wanted to be near the ocean. When I got the news that I was being signed with the Scorpions, one of my first thoughts was beachfront property. I didn’t care how small the place was as long as I was on the beach and had a place to sit and enjoy it. You’ll soon see I got exactly what I wanted.”
He opened the front door, and I almost gasped out loud at how tiny it was. There was one large room that housed a kitchenette, living room and an eating area. The only other rooms in the house were his bedroom, a tiny spare room that wasn’t much larger than a walk-in closet, and a small, but adequate bathroom. As small as it was, everything had been updated so it was actually quite cozy. Since Cage undoubtedly wasn’t the type to room with one of his teammates, I could understand why he had chosen this homey beach cottage for himself.
“It’s really nice, Dalton. It’s small, but I think it suits you.” I walked over to the slim mantle under the TV and looked at pictures of what I presumed to be his family. Picking up a picture of two boys suited up in hockey gear, I looked at him over my shoulder. “Who’s this?”
He walked up so close behind me, I could feel his breath ruffling my hair. His hand brushed mine as he pointed to each boy. “This is my brother Jaden, and that’s his best buddy, Ethan. They’re inseparable. Ethan even comes with Jaden when he visits me in the summer. I think I’ve known him almost as long as I’ve known my little brother.”
I could tell by the softness of his voice, the raw emotion in it, how much those boys meant to him. “You really enjoy having them visit, don’t you?” I was still trying to put all of the pieces together to understand why Cage was such a loner. One thing I did notice was that he was night and day when he was with me compared to being around the guys.
“I do. It’s good for them to have a place to come to in the summer for a while. And they’re good for me, too. Believe it or not, scary as it sounds, I’m Jaden’s male role model. And Ethan doesn’t have a very good home life. His father drinks too much, and as hard as his mother tries, she can’t make up for that.”
“You really are a good guy, aren’t you?” I would have loved to know why he showed everyone else his worst side. What was he afraid of?
“No. Make no mistake. I’m not a good guy. Just ask around.”
Why was he okay with being painted as an asshole when he was obviously anything but? I only knew one way to find out—ask him. “Why do you do that?”
“Do what?”
“Act so differently around the guys. I’ve hardly been around you, but I can already see how much you love to push everyone’s buttons. Why?”
Cage walked over to the fridge and pulled out two beers. He twisted the caps off and handed me one on his way over to the sofa. His legs spread wide when he sat down with a small thud and gingerly laid his head back so he was staring up at the ceiling. I could tell by the whimper that escaped his lips, his head was still hurting.
“People see what they want to see.”
There were two ways to look at that. “People see what you show them.”
He patted the seat next to him and I sat, taking a sip from my beer. “I guess you could be right. I think it started when my father left. Just before Jaden was born, the old man took off. Typical cliché story. We lived in a run-down house. Mom had trouble making ends meet, et cetera, et cetera. But at eleven years old, I felt like I had to be the man of the house. I suppose I grew a pretty big attitude trying to be tough, you know?”
“Well, why did you need to be tough? Were you bullied or made fun of?” I couldn’t imagine it. Cage was big, gorgeous, and looked like nothing bothered him. It seemed to me like he’d be the one everyone wanted in their group—or he’d be the bully.
“I wouldn’t call it being bullied, exactly. No one ever beat me up or anything. They wouldn’t have dared. I bloomed early and worked
He opened the front door, and I almost gasped out loud at how tiny it was. There was one large room that housed a kitchenette, living room and an eating area. The only other rooms in the house were his bedroom, a tiny spare room that wasn’t much larger than a walk-in closet, and a small, but adequate bathroom. As small as it was, everything had been updated so it was actually quite cozy. Since Cage undoubtedly wasn’t the type to room with one of his teammates, I could understand why he had chosen this homey beach cottage for himself.
“It’s really nice, Dalton. It’s small, but I think it suits you.” I walked over to the slim mantle under the TV and looked at pictures of what I presumed to be his family. Picking up a picture of two boys suited up in hockey gear, I looked at him over my shoulder. “Who’s this?”
He walked up so close behind me, I could feel his breath ruffling my hair. His hand brushed mine as he pointed to each boy. “This is my brother Jaden, and that’s his best buddy, Ethan. They’re inseparable. Ethan even comes with Jaden when he visits me in the summer. I think I’ve known him almost as long as I’ve known my little brother.”
I could tell by the softness of his voice, the raw emotion in it, how much those boys meant to him. “You really enjoy having them visit, don’t you?” I was still trying to put all of the pieces together to understand why Cage was such a loner. One thing I did notice was that he was night and day when he was with me compared to being around the guys.
“I do. It’s good for them to have a place to come to in the summer for a while. And they’re good for me, too. Believe it or not, scary as it sounds, I’m Jaden’s male role model. And Ethan doesn’t have a very good home life. His father drinks too much, and as hard as his mother tries, she can’t make up for that.”
“You really are a good guy, aren’t you?” I would have loved to know why he showed everyone else his worst side. What was he afraid of?
“No. Make no mistake. I’m not a good guy. Just ask around.”
Why was he okay with being painted as an asshole when he was obviously anything but? I only knew one way to find out—ask him. “Why do you do that?”
“Do what?”
“Act so differently around the guys. I’ve hardly been around you, but I can already see how much you love to push everyone’s buttons. Why?”
Cage walked over to the fridge and pulled out two beers. He twisted the caps off and handed me one on his way over to the sofa. His legs spread wide when he sat down with a small thud and gingerly laid his head back so he was staring up at the ceiling. I could tell by the whimper that escaped his lips, his head was still hurting.
“People see what they want to see.”
There were two ways to look at that. “People see what you show them.”
He patted the seat next to him and I sat, taking a sip from my beer. “I guess you could be right. I think it started when my father left. Just before Jaden was born, the old man took off. Typical cliché story. We lived in a run-down house. Mom had trouble making ends meet, et cetera, et cetera. But at eleven years old, I felt like I had to be the man of the house. I suppose I grew a pretty big attitude trying to be tough, you know?”
“Well, why did you need to be tough? Were you bullied or made fun of?” I couldn’t imagine it. Cage was big, gorgeous, and looked like nothing bothered him. It seemed to me like he’d be the one everyone wanted in their group—or he’d be the bully.
“I wouldn’t call it being bullied, exactly. No one ever beat me up or anything. They wouldn’t have dared. I bloomed early and worked
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