Page 74 of The Right Player
She was everything I’d ever wanted, everything I thought didn’t exist.
And she was mine.
I finally found my phone, pulling it free from my duffle and swiping to unlock it. I called my mom first, talking to her and my dad and both of my sisters for a short while before I assured them I’d be home in the morning to have breakfast with them. They’d been more than understanding that I wanted a night alone with Belle — especially with everything I needed to tell her.
Speaking of the angel, there was a waiting text from her that I’d missed before the game, and I smiled as I opened it.
Then, that smile was gone in an instant, along with every piece of joy I’d been floating on.
The video she’d sent played over and over, showing her feet up on the back of a chair here at Soldier Field, all of us warming up on the field in front of her before she panned over to show Gemma eating a hot dog. I let it play what felt like a dozen times, shaking my head, trying to convince myself it couldn’t be real before I closed it and saw the text that came with it.
This is why I couldn’t hang out today. My best friend is a football junkie, and she’s the only one I’ll break my No Football rule for. Hope you’re having fun with the fam. Tell them all I say hello, and I’ll see you tonight!
Bile rose in my throat, and I shook my head more adamantly, staring at the text and video as if I could undo them if I only stared long enough.
“No,” I muttered, blowing out a breath and swiping my bag off the bench. I threw it over my shoulder and rushed out of the locker room. “No, no, no!”
She was here.
She was at the game.
And now, she had to know everything I never told her.
As soon as I was clear from the noise of the locker room, I dialed her number, closing my eyes on a silent prayer that she’d answer as I put the receiver to my ear. But the call went straight to voicemail, and I cursed, hanging up and trying again, only to get the same result.
“Fuck!”
I sped across town as fast as I could, running red lights and trying to call Belle the entire way, even though I knew she had her phone off. I didn’t even take the time to park my car in the garage at her building, parking illegally on the street right in front, instead. I didn’t care if I got a ticket or even towed — I’d deal with that later.
I ran inside, screeching to a halt when I realized I wouldn’t be able to get up to her place without her buzzing me up. I ran my hands through my hair on a curse, trying to think of a solution. I was just about to call Gemma when Zach’s hand found my shoulder.
“Hey, man,” he said, squeezing. His eyes were laced with pity, his mouth tugged to one side. “Great game today.”
I shook my head. “Please tell me you were there with her.”
“It’s my mom’s birthday, I’ve been with the family all day.” He frowned. “I’m sorry, man. I didn’t know you hadn’t told her yet. When Gemma said they were going to the game together, I just assumed…”
I shook my head again. “No, don’t apologize. This is no one’s fault but mine.” I glanced at the desk clerk behind him, lowering my voice. “Any chance you can get me on the elevator? I have to talk to her, man.”
Zach blew out a breath, looking outside before his eyes found me again. “If she doesn’t want to see you…”
“Please.”
There was an understanding in his eyes then, and he nodded. “Alright. Come on.”
It felt like the slowest elevator ride of my life, and when it hit Gemma and Zach’s floor, he paused, holding the door open.
“Just be honest, explain why you kept the truth from her. Belle… she’s not as hard up as she wants everyone to think. She’s soft just like the rest of us, but she’s been hurt badly enough to know to hide it.”
“I never meant to hurt her.”
He nodded. “I know. But you did.”
I swallowed down the truth in those words like acid.
I promised I’d never hurt her, but I did.
“Thanks for your help.”
Zach tapped the doors where he held them before stepping out completely. “Good luck.”
My heart thumped in my ears like a drum when the elevator reached Belle’s floor, and I stepped out into the hallway in a sort of haze, something between a nightmare and a drunken stupor. My feet felt sluggish and heavy, the adrenaline fading.
And then I was at her door.
I knocked without hesitation, shifting my weight from side to side as I waited, and then the door opened, slowly at first and then in a whoosh, and Belle stood there on the other side of it looking like absolute hell.
