Page 24 of The Pucking Fake Marriage

“Of course, you’re retiring.” I flash an unamused smile at him and kick Alex’s legs off my delicate table as I sit next to him.

“Yeah, I am.” Reggie seems proud of the fact. “I got akid and a very pregnant wife. Can’t see that I have a choice.”

I roll my eyes. The TV is turned on and a basketball game is playing. It’s a replay, and I lose interest the moment I look at the screen. For a second, a deep sense of boredom overwhelms me, and I almost wish I was back at the gym, making a play for Charlie.

Almost.

As if on cue, Alex asks, “How was practice today?”

Blake supplies the info before I can. “Tanner likes him a little better than last time.”

“What happened last time? You were playing like shit.” Reggie asks.

“He had a run in with a woman that’s been messing with his head,” Alex supplies eagerly.

“That’s one way to explain the most traumatic event of my life,” I grind out, as Matt mutters something about the bathroom and walks out.

Alex grins at me. “Sorry. Thought you’d prefer the cliff notes.”

Reggie is staring at me, sympathy etched on his face. “Can see how that’ll fuck with your head. Trust me, I’ve been there.”

“That’s not all of it,” I spit through gritted teeth. Now I’m really regretting coming back home. Hell, I’d rather see Charlie flirt with that hot silver fox than be a part of this conversation.

“Yeah, they knew each other from when they were kids. And she’s still not that into him. No one can figure out why.” This time, it’s Blake speaking. His eyes are glued to the TV and he has a water bottle in hand, but he’s still paying full attention to the conversation.

Fuck my life.

Reggie’s now eyeing me like a psychiatrist evaluating a particularly interesting patient. “What does this woman do for a living?”

I expected him to say something aggravating or ask a hard question. This is too easy. “Runs a restaurant.”

“Business going well?”

I squint at him, wondering why he’d want to know. But then, I think of Charlie’s restaurant the day we stumbled in. Success is a million different things, but definitelynotthat.

“I don’t think so.” I shrug.

“How close were you as kids?”

“She dated his twin brother,” Blake calls. “And Ken kept hanging around, hoping she’d change her mind and pick him.”

Blake’s too far away for me to throw a punch, but I hold onto that thought for later.

Reggie doesn’t seem distracted by the interruption though. He looks at me for a second longer before he heaves a sigh and leans back on his chair.

“Well, I can see why she dislikes you.”

My brows rise. “What the hell do you mean by that?”

“You were childhood friends. But then you went on to become pretty successful. She didn’t. I can bet my right foot that she’s jealous.”

I blink. I wasnotexpecting that. I turn to Alex, thinking he’d voice how far-fetched that idea is. But he merely nods, his gaze thoughtful. “Didn’t you say she was into ballet and had to stop after her accident? Maybe she secretly resents you for still having a full life after hers was thrown off track.”

I pause, realizing that their words make a lot of sense. Charlie cut me out of her life from the day she fell down the stairs. At first, I chalked it up to her needing some spaceto recover, but as days turned into weeks and then into months, I realized it was far more than that.

Are my friends right? Is Charlie merely upset about having to give up her career, even after all these years? Or is she embarrassed about the fact that her business isn’t doing well?

For the first time, I feel a twinge of pity toward Charlie. This is not life as she imagined it ten years ago, struggling to keep a restaurant afloat, lacking customers. By the looks of it, she’s got only one employee left. I can’t imagine any of that would be easy.

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