Page 94 of Who's Playing You
“It’s for you,” she simply said.
I handed my dad my helmet and took the phone, “Hello?”
“Youmarriedmy best fucking friend?! And you didn’t even TELL ME?!?! What in the actual fuck Nick?”
Oh.
Nat was watching the game.
I forgot that I hadn’t told her the news yet… oops! And I hadn’t thought about the fact that Scottie was in frame and being broadcast across the world standing next to me. All that aside, Nat would get over it if she wasactuallyupset.
She would have to.
I was more concerned if this would upset Scottie or not.
“I, ahh, so here’s the thing…” I began.
“Nicholas Joseph Soba, I cannotbelieveyou. Or her! How could you not tell me!?!”
I needed to rein her in before she got hysterical and too worked up because she wouldn’t listen to anything then. “Would you calm down? Listen to me. It’s not like that, alright?” I said as I took a step away and turned my back to my parents and Scottie, trying to get as much privacy as I could get for this dumpster fire of a situation.
“Not likewhat?”
“This isn’t about you Nat, okay? This is aboutus. Not you.”
That shut her up because the other end of the line went quiet, so much so that I took the phone from my ear to make sure the call hadn’t dropped.
Quietly she then said, “I’m listening.”
“Thank you,” I began. “It’s new, okay?”
Before I could continue Nat jumped in and started yelling again, “You told the world that she’s yourwife, Nick! That’s not new!”
“That was more me projecting, putting it out into the Universe - if you want to get technical. Scottie isn’t my wife,yet. But she will be,” that’s when Nat tried to interrupt again. “Nat, listen. Stop, okay? This isn’t the time or place - for me - to get into this whole thing. I need to get off the field in a minute and have a few more interviews and meetings that I need to do before I can take Scottie home, but I’ll call you tomorrow and answer any questions you have.”
I continued, “All you need to know is that Scottie and I are relatively new. But I love her. She will be my wife as soon as she says yes. She just met mom and dad todayas my girlfriend. AndI guess I jumped the gun with the reporters but they were being assholes.”
I then mumbled, “Jumped the gun or just wishful thinking - call it what you will.” Hearing Nat let out a sigh, I continued, “The reporters were getting very aggressive and rude, I was trying to protect Scottie and get her away from them. She doesn’t like big crowds to begin with, so I knew she was uncomfortable just being down on the field, and then all these people were in her face. I was trying to shut them up and get them away from her.”
My sister put out a little growl on the other side of the phone. “Assholes,” she muttered. “That’s Scottie’s worst nightmare. I’m surprised she was even down there.”
“Exactly,” I said in response. “But she came down forme. With mom and dad.”
I gave it a moment before I added, “Nat?”
“Yeah?” she reluctantly answered.
“We weren’t keeping you in the dark on purpose. We’ve been in our own little bubble, getting to know each other, ignoring everyone and everything else. During this time, I was also trying to figure out the best way to tell you that felt inclusive to you and your friendship with Scottie. I obviously failed miserably doing that, and for that I’m sorry. This isn’t how I wanted to tell you.”
After letting that sit a moment I continued, “Except for me now, I think you’re the most important person in Scottie’s life. You mean everything to her. If you don’t approve of us, I think you might literally crush her.”
I heard her sniffle on the other end so I continued, “Nat, I hope you put your own feelings aside in thinking we were keeping you in the dark because we weren’t. I hope you believe what I’ve told you. When Scottie learned who I was, you were her first concern. She was so worried about how you’d feel… butNat? I love her. And I’m the luckiest guy on Earth because she loves me too.”
Now Nat was full-on crying. “Well,” *sob*, “you’re definitely an improvement from that idiot ex-husband of hers,” Nat said as she laughed through her tears.
I couldn’t help the laugh that escaped from me, and I realized how tight my body had become waiting on her response.
“You better fucking believe it,” I said in response. “Nat, she’ll want and need you when I do propose. You’ll be the maid of honor. And if I have it my way, you’ll be an aunt soon too. We want you involved in all of this.”
