Troublemaker ~ Chapter Nine ~ Fox in the Den
He is one of the best goaltenders in the league. He's also hated by his teammates. He didn't mean to be a troublemaker but why not lean into it? There wasn't anyone to stop him.
Until he met her...
A Jeremy Swayman AU x OFC Stella Williams
Story Warnings: excessive drinking, SMUT!, an asshole Jeremy, angst
A/N: Hello and welcome to a spin-off "Cross-Checked" so plenty of characters from that story are crossing over here! If you want a more detailed story of how we ended up here, read the first store HERE Also! The taglist is open. If you want to be added or removed, please let me know!
Previous: Rude Awakening
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Series Masterlist // Main Masterlist
Jeremy
This has to be a fucking nightmare.
Not twenty-four hours ago, I was ready to profess my love for Stella Williams.
And twenty-four hours later, I’m alone at Red Line. No girl, no love, just broken.
I sat at the corner of the bar, sipping my drink. I really have no idea how to move forward. I’m lucky Mark, the manager, knows how to keep everyone away from me. He also knows how much I don’t want to be drunk right now. I keep looking at my phone, swiping through the photos of Stella and me. I stared at her smiling, beautiful face. I could still see the future I had been dreaming about. Could see her accepting my proposal, walking down the aisle to me, telling me she’s pregnant, buying our house.
The lost dreams weighed on my heart, and I can feel my eyes fill with hot tears. I wipe my eyes on my shirt. I don’t want to show weakness where someone can see.
“You know, drinking won’t help. I speak from experience.” I looked up to see Andy standing behind me. He moved to take the seat next to me and waved at Mark for a beer.
“Not drinking,” I mumble. I give him my glass. “It's just juice.”
He sniffs and smiles. “Good, I need you to keep a clear head.”
“Why?” I turned back to my phone. “Why when my entire life went up in flames?”
“Jeremy,” Andy placed his hand on my shoulder, “it's not in flames.”
“Cap, sorry but I lost my spot, I lost my girl, I lost everything.” I put my head on bar. “What the fuck do I have now?”
“Jer, I have a meeting with management before the game. I asked that they not make a public statement until we talked. I need you to be there.”
“Why? They obviously don’t trust me. They didn’t give me a chance to explain.”
“I know. I know.” Andy took a long drink. “I have your back. Please just work with me. I know that we have a rough history but if the last four months you have shown me that you are reliable and faithful, not only to your girl but the team.”
I sat and just thought about everything. “Do you think someone on the team did this?”
He shook his head. “I don’t think so.”
I nodded. “Andy, the girl? Its Stella.” I looked away.
“Yeah, I know.” I turned back to him. “She’s been at my house for the last couple of days. Leia is worried about her. All she does is hold Avery. Says it stops her from crying.”
“Fuck.” I can’t stop the tear that falls. “I’m sorry.”
“Why are you apologizing?”
“Because I’m messing up your life.”
Andy frowns. “Stop that. You didn’t do anything, and we both know it.”
It's quiet again. “Andy, I need her. I love her.”
“I know man.” He finishes his drink. “C’mon. Lets grab a burger and talk about the meeting.” I nod, drain my drink and pay our bill. If there is anyone I trust besides Linus, it would be Andy.
I’m sitting outside of the management offices two days later, knees bouncing. Andy is in with the general manager and coach. I’m looking at my phone, still staring at the photos I have of Stella and go through our messages.
Stella: Would you still like me if I were a squirrel? Jeremy: Stella... what? Stella: I asked, would you still like me if I were a squirrel? Jeremy: I feel like this is trick question. Stella: just answer it Jeremy: Am I a squirrel with you? Stella: No Jeremy: then yes I would Stella: really? Jeremy: yeah. I would make you a nice squirrel house and bring you nuts and stuff so you would be happy in your squirrel home. Stella: that is probably the most romantic thing you have ever said to me. Jeremy: (wink) Jeremy: wanna come over? (smirk) Stella: (rolling eyes) moments over Stella: I’ll be there in 10 (smile)
I smile at the texts, wishing she was here to hold my hand. A commotion comes from the hallway, and I look up to see Stella and one of the other athletic trainers coming down the hall. I think her name is Kiley. She’s always given me the creeps, a sort of puck bunny vibe that is semi-stalker-ish. I stand up. “Stella?”
“Jeremy.” She looks beautiful, even in her angry, frustrated state.
I’m not sure what to say. I want to say everything, but I don’t want to say it in front of anyone else. I want to tell her I love her, but I don’t want an audience. I move to ask her if we can talk in private when the door opens, and Andy comes out to look between us. “Stel?”
“I need to talk to you and management.” She takes a breath. “And Jeremy.”
Two Days Before
Stella
I finally went back home. I knew I couldn’t stay with Leia forever, as much as I wanted to. Since I was home, I stayed with Leia when I could to help with the baby. Holding my niece was my only comfort. I had been alone since I came home from the road trip. I should have been getting the team ready for playoffs but no, I’ve been in my apartment, crying my eyes out.
I decided that I had enough and went back to the arena. I needed to be distracted, even when a certain someone was there. I head straight to my office, shut the door and started with the mass of emails that had piled up. My phone rings and my heart jumps. I grab at it, hoping I’ll see his name on my phone but it's just Leia. “Hi.”
“Don’t sound too enthusiastic Stella. Where are you?”
“At work, tackling all of the stuff I’m behind on. Are you ok? Is my sweet angel ok?”
I can practically hear her eyes roll. “We’re ok. Excited to see Andy.”
I looked at calendar and sure enough, the team is due to arrive in about an hour, do a quick meeting and then head home for the night. I sigh because I know Jeremy will be here. It's been a week since he was on my doorstep, and I told him I couldn’t be with him anymore. The betrayal cuts deep.” Oh yeah, ok.” I sigh, because I don’t want to do this confrontation. I just want the pain to stop.
“Jeremy was sent home the day after the pictures came out.” My head snaps towards the locker room. “What?”
“Yeah, management benched him. They were done with his philandering.” That explained how he was on my doorstep that first night. But it also means that he won’t be here today. “It's disappointing,” she continues. “I really thought he had changed. Andy won’t talk about it. He just said that he’s handling it.”
“I don’t care,” I tell her. Except I do care. Andy wouldn’t say something like that unless he knew the truth. But I can’t do this. My heart is on the floor, and I just want to be in bed.
“Stel, I know its fresh but...”
“No, I’m not doing this. He had his hands on someone else. He promised that it was just me and then this happened.” I choke back the tears. “Leia, I just...”
“I know, sweetie. I’m sorry. Umm, Avery misses her auntie. Come by after for dinner?”
“Sure,” I reply, desperately trying to will the tears away. “I gotta go.”
“Ok. Love you Stel.”
“Love you too, Lee.” I hang up and turn my back on the door. I need air, I decide and head out to the patio area behind the arena. I watch as the bus pulls up and the team starts to disembark. I’m looking for him, even though I know he’s not going to be there. I give myself five more minutes before I head back inside.
“I can’t believe they sent him home.” A familiar voice that grates my nerves is speaking around the corner. I stop, knowing that I probably shouldn’t eavesdrop but decide to do it anyways. Kiley continues to speak. “I was hoping that I would get a chance to, you know, talk or maybe something more.”
Another one of my trainers, Amanda, sighs. “I would love a chance with him. But rumor has it, that he has a girlfriend. They were just keeping it on the low since Jeremy wanted to protect her.”
“If he had a girlfriend, he wouldn’t have been caught with his hands on the cookie jar, if you know what I mean.” Kiley snaps her gum. “Shame that the guys couldn’t have privacy at the bar that night.”
Something about that sentence makes my danger alarm go off. She’s right, it was odd that the guys didn’t get privacy in the bar. Usually, the bartenders and security are really good about making sure the guys are alone. It had to have been someone on the team or staff that took this photo. I go back to the news article from a week ago and start researching.
Two hours later and I think I have it. The photo was sent to the newspaper via Instagram. But the photo taker was not given credit. Just when I think I’m at the end of the road, something else catches my eye.
BruinsBabiegurl: no credit for the photo? Booo!
What the fuck?
I click on her profile and see that it’s blocked. Not wanting to get caught, I create a fake account and send an approval request. I decide to head home, and I shut down everything. As I’m exiting, I run into a wall. Not a literal one. Just a goalie shaped on. “Oh Linus! I’m so sorry.”
“Its ok, Stella.” He offers me a sad smile. “How are you?”
I frown at his look. “I’m ok.”
He slides his hands into the pocket of his jacket. “No, I mean, how are you after...” he trails off and understanding hit me. He means after the photo. Jeremy told him.
“He told you, didn’t he?”
“Yes. He’s a wreck, Stella.”
“He did this to himself Linus.”
“I don’t think he did. I was there and he was professing his love for his girl, no name given, before the incident with the woman. He bumped into her, caught her, apologized and moved on. He took one more drink before Andy and I took him back to his room. Alone.” I hug myself because I’ve known Linus a few years and he’s always been a good honest man. And with everything I found online, I think I might be wrong about Jeremy. Linus studies me and I think he can see the battle within me. “Stella, he loves you.”
I shake my head. “No, he doesn’t. He... he just wanted a hook up.”
“Stella, you love him.” He looks at me seriously. “Take your time. But give him a chance.” He leaves it there and walks away. I can feel a tear threatening to fall. I take a deep breath and head out.
The next morning, as I am getting ready for morning skate, my phone dings. I look to see that my follow request was approved. I need coffee before I can take this on. Maybe going to The Addicted, would be best. Public place so I don’t lose it. Logical.
The coffee shop is busy, and I tuck myself into a corner. I’m sipping my coffee when I see him.
Jeremy.
His hat is low on his head and sunglasses on. He stares at his phone or the menu but doesn’t look around. But his defeated posture tells me everything I need to know. He’s sad, upset, frustrated all at once. He takes his order, not looking anywhere but down and leaves. A couple of girls had giggled when they saw him, but he didn’t make a motion towards them. It looked like he was just swiping though his phone.
When he’s out of my sight line, I sigh and open Instagram. Navigating to the new “friend” I have made, I gasp, loudly, at the profile.
It’s Kilye.
Kiley had snapped the photo and wanted credit. She wanted to make sure trouble came to Jeremy. I clench my fist. Even if it doesn’t fix my relationship with him, he didn’t deserve to get his privacy violated and lies told. I screen shot the original comment and the profile and send it to the GM with a message.
Stella: I need to meet with you about this. GM: tomorrow 10AM
I don’t know how Jeremy can forgive me for all the things I said and did.
But I get him some justice.
The next day I call a meeting of all my athletic trainers at 930. Once the group is assembled, I call their attention. “It’s been brought to my attention that someone in the organization is taking photos of the team, without permission, and posting them. As many of you should remember, there was a privacy clause stating that photos must have the consent of the players in order to post. I am here to remind you that, even you think the photo is innocent or that you might not be caught because your profile is private, any photos taken and posted without consent is subject to evaluation and/or termination.”
I look around and see all of the faces of confusion. Except Kiley. She looks nervous. “If you need a refresher on your contract, please let me know.”
I finish the meeting with things we need to know about injuries and equipment for the start of the series before ending it five minutes to ten. “Kiley, stay back please.”
She rolls her eyes as she stands still, hip jutted out. She at least waited until everyone else left. “What do you want?” She popped her gum.
“We have a meeting with the GM. I need to make a decision on changes to the team. I wanted your input.”
The surprise on her face was something that I will burn into my brain forever. She won’t see this coming and frankly, I don’t give a fuck about her. “Oh, well, I didn’t think you appreciate my opinions. I mean since...” she trails off.
“Well as much I hate you for meddling in my personal life, you are a good trainer.” As we make it through the management office doors, security appears behind us. “Too bad you were too stupid not to comment on the photo of Jeremy.” She pales, realizing that my speech was about her this morning. She turned to leave but security is behind us. I grab her arm and pull her towards the GM’s office.
And I see him seated outside, swiping on his phone again. When he hears us, he looks up and is startled. He stands up. “Stella?”
“Jeremy.”
Before he can ask, the door opens, and Andy and the GM open the door. Andy looks at me curiously. “Stel?”
“I need to talk to you and the GM.” I take a deep breath. “And Jeremy.”
NEXT
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