Page 83 of Forever Wild

I tug off my cap and run my hand through my hair before slumping heavily into the couch, my head cradled between my hands. “I don’t know my login information,” I admit. “Cathy always has to do it for me.”

Lila drops onto the couch next to me, pulling me into a hug. “Not something we should probably admit to other people, bro. You’re a grown-ass man. Learn your login information.”

I let my head rest on her shoulder for a minute before she suggests, “Let’s go get a beer. We’ll get it figured out. Maybe it’s your birthday? The name of your favorite pet? Cathy’s favorite pet?”

I ride the seven minutes to the bar in silence, spinning the blank phone in my hands as I plot the various texts I need to send and calls I need to make when I get access to my contact list. My brain has apparently decided to let me focus on something other than golf, and now I’m overwhelmed with the number of calls I need to make, but can’t until Jon gets a hold of Cathy and passes my login information over to JT.

Of all the weeks for Cathy to take a vacation. Okay, this may be on me for relying a little too heavily on my assistant for the last five years.

Finally, Lila and I slide into a booth in the back of an upscale bar, and JT makes his way toward us with three Corona Lights. They both look at me, and the sympathy on their faces makes me lose it.

“Can you believe that article?” I ask. “I should’ve seen something like this coming.”

I take a long pull of the beer, needing it to take the edge off just a bit more than I need to forgo drinking before the round tomorrow.

“Has Jon gotten back to you, man?” I ask JT. “I need to get access to my contacts so I can start making calls. She will regret this decision. And that stupid Kyle too.”

Lila looks like she’s about to fight me on it, but instead, she pulls out her phone. “I can text her sisters. They’ve sent me a few texts, trying to figure out why you went radio silent. I didn’t know at first, but then I talked to Mom, and once I knew, I let them know your phone broke, but...” She pauses and looks at me again. “I can’t believe you, Jameo. This isn’t her fault. You have to know that.”

I look at my sister in confusion. “What are you talking about, Lila? What sisters?”

She and JT exchange another look. “Kelsey and Izzy. Kelsey had my number because she interviewed me for a job with her company. She gave it to Izzy, and Izzy texted me, asking why you decided to ghost Bryn when you would be a dick not to know that Bryn isn’t like that—I’m paraphrasing, of course. But I was in class and then I didn’t know, and so anyway, when I finally heard from Mom that your phone broke, I put two and two together, but I was already on the plane when I hung up with Mom. When we landed, I texted Izzy, but I haven’t heard back since I got here.”

“I didn’t ghost—” I start, but JT cuts me off.

“I know you’re upset about the article, and, yeah”—he looks at Lila, and she gives a subtle nod—“yeah, it’s a bit weird that she didn’t mention that she dated a fucking billionaire before you or that she met with Conrad, but I truly don’t think she’s using you. Bryn seems to genuinely care about you, and it seems like she makes you really happy.”

Lila jumps in then. “At least talk to her before you jump to any conclusions.”

“You guys think...” I trail off, trying to put all the puzzle pieces together. “You think I’m mad at Bryn? Why?”

They exchange a puzzled look, so I continue, “I know Bryn isn’t anything that article made her out to be. She’s smart and funny and makes my life twenty times better than it ever was.”

JT raises an eyebrow. “Then who have you been ranting about?”

I gape at the two of them, shocked to realize that they both thought I was talking about Bryn, the love of my goddamn life, for fuck’s sake. “Alexis,” I bite out. “You read the part about my past, didn’t you? Almost no one knows she cheated on me. She has to be one of the sources. And I’d bet a lot of money that Bryn’s coworker Kyle is the insider at Hungry Guy.”

I see the comprehension flit across both their faces, but Lila’s is quickly offset by a look of horror. “Jameo, she thinks you ghosted her. Bryn thinks you’re mad at her. Have you talked to her at all since the article was released?”

Shaking my head, I reply, “No. My phone is broken, remember? Is it surprising that I don’t have her phone number memorized? It’s saved in my goddamn phone. Plus, I’m in the middle of a tournament. She knows how focused I get when things aren’t going well.” I look between the two of them, their worry seeping into me from across the table. “Bryn has to know I don’t believe that about her, that I don’t think that article is true. Right? I mean, everyone knows how focused I get, right?”

Shit. It never even occurred to me that Bryn would think that I was mad at her. My stomach sinks as I realize that I’ve barely even stopped to think about Bryn at all since this started. I let myself focus so much on my career that I forgot about the most important person in my life.

“I don’t know, Jameo. She didn’t know your phone broke. She just knew that an article saying she was using you came out and then you went radio silent.” I can feel Lila’s judgment as she looks at me. “I mean, did you even try? Did you try looking up her work number on her website? Or asking Mom to have me reach out?”

I drop my head into my hands, taking a deep breath. “Fuck. No. I mean, I obviously wanted to talk to her, but I’ve been focused on my game. And on getting a new phone. I didn’t even consider the website. Or her sister’s website.” Now that Lila has suggested reaching out in a different way, I feel like a complete and utter moron. A failure. I’m not even sure I deserve Bryn after this.

“Shit, the club would’ve given it to me…” I continue.

Glancing at the troubled faces of two of my favorite people in the whole world, I can’t help but feel like the best thing in my life is slipping through my fingers. I’ve let Bryn down. She deserves better than this, and I’ll do whatever it takes to make things right. I know one thing for sure: I won’t let this article destroy what Bryn and I have. I’ll fight to prove that I know she’s not the person they’re making her out to be. Because deep down, I know Bryn is worth every challenge and every sacrifice. She’s the one who has stolen my heart, and I’m not about to let her go without a fight.

“Can you find out where she is, Lila? I need to get to her. I need to explain. Or at least get her number? So I can call her?”

Lila nods, her fingers flying over her phone.

“I can’t believe I was so focused on a stupid game that I didn’t realize how much she must be hurting,” I say. “And if she forgives me, I will spend the rest of my life trying to be the type of guy that does deserve her.”

JT’s surprise is clear as he asks, “The rest of your life?”

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