Page 78 of Never Date A Player
“It’s gonna get crowded in the house.”
She leans back and frowns. “You know what I mean. I’d like to be a modern, functional family. Forgive my stupidity and selfishness, and give Jeb a chance.” She sighs. “He turned out to be a decent guy. His wife is wonderful. I’ve never met his daughter, but I’m sure she’s terrific too. I feel sick that you could have had a father these last few years and I prevented it. I thought it was the right thing.” My mom shakes her head. “You’ll learn one day, it’s not easy being a mother.” Her mouth twists. “There are a lot of difficult decisions and they don’t always come out right. It’s amazing you’re as well adjusted as you are.”
“Are you complimenting me or yourself?”
“You.” She swats my leg.
I let out a frustrated sigh. “I can’t say I’m not angry or that I’ve fully forgiven you, because that will take time, but you tried to be a good parent and that’s more than a lot of people have.”
I think of Mira, and what Nessa told me about Mira’s past.
I’ve had it pretty damn easy, compared to some.
Later in the evening, I give in. We’ve spoken every day, but it’s been almost a week since I’ve seen Lewis due to the mysterious family problem he won’t talk about. He even canceled a training session a couple of days ago. Since when does he pass up the opportunity to torture me through exercise? The situation is making me so nervous I’ve resorted to subterfuge for information.
“Nessa, have you seen Lewis?”
Trilling laughter erupts from the other end of the line. “Dang it, Zach. I said don’t tickle me when I’m on the phone. I have to talk to Gen.”
Those two need to get a room already.
“Sorry.” Her voice gentles. “Lewis is with Mira. I thought you heard. She’s been gambling away her earnings. She’s three months behind on rent and owes money to some loan shark.”
“What?”
“Yeah, we were all shocked. I mean, everyone works in or around the casinos. The temptation is there. I guess Mira gave in. Lewis is trying to get her help, but she’s being a pain in the ass about it. Last I heard, they were at his place.”
This is why I haven’t seen Lewis? Why would he keep this from me?
Part of commitment is sharing, and this seems almost dishonest. Unless he thinks I’m not strong enough to shoulder some of the burden?
The last time he saw me, I passed out after discovering my real father. So yeah, maybe he does. In my defense, I’d slept a cumulative six hours the previous two days, between taking care of Cali and working, but he didn’t know the details.
“Lewis doesn’t complain about Mira’s issues, but we all know what he’s had to put up with…” Her voice trails off. “Gen, I thought you and he—I thought you guys were…”
“I thought we were too, but he hasn’t said anything about this.”
“I don’t know what’s up with that, but he’s dealing with a lot. Give him time, okay? He’s a good guy.”
I don’t even know where Lewis lives, which is kind of disturbing and brings back memories of my last relationship and the omissions in the A-hole’s stories. But I’m not going to compare Lewis to my ex.
Lewis cares about me and I’m his girlfriend. I’ll go to him. “What’s Lewis’s address?”
The cabin I pull up to is small, tucked away among tall pines, and new, with traditional pitched construction. The shape is a perfect triangle with a barn-red metal roof and logs stacked below the front porch. A heap of gravel sits off to the side, along with wood two-by-fours peeking out beneath a tarp, as if someone stopped after the house completion and everything else, the yard, the foundation—for a garage?—was left unfinished. The home is quaint, yet rugged, a perfectly charming bachelor pad. One I didn’t know existed.
I park beside Lewis’s Jeep and walk up the three steps to his porch. The sun has set, the sky nearly dark. Lights illuminate the interior, providing a nice view of the downstairs through picture windows lining the front of the house. Mira is in the kitchen facing me, but she doesn’t seem to notice I’m here. Lewis sits across from her at a small kitchen island. One of the windows is open and the sound of their conversation floats out.
“That was not my fault, Lewis,” Mira says while whisking something in a bowl. “You decided to go all responsible tribal member. You knew the guys and I had plans to ditch the meeting. That bonfire was legend.”
Lewis reaches across the counter and plucks something from her cutting board, popping it in his mouth. “You could have started a forest fire.”
I should knock, but I can’t. It’s like watching a butterfly emerge from a cocoon. Some part of me knows I’m witnessing something that will give me insight into them, and I can’t disrupt the moment.
“Not possible. It’s in the blood, my pure native blood. We indigenous know the land like the back of our hand.” She drags the words out in a playful way. I didn’t know Mira possessed a sense of humor.
Lewis snorts and Mira tosses a lump of something white and powdery at his head. I can’t see the expression on his face, but she laughs—and it’s beautiful. So light and carefree. Her smile lights up the room, turning her stunning face into something magical.
I’ve never seen Mira this way. She’s never happy. But being alone with Lewis transforms her. She’s cooking for him by the looks of it, no signs of depression or financial distress weighing down her features.
