Read Online Bodychecking by Jami Davenport - Free Book Online

sisters the truth, share her pain with them and lean on them for support, but they’d mother her with pity and sympathy. The horror of such a possibility was more than she could bear. Regardless, they knew something was wrong, as evidenced by the quick glances her way and the whispered conversation she interrupted when she came back from the bathroom. The guilty stares said it all. They were worried about her, and she didn’t blame them. If she’d been them, she’d be all over her, demanding to know what the fuck was wrong.
    Thank God none of them were her, and they wouldn’t do that.
    Not yet anyway. She suspected they’d discuss the situation in private and rally the troops. She’d be in deep shit when they mounted their coordinated attack.
    Tonight she was safe. They were feeling their way around this new Bella. She’d been weird at her birthday party too so they probably assumed this behavior change had to do with her turning twenty-six, which gave her a little time to plan her own strategy.
    You should tell them the truth, an exasperated voice echoed inside her head.
    Not yet. She couldn’t talk about the attack. She needed more time, and their focus needed to be solely on the wedding right now. She would not screw this up for Izzy. Bella might be selfish, but she could never be that selfish.
    Her sisters stayed for a few hours, helping control-freak Izzy with last-minute wedding details. Bella was actually sorry when Emma rose and stretched and Avery and Izzy did the same. Bella didn’t want them to leave, but she’d stalled as long as she could.
    Bella followed them to the door and locked it after them. She ran to the window to watch as they walked from the building into the rainy evening, loaded into Izzy’s huge SUV, and disappeared down the street. Movement on the deserted sidewalk caught her attention. She pressed her face against the window trying to see the dark figure on the street below, but the person pulled his hoodie low over his eyes and hurried down the street. He passed under a streetlight, giving Bella a better view of his build and size, even if his facial features weren’t visible.
    The man wasn’t her attacker. He was too small, too thin. Instead of feeling relief, Bella shivered and hugged herself, trying to ward off the chill that overcame her body. She hated being paranoid. She was perfectly safe in Cedric’s building with a security guard at the door. She checked the locks again, called downstairs to security to let Ross, the night guard, know she wouldn’t be expecting any more guests and not to let anyone else upstairs.
    Bella tuned to a smooth jazz station, left a few lights on, and crawled into the big, empty bed. She longed for Cedric’s warm body and gentle touch. He’d been so good to her, and she’d been a nutcase. He took it all in stride though she wasn’t sure how he’d take the personal touches she added to his formerly white and beige home.
    She missed him .
    These road trips would be the death of her. Loneliness wrapped its cold arms around her and wouldn’t let go. She sighed and hugged his pillow to her. Breathing in his scent gave her a measure of comfort. He gave her comfort, made her feel valued, and Bella rarely felt valued.
    She sighed. Not a fan of self-pity or weakness, she’d find a way to take control of her situation. Bella would take a small step forward to demonstrate her life might have gone off the rails, but she was putting it back on the tracks wheel by wheel.
     
     

Chapter 4—Suiting Up
    The Sockeyes played in Vancouver on New Year’s Eve. Coop skated like a demon, shot the puck like a sharpshooter, and won the game for them in the last ten seconds. The team hopped on their charter plane and landed in Seattle before midnight. It’d been a long road trip, too long, and Cedric was on a roll—a bad roll. His play sucked to the point he should’ve been occupying a spot on the fourth line or riding the pine.
    He’d spent too much time on