Page 110 of Win Big

Wow, I was so afraid of screwing up that I... screwed up.

Okay. Now it’s time to be brave.

I stand and dust the sand off my butt. I trudge through the sand, pick up my shoes, and step onto the sidewalk. I pause once more, take a deep breath, climb the steps to Wyatt’s condo, and ring his doorbell.

He opens the door a moment later, a big broad silhouette in the light behind him. He’s wearing black sweatpants and a loose gray Condors shirt, his hair tousled. His face registers surprise at seeing me, his head jerking back.

“Hi.” I hold his gaze. “Can I come in?”

23

WYATT

I’mafraid to believe what I’m seeing.

Is this really Everly, here at my place?

My gaze wanders over her face. Her eyes are big and dark, her mouth soft and sad. What’s going on?

“Uh. Sure.” I step aside and she walks in past me.

“We just had our ‘family meeting’ at Théo and Lacey’s place.” She drops her purse on a chair and turns to face me, twisting her fingers together. “You know how you always say life is short? So you need to enjoy it?”

“Yeah.” The corners of my mouth tick up. “We’re here for a good time, not a long time.”

“It’s true.” She swallows. “So true. That’s why I’m here.”

“For a good time?” I eye her warily. If this is a booty call, I’m not sure I can resist, but I wanted so much more than that with her.

She huffs out a laugh. “Sort of.” She shuts her eyes briefly and inhales. “Remember I told you how I was worried about my dad? How he keeps forgetting things and getting confused?”

“Yeah.”

“Everyone else has noticed it too. I th-think there’s really something wrong with him.”

Ah, fuck.

She sucks air into her lungs. “And I was thinking that you’re right, we don’t have long here, we need to make the most of it, and I decided I should talk to you.”

“Okay . . .”

“Can I tell you about Gage?”

Fuck. I clamp my lips tightly together and my stomach lurches. I’m not sure I want to hear this. Except... I have to hear it. “Yeah.” I gesture to the couch. The TV is still on, but I muted it to answer the door.

She sits, her posture stiff, her fingers still twisting together. “Gage used to play for the Condors.”

I sit too, keeping some distance between us, which I hate. “I got that.”

“When I was a teenager, about sixteen, my parents had a party one night at our house and he was there. He was... interested in me. He kept looking at me and smiling, and talking to me. Flirting. And I...”

I keep my mouth shut on the curse words that want to spill out.

“I was interested in him,” she admits. “He was older, handsome. He was confident. He was an NHL player. He had a place in the world and people looked up to him, and the way he treated me made me feel... grown up. I was always more attracted to older boys?—”

“Dan Diaz,” I mutter before I can stop myself.

She purses her lips and tilts her head in a mildly reproving gesture. “Since I’m spilling my guts, you might as well know I’ve been to therapy about this, and I’ve come to terms with my so-called daddy issues. Part of the attraction with Gage was knowing that my dad would hit the roof if he found out what was going on. Because any attention from Dad was better than being ignored.”

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