Page 189 of By His Play

I swallow the messy ball of emotion that threatens to clog my throat.

I haven’t had that for weeks, and I need to get all this off my chest. I need the weight to lift.

Without overthinking the consequences, I allow myself to have a friend.

Effie: Dinner sounds great. I’ll be finished at six. Can we have tacos?

Brax: Whatever you’d like.

I hesitate before sending my next message, but in the end, my concern over my best friend gets the better of me.

Effie: Is he okay?

Brax: No. But you already knew that, didn’t you?

“Shit,” I hiss.

The rest of my day passes slowly. Even my colleagues seem to notice my mood and begin to look at me differently, Even Henry asks if I need to go home during our afternoon meeting.

I assure him that I’m fine, but I don’t think he believes a word of it. But thankfully, he returns to discussing our targets for the next two quarters.

Every year, we reach more future football stars, and that means our funding needs to increase.

When we originally started, we received donations from players and a handful of businesses connected to Callahan Enterprises. We’re so far from that now, it’s incredible but also terrifying.

The kind of figures I’m trying to secure blow my mind. But it’s worth it.

By the time the clock ticks around to six my stomach is growling, reminding me that the pastry I grabbed from the coffee shop downstairs on my way in this morning was nowhere near enough.

Nerves flutter in my stomach as I ride the elevator to the ground floor. Brax is waiting for me; I had a message five minutes ago.

I know how Kieran will react to this when he finds out. And I’m confident that somehow, he will. But what does he expect me to do? Hide under a rock and live my life without anyone but him?

Loneliness dances beneath my skin and forces me forward.

As the doors open, I find Brax leaning against one of the thick pillars that litter the reception of our building.

A few people are looking his way. I can understand why. Even without knowing who he is, he has a presence. And of course, it doesn’t help that he’s taller and broader than any other man in this building.

“Ah, Miss Campbell. Your chariot awaits.”

“You’re such a goof,” I laugh.

“That’s what all the girls say. I think it might be why I’m perpetually single.” His voice holds a mocking tone, but I’m not entirely sure he’s joking.

I have heard plenty of stories that he isn’t missing out on female attention. Kieran is more than happy to share some of his wilder nights with friends, but as far as I know, Brax has never had a girlfriend.

I’d always assumed it was for the same reasons Kieran chooses to continue to play the field.

“Girls love a funny guy,” I argue as he gestures for me to go ahead.

“I’m sure they do,” he mutters behind me as I say goodbye to the security guard on shift.

My steps slow as I take in the car parked right in front of the building in the designated taxi lane. Trust a football player to have the arrogance to ignore the rules.

“Someone has been throwing their cash around like it’s a football,” I tease.

“Treated myself,” he says as he steps up to the red Maserati and opens the door for me.

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