Page 124 of Play Along

My attention drifts from Kai to his brother on the dance floor. Isaiah’s head is thrown back in laughter thanks to whatever Miller said, birthmark next to his eye disappearing with his smile.

I have looked at Isaiah plenty of times before, but if what Kai is saying is true, I have never truly seen him. Sure, Kai could lie for his brother if he wanted to, but I know in my gut he’s not. Which only has me questioning...

“Why did he stop? Being a relationship type of guy, I mean.”

Kai’s head falls back with a groan, sneaking a quick glance at his brother. “He’d kill me if I told you.”

“Tell me anyway.”

“Damn, Ken. For being in the medical field, you’re not at all concerned about my well-being.”

“Let me be selfish here, Ace.”

Kai exhales a resigned sign. “Dean, your stepbrother, is what happened. Well, kind of. It’s not entirely his fault, but it partially is.”

“What exactly happened? Because Isaiah won’t tell me.”

“That’s nice of him.” His tone is all sarcasm. “Doesn’t want you to know how much your stepbrother sucks, but I’ll be happy to fill you in. Dean went to a rival high school, but he had always had it out for Isaiah. I was older, so he didn’t try anything directly with me, but he would constantly go after my brother. It started when we were kids, the shit he would say...” Kai shakes his head. “Our first game back after our mom died, I remember him mentioning something shitty about her while Isaiah was running the bases. A huge fight broke out. It never stopped from there. Any time our teams met, there’d be a fight. Then when Isaiah got a little older and started dating girls, it was a new way for Dean to fuck with him. Isaiah was this sweet, loyal kid, but I couldn’t name one single girl that my brother dated who didn’t fuck around behind his back with your stepbrother. Which yes, those girls are also at fault for doing that, but fuck Dean too because he went after them intentionally. After being cheated on who knows how many times, Isaiah hasn’t attempted a relationship since.”

“That was well over ten years ago,” is the only thing I can manage to say, because my heart hurts at the mere idea of a kind, naïve Isaiah finding out his girlfriends were secretly seeing the person he disliked most.

“You’ve got to understand, Ken, he was thirteen when our mom died. Then immediately after that, at the age he’s learning about relationships, every girl he ever had feelings for left him too. He’s a little fucked up because of it, and I don’t blame him. All the guy ever wanted was for someone to stay and love him back, but he never got that. He’s allowed to be jaded, and I’m allowed to hate Dean because of it.”

I think I’m allowed to hate Dean because of it too. I don’t care that he was just a teenager at the time, he and I will be having some words for how he’s treated my now husband.

“You’re the first person he’s been with in over a decade, and—”

“But we’re not together. Not like that, at least.”

Kai nods to his mother’s ring on my finger. “You sure he knows that?”

“Of course he does.” The words come out with a slight stutter because I’m not sure even I believe them.

Yes, we’re faking it. Playing a game. But the way he looks at me, the way he takes care of me... Those things feel very fucking real.

Kai continues. “It’s nice to see him like this again, with you, and the last thing I want is for him to feel so burned after it all ends that he goes back to being the guy he was for the last ten years. I’m not saying you have to want him back, but protect him for me, will you?”

But what if I do? Want him back. What if he could want more than just one night, the way I’ve always believed? What if this isn’t a one and done for him?

My eyes track him on the dance floor, moving slowly with Miller, hand resting on her mid back, the other holding hers out to the side. He catches me watching him from across the way and a slow, sleepy smile spreads across his lips. It’s quickly becoming my favorite thing to see, but in the same breath, I find him just as handsome when he’s not smiling. When he’s vulnerable and real.

“Kai, do you think he’s going to be okay next year? Without you.”

He exhales a deep breath. “I don’t know. I want him to be, but it’ll be a big change. Even when we weren’t on the same team, we still had the same life. Still had the same job. He’s losing both me and you next season, and even though you think you’re temporary in his life, you’re not.”

He’s not temporary in my life either. At the very least, Isaiah Rhodes is quickly becoming my closest friend. And for maybe the first time, I can admit that when I move, I will miss him too.

“Kai Rhodes,” someone interrupts us, hand slapping the back of his shoulder. “Huge fan. We’ve been season ticket holders since—”

I don’t listen to the rest of the fan’s sentence, instead slipping away to let them drool over our Ace pitcher.

I wander, saying hi to a few coworkers and team players. I avoid Dr. Fredrick like the plague as he wears the cheesiest fucking smile on his face while kissing as much ass as possible, mostly notably to Arthur Remington. But if I were him, I’d turn my focus to Reese. She’s going to be his boss next year, after all.

But then again, the idea of Dr. Fredrick kissing ass to any woman, even one who is his direct superior, seems like an impossible task.

With an empty glass, I find my way to the bar, climbing onto a stool and taking a seat. “Vodka soda, please.”

I pass the bartender a tip before slipping my hands between my crossed thighs and waiting for my cocktail.

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