Page 114 of Unleashed

I have to sleep in the same bed with her all week. I need to fuck her out of my system. After her father leaves, I’ll be leaving her apartment. She’ll head off to graduate school in Delaware, and then I’ll start law school. Is that when my life will start?

Watching people practicing on the other field, I hear footsteps near me. Simone fills a cup with water, chugging half of it, tilting her head back, and gargling. I narrow my eyes at her. She spins around and, going to a corner of the dugout, spits a mouthful of water onto the concrete. She drinks more, swishes it, and spits again.

“What the hell are you doing?”

Simone makes a sour face and spits again. She avoids looking at me and mutters, “I had a yucky taste in my mouth. It’s making me sick.” Before leaving, she rubs her lips over the outside of her hand. Sometimes, I don’t get her.

Finishing my water and calming down at the sight of Betsy, I walk over as Wilder gives a lame pep talk. It’s fucking practice. At first, I go to stand next to Nico and Hadley, but I sigh and stand next to Simone. I cross my arms and feel Val watching me from the other side of the huddle. Somehow, I let her down.

I also feel Betsy’s death glare. I’m glad she saw Simone claiming me. Maybe the hag will leave me alone for the rest of my life. How did Shasta put up with her shit?

Behind us, Audrey leans closer and whispers-shrieks, “Congratulations, you two! I totally knew you were soulmates. I thought it was obvious you were in love.”

I look over my shoulder with an arched eyebrow. “There’s no way.”

Audrey nods as Wilder resumes talking about getting under his balls or a fly ball. Whichever. “Val has been teaching me about auras and yeah. I studied body language in my sociology class. It’s revealing, and I know how you felt about each other. You guys are deeply connected. If you know what I mean.”

Simone has been quiet, but she’s not listening to her brother prattle about nothing we don’t already know. I smirk at Audrey. “I don’t. And how do you know we’re not yanking everyone’s chain? This could be an elaborate April Fools’ joke for next year. Wouldn’t that be epic?”

Simone covers her mouth, rushes out of the huddle, and runs down the sidewalk toward the restrooms.

Audrey asks, “Is she okay?”

“She probably has a bun in the oven already. We work fast.” I hope not. My boys work fast, but aren’t supersonic. It’d be too soon since we’ve only started fucking again yesterday. And I’ve cut the risk down by pulling out. It’s not the best way, but it beats draining my balls inside her.

We all look as Simone screeches to a stop and barfs in the grass. Wilder drops his clipboard and jogs over to her. They all then look at me, Simone’s supposed husband. Shit.

As Hadley follows Wilder over to Simone, giving me a dirty look, Patrice asks, “Is this your third wife?”

I sigh, knowing I have to be a decent, bogus husband. “Eighth.” Patrice’s hand flies to her chest like she’s having a moment. I don’t bother with another snide remark because it wastes oxygen.

I thought I had found my one and only before I realized I’m a dumbfuck.

I walk toward them, seeing Wilder hug Simone, but she pushes him away and heads for the restrooms. Hadley follows her as Wilder shakes his head and turns toward the field. When he sees me, he stops. “Leave her alone, Rodwell.”

“What’s going on with Simone?”

“Her father stormed off, and she’ll have to hear his shit later. This whole ruse is making her sick.”

“Oh.”

“Doesn’t it even bother you? Do you care about Simone at all?”

“Zip. Zero. None.” I roll my eyes when Wilder frowns, and his forearm muscles tighten. “I don’t want to see her sick. Maybe one of her boyfriends knocked her up.” I’m going to be the next one hurling.

Wilder’s eyes bulge in shock, maybe. Still, he pushes his eyebrows together as he thinks way too hard for his brain capacity. “You’re okay with that?” Do I have a choice?

I sport my own confused frown. “Why would I care about what your sister does with other men?”

He sighs. “You’re not fooling anyone.”

“We fooled Betsy and even Audrey. So yeah.”

Laughing, Wilder shakes his head as I walk past him. He turns toward me. “Did you marry Simone for the money or for another reason?”

I growl in frustration and cross my arms. “Seriously? That’s the million-dollar question hanging in your mind? I returned a favor. She helped me with Birdy. I helped her back. The end.”

“Did you fall in love with her?”

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