Dear Ex, I'm Dating Your Rival Hockey Star

My Girl

RYDER'S POV

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The team was getting another round of beer when the air shifted around them because they started laughing and shaking their heads at the same time, some of them nudging the other. Something was definitely up. Henry struts towards me where I stood against the railing, swagger in each of his steps, eyes sparkling with amusement. "You won't guess what just happened," Henry hands me a beer, tapping his bottle's neck to mine while shaking his head.

With furrowed brows and little patience, I ask, "What happened?" The look on Henry's face says it's serious, but amusing as hell.

"The Ice Vortex team won tonight, but their Captain lost something way worse," Henry laughs, eyebrows doing the wave and I hate it when he's being this f*****g vague.

"Just tell me," I sigh through the feeling of a headache creeping up on me from behind. Taking a sip of the beer, I glance at him from the side of my eye, waiting. "He was caught kissing a girl that isn't his wife." My heart literally drops into my ass as I stare at Henry agape. Did he really just say that? He slaps my shoulder playfully, "And the best part?" His eyebrows raise, "His wife was the one who caught him in the act," He laughs, shaking his head. Pure, undiluted merriment shone in his eyes.

"I told you that they are married, no need to go parade it around to the entire f*****g team," I hiss angrily, quickly glancing towards the team, wondering if they knew I knew.

"Everyone knows now, and it wasn't me who spilled the beans," He shrugs, dismissing it all together and joins the team again, laughing, brooding about not being able to play in the champs. I, on the other hand, am not that pissed about our loss earlier this season. What I am pissed about, is Jax f*****g Dalton. We're mediocre, but I'm just here because it's fun-- but who the hell told them then if it wasn't Henry?

With a sour taste on my tongue, I down the rest of my beer as I try to forget the magnificence that is Victoria Devereaux, and how devastated she must be right this second. Devastated and perhaps in need of much better company than Jax Dalton. But I can't forget her, I've never been able to forget her.

"I'm going home," I announce to no one in particular. No one stops me anyway. Victoria is the definition of beautiful with her dark chocolate hair that always looks smooth and her soft sage green eyes that reminds me of a painting of a meadow. She's elegant and perfect, and probably heart broken.

"Kane!" Henry's voice carries behind me. Facing him, I continue to walk backward, "Don't do something I wouldn't," He flashes me a grin while pointing at me. "You do everything!" I shout before turning back to walk out.

Jax has always been an ass, but to do this? At a public space? To her? That's low, even for him. Stupid too.

The chill in Montclair air is at it again tonight, and I'm not even outside yet when I spot Victoria, her chocolate hair glowing in the moonlight with a silky look that I've always wanted to drag my fingers through, perhaps have it wrapped around my hand even-- stop imagining f*****g her.

I watch the woman I let get away years ago walk towards her car, and she throws her bag into her car aggressively. Clearly angry. I rush to my own vehicle, following her out of the lot and tail her all the way to a bar, where she takes the last parking. Great. I round the block a few times and a couple of minutes pass before someone pulls out, and I pull right in.

Walking into the bar, people are surrounding the pool table, others are dancing in the small space and most are sitting at their tables, drinking, enjoying conversation. It's a busy place, but not overly crowded-- I can see why she came here. I spot Victoria immediately, and there's a guy passionately trying to throw his arm around her shoulders, clearly flirting with her. It's also clear that she doesn't want his attention. Would she want mine?

I watch with amusement as she lifts her glass and throws the contents of it in his face. That's my girl. But to my horror, his expression becomes dark, twisting in rage and disbelief, but I shove my way through the crowd, avoiding bumping into someone. The second he grabs her arm, yanking her closer until his face was so close to hers that the corners of my eyes went black with rage. I snatch his wrist, twisting it until his fingers uncurl from her, "I don't think so, buddy," I grit out, the pads of my fingers pushing on a pressure point that has his fingers spasming and he lets her go.

"I suggest you find yourself a bimbo, this lady is taken." Shoving him off the seat with ease, I watch through narrowed eyes as he staggers back with the amount of alcohol in his system. He was about to say something when a young, pretty girl strut past, catching his eye and he followed suite. That was easy.

When I look at Victoria, she's already staring at me surprised, those lush lips parted. "Hello, Tori." I grin, sitting down beside her. She looks a little confuckulated, if I'm being honest. "Don't remember me?" I tease, waving the bartender down. "One of whatever she had and a beer for me," I order, and give her all my attention again, almost like what I did in college when she was my senior, and I, her junior. "Ryder Kane," A smile cracks through. Thank f**k she's happy to see me. "The one and only, my lady," I dip my head at an angle, still grinning at her.

Her chest bounces as she scoffs, and I bite back the urge to brush a strand of hair from her face. I'm sure she'd find that very inappropriate right about now. The bartender puts our drinks right in front of us, and Victoria immediately takes a straw, stirring it while staring at the orange-pink drink, nibbling on her bottom lip. "What's wrong, Tori?" I ask. I look at her, giving her a talk to me look.

Her gaze lifts to mine, trouble lining her eyes, and I watch her suck those plume color lips into her mouth. "Jax cheated on me," Her throat contracts as she gulps audibly while trying to hold back the tears that rest on the rim of her eyes. I observe her as she sips through her straw, her jaw tightening, cheeks hallowing out, and it's like she was searching for a better life at the bottom of her tall glass because she empties it with tiny sips in less than a minute.

"He's an ass," I snort, shaking my head and wave the bartender over. Victoria smiles at the bartender, sliding her glass over to be refilled, "Another, please." Her smile is weak, not real and it makes me want to crunch Jax's face underneath my foot. Sitting up straighter, her elbow resting on the bar as she stares at me, her lips thinning in a tight line.

"He's an ass, but didn't you just call me a bimbo?" Her eyebrows raise with a challenge in her gaze. Smiling at her, I shake my head while laughing, "You heard me call you a lady, did you not?" I ask.

"You said, and I quote 'find a bimbo'," She raises a questionable brow.

"Because that's how he saw you, but you know I could never say one bad thing about my favorite senior," I grin, her cheeks tainting with a red glow as she blinks.

A silence passes between us, and her shoulders slump. "I gave him everything." She murmurs hopelessly, "I lived my life hiding my love publicly because it's what was good for his career. I gave my life to the team because he was on it, not that I wouldn't have done it for any other team, but..." She fell silent, her tongue gliding over her bottom lip as she shakes her head. "I cut off my family for him, and he had the audacity to hook up with Aubrey f*****g Horton in the locker room. In a f*****g locker room, Ryder." She sneers, jaw tight, disbelief lining her face as her gaze collided with mine.

When the bartender slides another drink in front of her, she starts drinking it with no hesitation. "Who the hell is Aubrey f*****g Horton?" I match her energy, and the annoyance on her face is amusing as she pins me with a look that seems to scream, dramatic much.

"The team's Senior Executive's daughter." She bites out bitterly, eyes cold, tone even colder. She's so sexy when she's pissed off.

"So he thinks he upgraded?" I snort, and her eyes zero in on me, narrowing with a deadly glare, "Are you choosing his side?" She sneers at me, those usual pretty sage green eyes darkening with anger.

"I said thinks, and usually that implies that he's wrong, Tori." Taking a swig from my beer, I never break eye contact with her. "He is wrong." She snaps. Her body is so tense that I could snap a bone between my fingers if I tried.

"I think we need shots, don't you?" I wave the bartender over and order us each two shots. She ends up drinking one of mine too, and I let her. She clearly needs it more than I do tonight.

Several drinks later, and her ranting about Jax's betrayal, an idea pops into my head, something that has me grinning like a fool, a grin that she notices. "What you smiling about, Kane?" She asks with heavy, tired looking eyes or it could be the alcohol.

"I have an idea," I smirk, and run my fingers over the top of her hand. She glances down at my fingers, intrigue flashing across her eyes when they meet mine once more. "Let's hear it," She insists, turning her hand over underneath my fingers, letting me draw traces all over her palm. With glossy eyes and a tipsy grin, she waits for me to speak. I continue to drag my finger over her palm as I say, "If you want to get back at Jax, be my pretend girlfriend." Her eyes widen as she barks out a breathy laugh.

"You're ridiculous," She squeals, rolling her eyes, shaking her head and for a second, it looks like the events of today had escaped her mind.

"Why not do it?" I ask her, and she stares at me for the longest moment, contemplating, her mouth halfway twitched up in a smile, "He's still my husband," She says, as if it's an inconvenience-- and dare I say it is. She rolls her eyes while looking like she's ready to give up on life while reaching for her drink.

Gripping her chin in a firm grip, I force her to look at me, which isn't that difficult. "Losing you will forever be his biggest regret in my life, Victoria." I ground out, and hopefully grind into her head. "You are beautiful, smart and full of life. Do not let him snuff out your light," She blinks, looking lost. "Be mine, even if it's just pretend. It'll f**k with his head," I grin and her eyes sharpen, the edges of her mouth twitching up into a smile.

"Deal, boyfriend." She smiles, and f**k, she's never been prettier.