Page 69 of Well Played

“When you were younger and you were upset about something, you never used to finish your food. Tonight’s the same. That’s so unlike you normally. I know something is bothering you.”

“I don’t think you want to hear it.”

“Let’s put it this way,” she said. “I’m pretty sure I already know what this is about. Or should I saywho. And my imagination is already running wild, so you’ve got nothing to lose in telling me the truth.” She took a long gulp of her wine. “Now tell me what’s happening between you and Presley.”

“After today, maybe nothing. I ended it. Well, it was more that I finally agreed to letherend it.”

“I suspected you wouldn’t heed my warnings about getting involved with her. How far did you take things?”

I lifted my brow. “Youreallywant me to spell it out?”

“Jesus. How are you even able to get away with that, considering Alex is in the house?”

“Where there’s a will, there’s a way.”

My mother took another sip of her wine. “Okay, so…you ended things. That’s good, right? I’ll pray your brother never finds out.” She sighed. “I assume she wanted more than you could give her?”

“Actually, it was the opposite. She seems to think I’m just playing house and as soon as I go back to Colorado, I’ll be back to my old player ways. She doesn’t trust how serious my feelings have grown for her.”

My mother looked out toward the marsh and shook her head. “I guess I just don’t understand how you could let this happen, Levi. Not only how you could do this to your brother, but why you would want to be with someone who left him the way she did. This is not making any sense to me whatsoever.”

I’d always felt it wasn’t my place to tell my mother what really happened between Tanner and Presley, but I felt compelled to defend Presley, and I couldn’t do that without relaying the truth.

“Things didn’t go down the way you think,” I said. “All those years, we thought she left him because he was injured and down on life when that was far from the case.” I gritted my teeth. “Tanner cheated on her. More than once. She never did him wrong. Presley didn’t say anything for so long because she wanted to keep the peace for Alex.”

My mother narrowed her eyes. “That wasn’t the story he gave us.”

“Of course, it wasn’t. But unfortunately, that’s the truth. And it’s why I’ve had a real hard time feeling sorry for him. Not to mention the way he’s treated both her and Alex, being virtually absent besides a few phone calls here and there. Yes, I do still feel guilty. But he makes it hard sometimes.”

My mother grimaced. “Well, this is the first I’ve heard of all this.”

“I know. I only found out in the course of getting to know her. We certainly weren’t gonna learn the truth from Tanner.”

“Well, now I feel badly about giving her attitude all this time. I could never help myself, thinking she’d left my son when he needed her most, secretly blaming her in part for his gambling addiction.”

“She’s a good woman, Ma. Areallygood woman. And a damn good mother to your grandson.” I exhaled. “I ended things with her today—or at least tried—not because I wanted to, but because this thing between us is stressing her out. It’s complicating her life in a way I never intended. I don’t believe for a second that she wouldn’t want to be with me if things were different. But I can’t push if she keeps letting fear get in the way.”

“I’ve never seen you like this over a woman. I was starting to think you didn’t have it in you. I just wish it wasanywoman but Presley Sullivan.”

“Yeah, well, we don’t always get a choice when it comes to who we—” I hesitated, realizing the word that had almost come out of my mouth.

Was I about to admit I’m falling in love with her?

“You’ve put me in a difficult spot,” my mother said, interrupting my thoughts. “Because the next time your brother calls me, how am I supposed to just pretend I don’t know about this? I almost wish you’d lied.”

“I’m sorry for putting you in this position.”

“I’m not going to be the one to tell him, as much as it will kill me to hide this.”

“Thank you.”

“But I think eventuallyyou’regonna want to tell him. Otherwise, the guilt will eat away at you.”

I knew she was right. It would be impossible to keep this from Tanner if Presley and I didn’t stop seeing each other. “In a perfect world, he’d never have to find out. I certainly wouldn’t unleash the news on him without running it by Presley first. That would be her call. If it were up to me, I’d just live with the guilt. Honestly, my number-one concern is Alex, more than anything.”

Mom nodded. “As it should be.”

I stared off. “He needs me in his life, especially when Tanner doesn’t come around much. I couldn’t live with myself if he grew to hate me for any reason.”

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