Page 139 of Playing for Keeps
“Yes. Don’t worry, I won’t open it.”
There’s a tremble in her voice, and my heart aches.
“I’m coming home. I’ll leave now.”
“You don’t have to–”
“I’m coming, Mom.”
A pause. “Just… drive safe, okay?”
“I will.”
I end the call and push myself up from the sofa.
“You’re heading home?” Ash asks, rising with me.
I nod, grabbing my work phone before moving toward Wyatt’s bedroom. She trails after me.
“There are reporters outside my parents’ place,” I say over my shoulder.
Ash reaches out, placing a hand on my arm. “Why don’t you wait for Wyatt?”
I pause and turn to her. “He just left, Ash. He won’t be back for hours. My dad’s not home and my mom’s scared.”
“Shit.” She pulls me into a hug. “Then of course you need to go.”
I hold her tightly. “Maybe it’s for the best. I know I could use some breathing space. I’m sorry you came all this way and now I’m leaving.”
“I don’t care about that.” She pulls back slightly. “Are you going to text Wyatt?”
“There’s no point. He won’t check his phone. I’ll call him after training.”
She nods. “Okay. I might hang around until he gets back. He’s going to freak when he finds out you’ve gone.”
“I know. I hate that this is happening.”
Ash gives me a reassuring look. “It’s going to be okay.”
I offer her a faint smile, but it doesn’t reach my eyes. She’s said that twice now, and each time it feels harder to believe. After losing a client and hearing how scared my mom sounded, ‘okay’ feels like something slipping further out of reach.
Wyatt
Training’s a disaster. My head’s all over the place, and I can’t focus for more than a few seconds at a time. By the time the session finally ends, I’m beyond relieved to get the hell out of there. I shower in record time, avoiding the guys as much as I can. I know they’ve all seen the headlines, and I’m not in the mood for their comments or questions.
Before I pull out of the stadium lot, I check my phone. There’s a flood of social media notifications, but nothing from Ivy. I try to tell myself that’s a good sign. Maybe she’s sleeping, or maybe she’s just avoiding it all.
Fifteen minutes later, I’m back at the apartment. Ash is in the living room, and the moment she sees me, she switches off the TV and gets to her feet.
“Hey, Ash. Where’s Ivy?” I ask, my eyes already scanning the room behind her.
She lets out a slow breath and steps toward me.
“She didn’t call you?”
I frown, pulling out my phone again just to be sure. “No. What’s going on? Where is she?”
Ash closes her eyes for a second before answering.
