Page 52 of Scoring Grey

I can tell Eloise doesn’t like the idea of being in the same room with Blair, but neither do I and since she’s the one insisting I go through with this ruse, she can suffer right along with me. I quickly give her a chaste kiss on the forehead. “You said you wanted to let things play out. I just handed you a ticket to the front row,” I quickly say, exiting the closet before she can devise some way out of going. We made a deal. We’re in this together.

“Ithink that’s enough pictures,” I tell Demetri after he’s taken what feels like the hundredth picture of me in my home.

“Maybe we could get one of the two of you on the couch? That would fit the vibe I’ve been shooting. It would show a relaxed behind-the-scenes energy,” he suggests.

“Yes, that’s a?—”

“Terrible idea,” I say, cutting Blair off. “I agreed to uphold this façade for the team, but at the end of the day, this is fake. This publicity stunt has an expiration date. I read the article that was posted yesterday. It said we went to high school together and have recently reconnected. There’s no need to expound upon that. I’m a private guy. The public has become accustomed to that. That wouldn’t suddenly change because I have a woman in my life. If this article mentions Blair, it should be in the past tense. As far as the public knows, we are seeing where things go. That’s it.”

I look around the room, and my eyes connect with Coach Beck, who has been unusually quiet.

“He has a point. Titles don’t need to be mentioned.”

Blair smiles sweetly, but I know her words are about to be anything but. “I agree. We don’t have to put a label on it. That will only pique public interest. They’ll be waiting for an official announcement.” She clasps her hands. “I’m a fan of rumors. There’s usually a grain of truth in every one.” Her eyes search the room. “So where would you like to take this picture? How about in front of this delightful painting you’re working on?”

My eyes narrow on hers, and I can’t believe I’ve been blind to how truly underhanded and deceitful she is. She knows damn well I don’t paint, and I won’t let her hurt Eloise any more than she already has.

“In front of the fireplace is fine.” I don’t leave room for debate and join her beside the mantle, hating the stupid smile that forms on her dark red lips.

I know I’m supposed to play nice, but I can’t help myself. I place my arm around her shoulder, lean in, and say, “Rumors are nothing but lies started by weak-minded, jealous people who wish they were true.”

I don’t believe in revenge. It’s not worth my time to worry about what karma will handle. However, it doesn’t mean I can’t plague her thoughts the same way she’s so relentlessly come after ours.

16

ELOISE

“Hello,” I answer my phone as I settle next to the fire in the cabin.

“When you didn’t show up to my game tonight, I at least expected to come home and find you in my bed,” Cal says, sounding none too thrilled that it’s almost midnight and I’m not home.

“Well…” I draw out apprehensively, knowing he’s about to get upset.

“Eloise.” Annoyance picks up in his tone at the precariousness he hears in mine. “You better be on your way back to me.”

“About that… you see, Dash got a flat tire earlier, and there was no spare. So I came to pick him up. We were going to come back to the house when he started telling me about the location he was trying to shoot. The next thing we knew, it was late and too dark for us to find the trail back down from our hike.”

“You’re stuck on the side of a mountain. I’ll fucking kill him. Why didn’t you call me? I’ll send a search party.”

“No, no, no. I’m fine. We’re fine. We found this old boarded-up hunting cabin. We have a fire and granola bars. As soon as it’s light out, we’ll walk back down. Oh, and I have your truck.”

“I don’t give a shit about my truck. I told you it was yours while you were here, but I do care that you’re not here. Where are you? You realize I’m not going to sleep at all tonight?—”

“I know. I’m sorry. I thought we’d be back.”

“Drop me a pin of your location.”

“Cal, it’s late. You’re not going to come and get me. You have a game tomorrow.”

“It wasn’t a question. I need to know exactly where you are. You’re out in the dead of night in the Canadian wilderness. What if something happens? Tell me, Eloise, how many bars of service do you have, or better yet, is your phone charged?”

The door opens, and Dash walks in with more wood to light the fire. “You’d be surprised. Dash is actually really prepared for situations like this. He had a battery pack and cell booster in his hiking bag.”

“So what you’re saying is he planned on getting stranded in the woods with my girl.” When I don’t give him words, instead choosing to silently roll my eyes, he demands, “Location now.”

I pull my phone away from my ear and drop him a pin, and Dash calls out, “We’re fine, big boy. I’ll have her back in the morning.”

“You should have it now.”

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