Page 38 of Home Run Fiancé
“Want to tell me what’s going on?”
I nod and blow my nose again before trying to spit it out. “You ever fallen in love, Asher?”
“Oh no…” he mutters. He looks like a deer in headlights. If I weren’t so miserable, I’d laugh.
I try to explain what happened. How the fake everything turned into absolutely real. I slow down when I get to the morning at the diner, wanting to remember every word, every look. To see where everything fell apart.
“And then I talked to the paparazzi. They called me by my name so I knew I had to come clean. If I tried to hide things, it would look worse for Jake. So I played nice and tried to make sure they knew I’m just a normal girl. Jake hired me to add stability to his reputation, so that’s what I tried to do. But then we got in the car to drive to your office and Jake was clearly angry. Wouldn’t even talk to me or look at me the whole way there.” I throw my balled-up tissue onto the coffee table. “Next thing I know, you’re calling me and asking if I leaked stuff to the press.”
Leaning back on the couch, I’m out of steam. Between my emotions being all over the place and the full-body crying, I’m exhausted.
Asher runs his hands through his hair, processing everything I’ve told him.
“You really love him?” He cringes.
I blow out a quick breath. “Yeah. Or at least, I thought I did.” I shake my head. “But anyone who would push me aside so quickly doesn’t deserve my love.”
Asher nods, his eyes sadder than I’ve ever seen them. “While that’s absolutely true, Jake has his own demons that contribute to him being a jerk sometimes.”
I shrug, trying to act like I’m not as devastated as I am. “Maybe so, but I can’t make him listen to reason. He’s gotta pull his head out on his own.”
Asher stands up quickly, his hands balled into fists. I know that look. I stand too, my hand on his chest.
“Hey. Don’t go talking to Jake, okay? I can handle my own fights.”
“That guy needs to get hit over the head. That’s the only way he’ll listen to reason. And I’m happy to be the one to do it.”
“Asher, please. Promise me you won’t go talk to him. He’s clearly not in love with me, so I just need to get over him. You and he getting in a fight won’t solve anything. Promise me.” I hope he can see I mean it by the way I’m staring him down.
He glares back for a long minute before he breaks the staredown and nods his head. “Fine. I won’t talk to him. But you do need to clear the air with him sometime soon or I’ll be the one to do it. Deal?”
As much as the thought of talking to Jake makes my heart jump-start in my chest like an unruly child who doesn’t understand this is a bad situation and she shouldn’t be giddy, I tilt my head in agreement. “Deal.”
Before I can change my mind, I pull the beautiful engagement ring off my finger and hand it over to Asher. “Here. Will you give this back to him? It doesn’t belong to me anymore.” Asher looks at it for a few seconds and then slides it into his pocket with a quick nod.
He pulls me into a hug and as wonderful as it feels to know my brother’s on my side once again, my heart still aches for his tall, bearded friend.
16
Jake
The next few days are a blur. After calling Mama to let her know I was coming home for good—she cried happy tears right there on the phone—I met up with a real estate agent and had her put my condo on the market immediately. Movers came the following day and packed up my entire place. I packed my own suitcase and threw it in my SUV, then started on the long drive across the western part of the country. I could have flown and had my car shipped out to me, but I needed the quiet time. Just me and the radio for two straight days of driving.
Somewhere in the desert of Arizona, I realize I’ve never felt this way before. Everything I want has just fallen into my lap and yet I can’t drum up one ounce of excitement for my new life. I’ve always been extremely driven, having a clear goal and going after it with everything I’ve got. This overwhelming apathy has me worried.
When my ex-girlfriend cheated on me, I was angry. So angry I couldn’t wait to get her out of my life and move on. When the woman claimed to be having my baby and dragged my name through the mud, I did a full-court press to prove my innocence. Apathy, like I couldn’t care less what happens to my life and career, has never been something I’ve felt.
Until now. Until Rhys.
As much as I’d like to think this isn’t about her, I know it is. The silence in the car for hours on end doesn’t let me escape the fact that this weird lethargy is because of her. Or more accurately, because of the loss of her.
I haven’t heard from either Asher or Rhys for three days now. I don’t think I’ve ever gone three days without talking to Asher, which is weird enough, but three days of zero words spoken with the one person on this planet I want to talk to is driving me insane. Maybe it’s the endless expanse of light brown sand and tumbleweeds that’s making me crazy, but I’m starting to think maybe I judged Rhys too harshly. She never did get a chance to tell me whether she was using me for publicity and if she leaked the story to the press. Asher was certain she didn’t, but of course he’d defend his sister. Right?
Seeing a sign up ahead welcoming me to New Mexico, I decide it’s been long enough. It’s time to mend things with Asher. He’s been my friend and agent for ten years. I can’t let anyone, even his little sister, come between us. I can only hope he feels the same way.
I pick up my phone and hit his contact, the call going through my car speaker. It rings a few times before Asher finally picks up, his voice more reserved than usual.
“Hey, Jake.”
