Page 115 of How We End
“So what does she want to keep this all quiet?”I asked, wondering how much I’d give up to protect Julian.
“She wants to get some counseling with Julian.She thinks he has PTSD from losing their child.”
“It wasn’t his.”Hannah threw her hands up.“We all knew she was fucking Payton.Teigen caught her having dinner with him in Malibu.And I caught them leaving the Wynn right about the time she would have conceived.The Coyotes were in Calgary.Maybe I should go on a podcast and tell my side.And Julian can’t have kids.”Hannah looked at me.“Sorry, you knew that, right?”
“Yeah.”It was weird that she knew that.
“I know.I’m going to have him submit a sample to prove to the court the child couldn’t be his.”Something flickered across AJ’s face—there was something more.
“Him?Make her prove it.God damn it, AJ, do your job and make this go away,” Hannah shouted.I had to give her credit; she didn’t back down.She knew her shit about hockey and contracts.She also knew Julian and had called out Emily’s lies several times during the podcast.
“I’m trying.It takes time.Could you give Ms.Halliday and me a moment?”
“Sure.I’ll be upstairs if you need anything.”Hannah softly closed the door behind her.
I took a deep breath, knowing there was something more.“What is this really about?A stupid podcast isn’t going to ruin him.”
“Julian asked the team to put you on his insurance and as his beneficiary, should anything happen to him.He also listed you as his next of kin and emergency contact.”
All this was news to me.“And?”
“Julian Silver is my biggest client.So naturally, I did a little digging and found this.”He pushed across my mugshot from LA.“I also got ahold of your criminal record.Prostitution.Felony assault with a deadly weapon.Extortion.Among a few code violations.All pretty serious charges.And there was this one for a Vail Renae Windsor for the solicitation of sex within the city limits of Paradise.But this doesn’t look like a forty-something-year-old woman.This looks a little like you.”AJ pushed another mug shot.
The first time I got arrested, I used my real name, a rookie mistake.The second time I used my mother’s name.Maverick made the charges in Vegas go away.It paid to know people’s dirty secrets.
“What I can’t find is whatever became of these criminal cases.”AJ sat back.“I wonder why that is?”
He knew damn well.“What do you want?”
“I want you to leave Julian.”
“No.”
“Do you love him?”
“That is none of your business.”
“Wrong, Julian is my business.I know he loves you.I know he would do anything for you.Do you want this photo plastered all over the news next to this one?”AJ held up the mugshot, the one from LA.You couldn’t see all the damage, just a scared teenager with blood splattered on her face.Then he held up Julian’s team photo.“Or maybe this one.You look a little better in this one.I can make Emily go away.But if this gets out, I can’t make this go away.But you can.”
I hated men like AJ.Men who didn’t care who they hurt as long as they won.“Julian won’t go for this.”
“That’s why you aren’t going to tell him.”
“I think he might notice if I disappear.”
“You break up with him.Tell him it’s not going to work.You can’t handle the schedule.The lifestyle.”
“No!”I stood up.“You of all people should know that will destroy him.He’d walk away from it all.”
“And you’d let him?”
For a heartbeat, I thought yes.Maybe then he could find some peace.But for how long?“I won’t destroy him like that.I’m not her.”
“You’re right, you’re worse than her,” AJ shouted.“Her affair just drove him to drink because he couldn’t face the embarrassment.His game suffered because he was always hungover.He wasn’t training as hard.”He sat back, looking at my broken smile next to Julian’s perfect smile.“I told him not to marry her.She was known around the league for chasing players.She was engaged to a player from Dallas before Julian.But he thought—fuck, I don’t know what he thought.”
“Maybe you don’t want him with anyone.”My heart ached for Julian.He had been alone since he was sixteen.
“Wrong.I am trying to protect a career that he has spent his lifetime making.A career that has taken his childhood.His health.Everything.I had this all planned out for him.He’d play a couple more years, then get a job in broadcasting.Then you came along.”He nodded to the photos.“If it weren’t for this, I’d be planning your fucking wedding.I haven’t seen his game this good in years.But I can’t make this go away.And I will not let him throw it away over some two-bit whore.And if you really love him, you wouldn’t ask him to.”
