josephine lee
The minute I woke up, I texted Dad and Theo, letting them know I wasn't feeling well so I wouldn't be showing up today. Dad sent a sweet message telling me to get better while Theo called me. I hit the green accept button and turned the speaker on. I clear my throat as he awkwardly says hello.
"Hi Ted," I say with a raspy morning voice. He doesn't say anything for a minute so I call out his name just to make sure he's still on the line with me. "Am I why you didn't show up today?" He asks regretfully like he wishes he could go back in time and use a different tone with me. My older sister heart breaks to think he feels so guilty for making me feel bad but he's not responsible for what's making me stay in.
I sigh softly into the phone, feeling my whole chest cave in with the single breath I took. "No, no Ted I just feel anxious and would prefer to stay in today, just to get better." I explain to him, just wanting a day with little to no people. Before hanging up on me he asks me to let him know if I need anything throughout the day. I agree to let him know and toss my phone across from me once he's no longer on the phone with me.
I know we were both upset with one another, but sometimes he can be so sweet and thoughtful. It tears my heart to pieces. I sometimes feel like I don't even deserve him, and he's tied to me for the rest of our lives.
After moping in bed, all sweaty from last night I pull myself out of bed for a quick shower. I lay out my entire routine on the bathroom counter, watching the mirror fog up. I take my pajamas off and step into the shower, right under the water to warm me up. I let the water wash my worries away, and once I get out I feel like a new person.
Around 4:00, I get a knock on my door and I almost don't want to answer but I do. The minute my door opens Theo runs straight in and jumps on my bed making himself comfortable. He starts telling me about his day, forgetting the tension we had between us yesterday. "Dad had a blast, he was smiling from ear to ear. It was adorable." He laughs. Even though my Dad is no longer playing in the NHL, I'm glad he gets to work within it since it clearly makes him happy.
We talk about my day, but there isn't much to say. Theo fills the silence by telling me that Jack asked about me. He keeps his voice soft and gentle like he's informing me just to let me know not to use it against me. "Did he?" I ask, suppressing my smile by licking my dry lips. "Yeah, I told him you weren't feeling good and he got worried, but I told him to give you a day." He tells me, causing me to try to picture exactly how he got worried, and what he said word for word.
"Did Dad talk to him at any point?" I ask, nervous about the answer. I know Jack wouldn't say anything but I would prefer to be present when they do speak. He shakes his head, "No, they didn't, but you need to eat." He says, cutting my thoughts of Jack off. Theo knows very well that after a panic attack, my social anxiety skyrockets making it really difficult to talk to random people, so I avoid it at all costs.
He orders some room service for the two of us and watches some cartoons with me until it's time for him to go to bed. He tosses any trash out and kisses the very top of my head before saying, "Alright, call me if you need anything Jos. I'll see you tomorrow." he says, messing up my hair. I whisper goodnight to him with a nod as he closes the door behind him, leaving me to lock it.
Tomorrow will be better. There's something in me that feels a little brighter and it feels like the statement holds a bit of truth to it and isn't just me lying to myself.
-
When I wake up the next day around noon, the anxious feeling that was consuming my whole body has settled. I didn't expect it to vanish into thin air, but this is close enough. I can work with this. I get out of bed and start getting ready for my long day. I start with a quick shower, then move on to my hair and makeup.
I choose to keep my makeup the same since it feels like my security blanket and pull on my black dress. The dress flows down to my calves and has an open back. I pair the pretty dress with some tall black heels because no other color exists. I curl my hair, put some hairspray to set them and walk out to meet Theo in the hallway.
He had texted me ten minutes ago, telling me he'd be there waiting for me but wasn't in a rush. He wraps an arm around my shoulders, asking how I'm feeling today as we step onto the elevator. I assure him a few times that I am feeling good enough to attend this event and he fortunately leaves it at that.
We find Dad in the lobby, waiting for us per usual. He opens up his arms to hug me tightly and says, "Glad you're feeling better hon." He kisses the side of my head and walks us to the car that will be taking us to the event. On the way there I start to feel my anxiety bubbling up in my chest again even though I was fine all day today.
It's okay though, I'll just have a drink and it'll loosen me up. I put on a fake smile and make a few small comments in the conversation Dad is having with Theo. I keep my voice steady but grip my hands as a way to keep myself under control.
The car starts slowing down and Dad is the first to step out of the car, Theo is next and he holds out his hand for me to take, and with his help, I step out last. I'm much more aware of how tall my heels are and how many people are here. I put on my best face and take a deep breath as Theo says, "Hold onto my arm, yeah?" I nod my head.
Fans are screaming my name but above that, I hear something else. I hear another name being yelled out. "Jack! Jack!" Everyone yells, in hopes of getting an autograph or a picture with him. He waves and awards everyone by giving them the gift of his smile and attention. God, everyone wants him. It feels like a crime to be just another girl wanting him to look at them.
It feels wrong to be out in public, wanting an ounce of his attention. We both know what goes on between us has to stay private but I want him to make me feel safe again. Like how it was in my hotel room. I want to be tucked under his arm and call him something horribly sweet. When did all of this become so hard?
My eyes stay glued to him and I can feel Theo's eyes on me like he's silently begging me to stop staring for my own sake. I pull my eyes away and walk the carpet, only stopping for a few photos with some fans. While signing my name in a journal I hear a few guys behind them calling me everything I've seen on the internet.
"Stay away from Hughes, you're a distraction." He yells and I ignore it. I keep walking and find Dad mid-interview when a woman with a microphone waves me over. I leave Dad's side and walk over as the camera starts recording. "Hi, I'm Josie." I introduce myself before hugging her. She does the same and stands beside me as she puts on her camera voice.
"We're here with Josephine Lee, daughter of retired Devils' legend Reggie Lee! Josie, how does it feel to have grown up in the hockey industry?" She says, angling the mic towards my mouth. Her voice is a bit shaky and it makes me wonder if she's nervous. "I'm incredibly lucky to have grown up in a sport that I truly love with all my heart. I mean I was very young when my Dad was drafted to the Devils but the minute I was able to understand the game it was impossible to not fall in love with it." I smile, leading her to her next question.
I look around quickly to find Theo since I sort of abandoned him but he's beside Dad answering a few questions and having a few laughs. "Who is your current favorite Devil?" She smirks, making me wonder if this question is innocent and I'm paranoid or if she's trying to answer any rumors. "I'd have to say our beloved captain, Nico Hischier. I mean how could we not love him? Dawson Mercer! Man, he's on fire with his scoring streak and Dougie of course. They're all fantastic!" I say, refusing to say Jack's name like most people would want me to.
If I said Jack's name it would've put the word "Slut!" right on my forehead. It would've invited more hate after it somewhat settled. I love trouble I do, but I'm not in this alone. This is Jack's life too.
She asks one more question and after I answer I give her another hug and follow Theo and my Dad inside. I pop my fingers and walk over to the closest bar, taking a seat at one of the tables. I just need one drink in me and I'll be fine for the night. Once I get my drink I offer a small sip to Theo and down the rest. "Easy Lee," Nico laughs as he enters the room.
I glare at him, causing him to raise his hands in surrender. He greets my brother with one of those bro hugs and takes the seat in front of me. While the three of us talk I hear a rather loud group of boys walk past the room I'm in. In the middle of the crowd is Jack and I assume the boys around him are his friends.
I already let myself slip on the carpet so this time I don't let my gaze linger or do a double take in hopes of seeing a sliver of his face again and focus on the conversation in front of me. Nico turns his head to see what I was looking at and with a knowing look in his eye, he sighs. I beg him to not say anything about what he just picked up from the look on my face but he starts talking anyway.
"God those boys. Zegras is loud as shit and acts like a puppy that has just been let out of its kennel." He says, rubbing a hand over his forehead. I smile, grateful that he chose to talk about something other than the fact that I am officially a puddle of mushy gushy feelings for his teammate. It's just us three, but I don't want to air out all my feelings in the middle of a hockey player-infested event.
Throughout the day Jack and I make awkward eye contact and I swear every time I look at him it'll be the last. That my need to look at him would be satiated with one more look, but each time I'd stare, he'd look over making me snap my head in the opposite direction. When I thought he finally looked away I'd look over again and find his eyes set on me. He'd chuckle to himself just before I repeated the action of turning my attention away from him.
It's not long before all of the games for the day are done and all that is left is a formal event to signal the end of the All-Star weekend. I touch up my makeup and put on a new dress. This one is more fitting for a night out it has a slit on the right side and hugs every dip and curve of my body.
Theo and Dad went straight to the event while I went back to the hotel so this time I enter the elevator I'm walking alone. I walk towards the car my Dad arranged for me and get inside for the short ride. I spend the trip there scrolling through Twitter and Instagram, looking through a few fans retweeting a few of my interview clips.
Once the driver tells me we're here I step out of the car, keeping my head low as flashing lights go off around me. I hear a few of the men screaming my name, trying to catch my attention. I turn my head, letting them get a few good pictures of me then walk away as a new car pulls in. I make my way inside, not letting the screams from behind me distract me, and look for my brother.
I find them with a few of Dad's old friends, I keep a sweet smile on my face as I walk up to them. "Josie, you've gotten so big! I remember when you were just a little girl yelling at the boys that'd bump your Dad on the ice." He says, causing everyone to break out in a loud laugh. I blush at the reminder of how I was a menace at the ripe age of four.
Dad's friends get called over to do something else, leaving Dad to catch us up on his hectic day. He goes on and on about how stressful it can be but doesn't fail to mention how worth it it is. This is a type of stress my Dad would invite time and time again, he'd do anything for this league. "Today I got to talk to," he says right before I tune him out when I feel a callused hand run right past my knuckles.
Had it been anyone else I would've ignored it, but I know these hands. They belong to the man I've been itching for. I look over my shoulder in his direction, watching the way the left side of his lips quirks up in a smirk. I spin my head back toward my Dad, hoping the quick exchange went unnoticed by everyone.
"Jack!" My Dad says, calling out the name of the man I'm completely falling for. Did he see what he did? I mean it wasn't incriminating, but still, the fact that this is happening is nauseating. Jack looks over at my Dad and smiles brightly causing those butterflies to flutter around. My Dad extends his hand out and says, "It's so great to meet you! Reggie Lee," He introduces himself.
My Dad looks over at us, silently asking us to introduce ourselves with his smile. "Josephine, nice to meet you." I say, acting as if we've never met. Jack smiles, shaking my hand, and following my lead. Theo thankfully does the same and lets Dad talk Jack's ear off about how amazing he is at the age of 21.
"This is unbelievable coming from you sir, you are a true legend and the whole team could agree by saying we wish we had your skill hockey-wise and leadership-wise." Jack flatters my Dad. Theo grabs a drink off a tray and hands it to me behind Jack. I mouth a soft thank you, sipping on the vodka soda I have in my hand.
"Jack, please call me Reggie." Dad pats his back, making Jack smile. His smile makes me need to look away just to catch my breath. I feel the need to take a lap and then come back to act normally. As they talk some more about hockey Dad opens up some time to let Theo and I talk about ourselves. Jack licks his lips, taking his bottom lip in between his teeth when I start talking.
Although his attention was what I was seeking today now that I have it I feel on edge and nervous. His eyes shift between my eyes and lips making me nervous. When my brother starts talking Jack doesn't give Theo the exact same treatment and Theo doesn't twitch under Jack's gaze. Once we tie up our conversations Jack's friends start calling out his name, causing him to shake his head and laugh.
"Well, it was great to meet you, Jack. Give me a call if you ever need anything." Dad says, giving Jack his phone number. The Lees just give out their number to boys named Jack Hughes like it's nothing. Can we have some decency?
Once he's gone I head to the bathroom to finally catch my breath instead of holding it while Jack was looking at me. I would really appreciate being drunk right now, all this talk about him and my acknowledgment of my feelings for him are making me dizzy. I shoot Theo a quick text letting him know I'm sneaking out of this party and going to a bar.
theo just please send me your location
AND STAY SAFE! I'm staying so dad doesn't
wonder where we both are.
josie thanks ted!
love you
*josie started sharing her location with theo
I leave out the side and catch a cab to take me to the nearest bar. He takes me to a sports bar called the 'The Lucky Puck' I chuckle at the name before stepping inside and ordering a few rounds of shots. "Rough night?" The bartender asks. I nod my head dramatically, taking every shot down my throat like a pro. He lets me pick the music to play as a few girls around me start dancing.
"Thanks, I needed this." I hiccup, putting my head on the counter. He responds with something too deep for a girl too many shots in. I give him a thumbs up and head to the restroom on wobbly legs to touch up my makeup. When I come back out there are more people here but it doesn't bother me because a sweet and just-as-drunk red-haired girl pulls me in to dance with her and her friends.
She twirls me around after I order another drink to sip on. I keep my straw in my mouth, closing my eyes and swaying to the music I put on.
jack hughes
A few minutes after talking to Josie's dad the boys and I form an escape plan to ditch this party and go somewhere more lowkey to catch up. This basically means they want me somewhere quieter so they can interrogate me about my love life. We find a bar called 'The Lucky Puck' reminding Trevor of the movie Tangled.
This bar has nothing to do with that movie but he made some random connections in his head to make his laughing fit work out. He laughs hard enough to make us all come to an agreement to just go there. We squeeze into the car, promising to tip the driver a good amount of money if he lets us cramp in his car.
Our quick drive there is filled with Trevor still laughing to himself and us trying to quiet him down. The minute we get there we hand him a good tip in cash and head inside grabbing a table near the middle. We order some appetizers and drinks, wanting to relax before diving back into our hectic schedule where we never get to see each other. Well, they'll get to relax I'm sure I won't be allowed the same thing.
I look around the bar and find a few signed jerseys hung up and a few girls dancing. The girls range from blonde to brunette to a few gingers and as time goes on more people are piling in. Mostly drunk guys but there are a few girls in the mix. Trevor surprisingly has kept his mouth shut for a while so when I look up to see what he's doing I find him in a trance.
"Guys, don't look now but there's this chick dancing and holy fuck she's hot." He says still staring at her. We all turn our heads to see who he's looking at, making him groan. "I said don't look now." While he's making a fuss over us not listening I'm now stuck in the same trance Trevor was in because the girl he pointed out is my girl. Well not my, my girl, but that's my girl.
There's no way to get him to not do this, and I wouldn't tell them without making sure it was okay with her first, so instead of coming clean I watch Trevor scoot out of the booth to walk up to her. I take a swig from my beer to ease the tightness in my jaw. My eyes are locked on the two of them and so are Cole's. At least we both appear nosey instead of me looking jealous. Wait til Josie hears my side of this story, she'd get a kick out of my jealousy.
Trevor retreats back to our table after less than five minutes of talking to Josie. I finally allow the breath I was holding in out with a huge sigh. He slides back in and says, "She's unavailable." He keeps it short causing my chest to feel lighter. In all honestly I thought Josie would've given him some of her time. She wouldn't owe me any loyalty since we aren't dating and I'm playing hard to get rid of, but it would've stung.
So this, this is good news.
"What did she say though?" Cole asks. Trevor takes a sip of his beer and tells the table what she said. "No, I'm seeing someone and he's really cute." Alex pats Trevor on the back, and while they're all directing their attention to my best friend I smile to myself, forcing some beer into my mouth to hide it.
Josie has never called me cute, not to my face at least so hearing her indirectly compliment me is turning my cheeks pink, but I blame it on the temperature in the room. I tug on my shirt a few times to let some cool air in while I keep a close but subtle eye on Josie as she gets twirled around by a few girls. She leaves her drink at the counter and peels away from the girls to run to the restroom.
This is my time to move. "Gonna hit the head." I tell the guys, walking over to where the bathrooms are, but instead of going in, I wait for Josie in the hallway between the men's and women's restrooms. The second that the girl that takes my breath away steps out I reach for her hand to pull her close to me. My hands smooth down her waist, holding her close to me.
"Baby!" she exclaims, smiling really big while wrapping her arms around my neck. My heart pounds against my chest at the pet name and makes me lightheaded. She trails her hands through my hair and pulls my face closer to her to give me a big kiss. I'm going to fall over.
She pulls away from the kiss, cradling the sides of my face. "I didn't know you were here." She says softly, cuddling herself into my neck like a cat. Wow, I am obsessed with drunk Josephine, she's already cuddly after sex but this is otherworldly. This is her letting loose. "Yeah baby, I'm here with a few of my friends." I try out the pet name on my tongue.
I like calling her that. I push her hair behind her ear, getting a good look at her makeup. I love whatever she does on her eyes. It's black, some grey, and glitter and it looks amazing on her. Suits her perfectly. "Wish you were here with me." She says, softly sucking on the skin beneath my ear. I toss my head back against the wall, hoping no one will interrupt us. She presses a soft kiss to where she just sucked on.
I am so done for. She is fucking me over with her giggle, her smile, and every part of her that makes Josie who she is. Everything about her is turning into something I'm growing rapidly fond of. I keep my eyes on her, feeling how easy it is to have her like this. "Well I should go before your friends come looking for you, but when you're done here feel free to come by." she slides her room key into my front pocket.
I wrap my arms around her one more time, soaking in this part of her for as long as I can. Soon the alcohol won't be in her system anymore and she might regret being all cuddly like this. I rub her bare back gently before lowering my hands down to pat her butt like I did the other day. She presses one more kiss onto my lips and when she pulls away she says, "Okay, bye baby, I'll text you later."
She leaves me in the hallway, holding my hand until she couldn't anymore. Once I'm alone I rub my entire face roughly, in awe of that woman. She's breathtaking and called me baby twice. She snuggled into me and hugged me like she was tired of pretending that wasn't what she wanted to do. I wipe my lips and head back to the booth where there are now more beer bottles on the table.
As I slide back into the booth, I knock back some beer hoping to make my arrival more normal than I feel. I'm ordering another beer when Trevor takes a good look at me and says, "She's here." with a matter-of-fact tone. He looks around frantically but Josie had already managed to slip out when I made my way back to the table.
I play along with everyone else and look at Trevor like he's stupid. Cole speaks up to say, "What are you on about this time, Zegras?" But my best friend smacks my arm and tells the group that I know exactly what he is talking about. I shake my head in confusion trying to sweep this situation under the rug but am quickly caught when Trevor grabs my jaw and pushes it to the side, showing our friends something I can't see.
Fuck. I didn't check if she left a mark or not I just wiped my mouth a few times. My friends gasp out loud about ready to clutch their pearls. "Jack, this is incriminating. A hickey and a lip print? Risky." Alex points out, sipping on his soda. I quickly grab a napkin from the middle of the table and wipe my neck a few times, pulling out my phone to make sure the lipstick is gone.
On my phone I see the hickey right below my ear, it's pretty small but noticeable enough to rile my friends up. They're all on my private Instagram account so of course they all know about Josie. Well the mystery woman, because they have no clue it's her, Trevor proved that when he went to go flirt with her.
"So what if she's here?" I throw my hands up, giving in. I roll my eyes as they groan out separate responses to the fact that she was here and I didn't introduce her to them. Trevor's eyes bulge out of his head as he starts looking around the room for random women who could be my type.
I let them look around for a few minutes, pointing out random women to me, even though my girl is long gone. "She left." I say right before taking a long swig of beer, causing them to snap their heads to the door to see the ginger that was dancing with Josie leave. They slowly turn their heads back making me say, "Not now, she left a long time ago." They collectively mumble things under their breath like children and eat the rest of our appetizers in frustration.
"Guys, the minute she is okay with us being exclusive I'll let you guys know, but until then we are all going to play the waiting game." I let them know as we get up from our table to pay our tabs. We wait outside for our Uber and drive back to the hotel. We're all staying on the same floor so I take the elevator up with them. As we walk back to our room I say, "Goodnight," and wait by the door until they're all inside.
Once the coast is clear I make my way to Josie's room. I practically run there and use her card to get in. When I get inside I close the door as quietly as I can and lock it. I slowly take my clothes off until I'm left in my briefs but all the rustling causes Josie to stir in bed. I try lulling her back to sleep but she smacks my arm and says, "Stop, let me sit up." Still smelling like her drink of choice.
I let her sit up and she wraps her arms around my neck, pulling me close to her. She hums against my shoulder, slowly sinking into it. I try moving us down on the mattress but she unwraps her arms and uses one to hold herself up. With her other hand, she puts it on my cheek, slowly moving it to cradle my jaw.
She uses her hold on me to pull me into a kiss and this kiss turns into a few more. She sucks on my lower lip and moans against me. "Were you drinking beer?" she asks, kissing my cheek and jaw. "Y-yeah I was. Sorry, can you taste it?" I ask, sighing contently at the way her lips feel against me.
"Don't apologize, I like the way it tastes on you." she giggles, pulling me down onto the mattress. We lay down facing each other and keep kissing. I can't get enough of her, I love the feeling of her lips smashing against mine. Nothing is going to happen I know that, but this is enough. This is what I need.
Josie giggles in between kissing, gripping my jaw to keep me still. "I like this." she kisses me slowly. "I like you." she says, before kissing me again. Her confession catches me completely off guard, leading me to pull back and look her in the eyes. She doesn't give me much of a chance to do that though when she rolls over and back up against me.
I scoot over to cup her backside with my body and hold her to my chest. I run my fingers through her hair, helping to soothe her back to sleep after she turned my whole world around. I want to shake her until she's awake and ask her if I can have what she said in writing, but instead, I press a soft kiss to her temple, cheek, and shoulder really allowing this to sink in for me.
Josephine Lee likes me.
-
a.n// hi my best friends<3 how are we doing??? I've been so excited to write this chapter but so sorry it took me forever to write. We're at around 5K+ words so way longer than the original. I cut the last part of the og chapter out because it felt like I was just dragging things on, but that part will come up again just in a diff place perhaps.
Also war is over? she drunkenly admitted it! W! wait til they talk about this in the morning... which is next chapter sooo hehe!
In case you forgot this is what Josie's dress looked like:)
That's all for rn! I love you guys forever<3
Stay safe, stay kind, and DM me if you need anything!
Love Lottie💐💐💐