Page 13 of Fighting Fate

Chipper:I thought it would take longer for you to start dodging me again.

Chipper:I really need you to answer my calls. It’s important.

Chipper:I’m in town. You around to talk?

Bandit:Yeah. I’m at Jamestown Field, practicing with a few teammates. Swing by. We’ll be here a while.

Chipper:Thanks, man. I’ll be there in ten.

There had been a hint of worry in the back of Chipper’s mind that Baylor would go right back to his old ways the moment he was out of sight. He had really hoped their one night together would change that. Even though he had known Baylor wasn’t well yet, he hadn’t argued when Baylor said he needed to leave the next morning. It was obvious Baylor needed space to clear his head, and he couldn’t avoid work forever. There had always been a time when Baylor would leave. Chipper had to be realistic on that one. But damn, this totally ignoring him shit drove him up the wall, especially when he had a valid reason to try to reach him. Bandit was his only hope of finding him. If Baylor wouldn’t answer his calls, he would damn well see him. He knew if he sat down with Bandit, Bandit would help him with the situation.

The field where Bandit practiced was a pro field. It was regulation everything, set up to host games of any level. Bandit had said a few teammates, but it looked like the whole team to him. A stack of gym bags filled with gear littered a certain section of seats on the sidelines. That was where Chipper chose to sit and wait. He watched Bandit pass the ball from foot to foot before doing some sort of trick kick toward the net. Without looking to see if he made it, Bandit turned his way and jogged to the sidelines.

He was all smiles as he grabbed the seat next to him. “Hey.” Bandit didn’t sound winded in the least.

Chipper was impressed. “Hey. You look great out there.”

Bandit’s huge grin reminded Chipper of a kid. The guy was tall and skinny with red hair and freckles, but he had somehow ended up with blue eyes. If Baylor was in love with him, Chipper guessed he could see why. He wasn’t bad looking on top of having been by Baylor’s side for years. Chipper liked him. If Baylor chose him, Chipper wasn’t sure he could hate him.

“Don’t you have a fight coming up?”

“In three weeks.”

Bandit stared at the guys on the field as if he looked for weaknesses.

Chipper couldn’t take it anymore. He had to know if this was who made Baylor cry with longing. “What’s the date on Baylor’s back?”

Bandit glanced his way. “His son’s birthday.” He dropped the words so easily—like it should be common knowledge.

“His son?” Chipper sounded as surprised as he was, and he didn’t have time to stop it. A son? That was… not at all what he expected.

For a moment, Bandit simply stared at him with a blank expression. Finally, he blew out a sigh and looked away. “That tracks. I don’t suppose Bay has talked to anyone at all about anything other than weddings since Micah died.”

The knot that had begun to tighten in his stomach at hearing Baylor had a son completely gripped him now, leaving him helpless in the face of that bomb.

Thankfully, Bandit didn’t need Chipper’s encouragement to keep talking. “See, the first thing you have to understand about Bay is he has never had anyone, except me, but I’m just me.” Chipper had no idea what that meant and Bandit didn’t explain. He just kept going.

“Bay was raised by foster parents who were even more abusive than the parents he’d been taken from. The minute he was free to leave, he came to live with my family, but he never had anyone love him who should have. I got picked up by New England and we stuck together. I’ve always tried to be as close to family as I can be. He’s my best friend. I love him. There’s nothing I wouldn’t do for him. So, when he started working on his event planning business, I was like his one-man hype team. I knew, still know, he can do anything he sets his mind to. He’s pretty amazing.” He looked Chipper’s way just long enough to get Chipper’s nod of agreement before going back to watching his team. Thankfully, he kept talking. Chipper needed to know everything.

“Anyhow, a player on my team was talking to me about wanting to throw a huge party for his son’s first birthday. So I told Freddie about Bay, singing his praises. Then I introduced them.” Bandit stared at nothing and shook his head. A small smile played on his lips.

“I’ve never seen anything like it. They had such an instant connection. Real love at first sight. Freddie had Micah through a surrogate while in a long-term relationship, only to get abandoned before he was born. Bay took one look at Freddie and Micah, and they took one look at him. Boom. They were beautiful. They were married so fast, it nearly spun my head, and Baylor immediately adopted Micah. Freddie was the home and love Baylor always deserved.”

Chipper didn’t know why it took Bandit saying Freddie’s name so many times for it to hit him. Chipper knew everyone. He went to every celebrity wedding trying to get closer to Baylor. But he got invited to those events for a reason. He knew everyone. He had met Freddie Keates years ago, before he had his son. A pain sliced through his chest. Freddie and his three-year-old son were killed in a car accident a few years back. The loss of a famous soccer player and his baby was big news at the time.

“I remember Freddie. He came to one of my matches years ago and introduced himself afterward.”

Bandit turned his head and met Chipper’s stare. There was something dark in Bandit’s eyes. “He was on his way to Bay. That night, when they died,” he clarified unnecessarily. “Bay’s business had more than taken off by then, and Freddie traveled for games. It was hard, but they actively worked at it every day. I’ve never seen a stronger marriage. Freddie and Bay were supposed to meet halfway that night so they could have one night together as a family. Then Micah was supposed to stay with Bay so Freddie could head to Colorado for a game.” Bandit looked away again. “As you know, they never made it, and you see what’s left of Bay. He shoved everything in storage except for the barest necessities and lost himself in work.” He shook his head. “For the past three years, I’ve told myself this was better than the alternative. He would be dead without that outlet.” Bandit’s gaze swung Chipper’s way again, and it hit Chipper. He knew he recognized the pain in Bandit’s eyes. It was what he saw every time he looked at Baylor. Bandit held his stare. “The thing is, he might be alive, but he doesn’t want it. He’ll work until he drops dead, then be thankful for it. If you hadn’t saved him when you did, and nursed him back to health, he would’ve accepted that fate. He has nothing. That business means nothing. I mean nothing. This whole world could fuck off. He died alongside the only people who ever loved him exactly the way he needs. If you saw that tattoo, then you’ve been closer to him than anyone has since they passed. If you don’t save him, no one can, and just like me, you’ll have to accept he’s not long for this world. I’ve been waiting on that call for a long time.”

Chipper looked away and focused on the field. “I’m trying, but he keeps running. I don’t even know where he is.”

Bandit stood and grabbed a nearby bag of gear. He dug through it and came out with a set of keys. “He’s at my place. Good luck.”

Hope surged through Chipper as his fingers wrapped around the keys. He knew what he was up against now and Chipper didn’t know how to quit. “I’ve got this.”

Bandit smiled. “I know.”

The person closest to Baylor believed. Chipper couldn’t lose.

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