Page 19 of Bad Call
“Wait,” he says, his eyes going wide in surprise. “Really? You’re not going to be combative? Or yell at me for lying to get you to go?” His hand darts out, the back of it pressing to my forehead as if he’s making sure I don’t have a fever. “Who are you, and what have you done with my nurse?”
I scoff. “She got sick of your lies and deception. You’re stuck with me now.” He chuckles as I turn on my heel and leave the kitchen, making my way toward the door so I can change my clothes. As much as I swear by my comfy pink scrubs, I’m going all in tonight. If I’m meeting Austin’s friends, I want to make a good first impression. Plus, it wouldn’t hurt to look put together in case Emmett is there.
Entering the guesthouse, I make a beeline for my closet, pulling out the form-fitting black mini dress I bought when I was on assignment here last year. It nevereven made the cut for the handful of nights out I had with Lauren, so I tear off the tags and lay it on the bed before stripping down to my thin pink bra and thong. Stepping into the dress, I pull it up, guide my arms into the long, tight sleeves, and adjust my tits so they’re sitting right where they should be. I top off the look with my pink suede thigh-high boots and a pair of diamond solitaire earrings.
Grabbing my purse and the puffer coat I bought the other day, I head out, opening the passenger door to Austin’s car and lowering myself inside. It feels good to know that I don’t have to drive anymore. I mean, I’ll do it if I have to, but with the winter sun setting so early, I’d much rather not be behind the wheel this late in the evening.
“Holy shit,” he chokes out, his eyes surveying my attire. I narrow my eyes, waiting for his witty response, but he straight up glitches while I sit there feeling like a very overdressed bug under a microscope.
“Is it too much?” I ask nervously. “Should I go change? I can—” I hitch a thumb over my shoulder, but he cuts me off.
“He’s going to lose his mind, you know that, right?”
I freeze, my throat closing up in an instant as I attempt to pretend like I don’t know what he’s talking about. But with the way my hands are clenched around the coat in my lap, knuckles completely white, I’m sure I don’t look very convincing. “Who?”
He huffs an incredulous laugh, making beads of sweat gather on the back of my neck, even though my long hairis up in a tight ponytail. “Okay. We’ll keep playing dumb. I’m cool with that.”
I swallow thickly, not saying a word as he heads toward the front gate. I want to ask him what he knows, andhowhe knows it. But I’m afraid he’ll want the entire story, starting at the very beginning. I’ve already lied to him about enough, starting with my last name the moment we met. I really don’t want to have to explain all the ways I hurt his friend when he didn’t deserve it. I was adamant about not making things awkward for Austin, which is why I did everything I could to keep my distance when Emmett was around. But now that we’re in so deep, always managing to cross paths even when we aren’t trying, I can’t do it anymore.
Starting tonight, whatever happens, happens.
NINETEEN
EMMETT
“So, how’s business?”I ask Bailey as we stand in the kitchen of their new home. When I arrived, she and Jett gave me the grand tour, including the spa room that she’s rightfully so proud of. They’ve put down roots here in Cleveland, and I’m beyond happy for them, although I’ll admit that watching it all happen has made me a little envious.
I never expected to be single at twenty-six, living alone in an apartment that’s the size of most of my teammates’ closets, but here I am. One choice by Stella led me to make a million of my own, none of which are conducive to any semblance of thehappily ever afterI wanted when I was younger. I can’t blame her for all of it, even though I wish I could. I’ve had plenty of opportunities to look for love, but I was stubborn because I only wanted her.
“It’s good,” she replies. “It’s great for the WAGs because there’s plenty of privacy, but if I ever decide to branch out and offer services to the public, I’ll probably look for a storefront in the city.”
“Like hell you will,” Jett grumbles, tightening his arms around her waist from behind. “The last thing I need is to spend my days worrying about your safety now that everyone knows who you are. Do you want me to have a heart attack, Bay?”
She rolls her eyes, ready to argue, but before she gets a chance, the doorbell rings. He presses a firm kiss to her forehead before disappearing into the entryway to greet his new guest. “I’m going to go say hi to Livvy and Syd. Help yourself to the snacks.” I thank her as she turns toward the Grant sisters, immediately falling into their conversation like she’s known them her entire life.
Grabbing a plate, I pile it full of various chips and dips—because it’s the first day of the offseason, and I deserve some carbs—but I don’t even get a single bite before the entire thing slips from my fingers and dumps right onto the counter.
I have some of the best hands in the league. I only had four dropped passes all season. But even a hit from the strongest linebacker on the planet is no match for Stella when she walks into the room, sucking all the oxygen from my lungs in the process. The fumbled snacks go unnoticed by everyone around me, because they’re all too busy staring at the knockout in the black dress to be worried about anything else. Austin is at her side, a big, bright smile on his face as he introduces her to the guys, but I’m seething, red pulsing around the edges of my vision when their hands linger a little too long. Her eyes flick up to where I’m standing, locking onto mine for several seconds before Theo garners her attention with those stupid motherfucking dimples of his. And why arehis teeth so goddamn blinding all of a sudden?We get it, bro. You use whitening toothpaste. Take it down a notch.I avert my gaze, pretending to be unaffected as I listen to their conversation.
“So, you’re a nurse,” he says. “That’s really cool. Very admirable.”
She smiles shyly, her sweet little cheeks pinkening with the compliment. “Thank you. I appreciate you saying that.”
“I stopped by to see Austin a few weeks ago, but I think you were out. Have you done much sightseeing? I’m kinda new here, too, but Cleveland has really surprised me.” He’s standing way too close for my liking, their arms practically brushing as my blood begins to simmer in my veins. I’m sure anyone who looked at me right now would be able to read me like a book, but I couldn’t possibly care less. He’s about to eat my fist if he steps in another inch, teammate or not.
She shakes her head, her lush ponytail swaying over her shoulders. “Not yet,” she replies. “I was here on a travel assignment last year, but I’m pretty boring. I’d rather stay in and watch reality TV in my pajamas than brave the city crowds.”
He throws his head back in a laugh. “A girl after my own heart. Maybe we can hang out sometime. I’m about two seasons behind onSeduction Island. I’ve made it my mission to catch up before training camp starts.”
Excitement melts over her features, making my stomach twist into knots because that sparkle in her eyes used to be all mine. I’d tickle her until she was unable tobreathe just to pull it out of her, soaking it in like the sun on a warm summer day. Like hell I’m going to lose it all over again. Not to him.
I’m frozen where I stand, every voice in the room bleeding together as she pushes to her tiptoes and says something into his ear. He smiles, lifting his chin to the doorway, and with a hand on the small of her delicate back, ushers her out of the room. It all happens in slow motion as they disappear into the dimly lit area at the bottom of the staircase. I’m screaming on the inside, begging my feet to just fuckingmove, but they’re like lead weights strapped to my legs, pulling against me no matter how hard I try.
Finally, after what seems like an eternity, I snap back to reality, everything in the room returning to its normal speed and volume as people talk like I’m not drowning right in their midst. I hurry out of the kitchen, taking the stairs two at a time just as Theo and Stella reach the landing. By the time I’ve caught up, her soft, tinkling laugh echoing in my ears, I’ve lost touch with rational thought completely.
Fueled by blind rage, I grip the sleeve of his shirt, shove him into the wall, and press my forearm to his throat. He struggles to get free, eyes wider than dinner plates, but I just push harder, the words bursting from my chest before I can stop them.
“Get your fucking hands off my wife!” I growl. It’s like I have no control over my mind or body, continuing to cut off his air supply until Stella’s terrified voice pulls me back to awareness.
