah even if he didn’t understand why he was doing so.
“Well, you sort of make it our business,” Zummo countered. His tone implied that he was regretful to even mention it, but there was delight sparkling in his eyes. This asshole lived off of drama, and if he got to stir the pot, all the better. “Rumor has it, Seraphina Hanson is going to bench you if you don’t get in line.”
“In line?” Alec asked, not bothering to hide the edge in his voice now. What did he mean by that? That Alec was a child throwing a temper tantrum? The fact that Zummo had the courage to even say something like that to Alec’s face was enough to make him want to kick Zummo’s ass. If Jack were still here and
