Page 32 of Cold Feet
"Have you lost your mind?" I demanded, kicking off my heels to better stand my ground. "Attacking him in a hotel hallway? Really? One more move like that and you're getting a week of mandatory media training."
Zayne paced the length of my suite, rubbing his hand through his dark beard. The suite was spacious but suddenly felt claustrophobic -- a dangerously combustible mix of testosterone and tension filling the air. The midnight skyline of Las Vegas glittered beyond the windows, oblivious to the drama unfolding inside.
"When were you going to tell me?" my brother demanded, turning to face us. "Or was I supposed to find out from SportsCenter that my sister and my best friend since college are apparently engaged?"
Cam straightened his jacket where Zayne's grip had wrinkled it. "It's not what you think."
"No?" Zayne's voice was dangerously controlled. "Because what I think is that myformerbest friend is taking advantage of my sister. That sound about right?"
"I was actually coming to talk to you about that," Cam said firmly.
Surprise flickered across Zayne's face – and mine. This wasn't exactly part of our plan.
"You were?" I asked.
Cam nodded, his expression serious. "Yeah. I figured I owed Zayne an explanation face to face. Man to man."
The show of respect seemed to mollify my brother slightly. "Talk, then."
Cam glanced at me, a silent question in his eyes. I nodded almost imperceptibly. The truth, then.
"The engagement isn't real," Cam said simply, no preamble, no excuses.
I held my breath, watching my brother's reaction.
Zayne's expression remained neutral, but his shoulders tensed. "Go on."
Cam explained everything – the Redline deal, their concerns about his image, the publicity strategy. He didn't sugarcoat his role or try to shift blame; he owned it completely.
"It was my idea to ask Lana," he finished. "She said no at first. I pushed."
"And you agreed to this batshit plan?" Zayne turned to me, his voice carefully controlled. "Knowing how it would look? What people would think?"
I straightened in my chair, professional pride kicking in. "It was a calculated risk. One I evaluated thoroughly before agreeing to."
"Bullshit," Zayne said again, but with less heat this time. "You're letting him use you to fix his reputation."
"She's helping me," Cam corrected, a slight edge to his voice. "Because that's what teammates do. What friends do."
"Also, it’s my job, Zayne. It was my media strategy that got him into this mess in the first place."
"Friends," Zayne repeated, the word dripping with skepticism. "Is that what you two are?"
The question hung in the air between us, loaded with implications. What were we, exactly? Colleagues? Co-conspirators? Something else entirely?
"Yes," I said firmly, ignoring the strange twist in my chest. "Friends."
Cam's eyes flickered to mine briefly before returning to Zayne. "Look, man, I know this isn't ideal. But the alternative was watching a deal fall through that's good for the team, good for my career, good for the league, and frankly, good for Lana too. This benefits everyone."
"Everyone except my sister when it blows up in her face," Zayne countered. "When the press finds out it was fake. When her professional reputation and our family's reputation gets dragged through the mud."
"That won't happen," Cam insisted. "We've taken precautions – "
"Nothing stays secret in this league," Zayne interrupted. "You know that."
"We signed NDAs," I interjected. "Sully and Marcus approved the plan. The timeline is limited. There's minimal risk."
Zayne looked at me incredulously. "There's nothingminimalabout this risk."
