Page 120 of Well Played

She left me in a daze, trying to process how I could continue to abandon someone I loved—who loved me back. I hated that she’d seemed almost ashamed to admit her feelings for me. I looked up at the dark sky and prayed for an answer. Something had to give. I couldn’t go on like this. Not only was I going to ruin my career because my lack of focus had rendered me useless to the team, but more importantly, I didn’t know how to live without her.

But could I betray my brother? That was the only question left to answer. Was I willing to do that in order to be with the woman I loved?

It took me a full ten minutes of pacing before I made my way back toward my car in the lot at the front of the hotel. I noticed a man stumbling out of a vehicle at the curb. It wasn’t until I heard his laugh that I realized it was Tanner.

What the fuck?

I looked inside the car and noticed the person driving. It was the redhead he’d brought to the dinner table earlier. I couldn’t even remember her freaking name.

He muttered something to her before slamming the door. My stomach sank. She took off, leaving him on the curb.

My blood boiled. He didn’t notice me standing there, so he hadn’t seen it coming when I grabbed onto his collar and dragged him a few feet.

“Hey! What the hell are you—”

“What the fuck areyoudoing?” I spat, keeping my hold on him.

“Levi? What are you doing here?”

“Tell me what the fuck is going on, Tanner.”

His eyes were glassy. “What do you mean?”

“What were you doing with that girl tonight?”

“It was no big deal,” he slurred.

Pulling on his collar tighter, I shouted, “Answer my question.”

The alcohol on his breath was pungent. “I was just out having some fun. I needed it.”

“Define fun.” I roughly let him go. He nearly toppled to the ground before his back hit the hedges in front of the hotel.

He wouldn’t make eye contact. “What do you want me to say?”

“I want you to tell me exactly what you were doing with her,” I demanded.

When he continued to remain silent, I rephrased my question. “Did you fuck that girl or not, Tanner?”

His silence told me everything I needed to know. But I still wanted to hear him say it.

“Answer me!” I yelled.

“Yes!” he finally admitted. “Okay? Yes. I…went back to her place, and one thing led to another.” He hesitated. “We had sex.”

My head fell back as I looked up at the sky, feeling ready to blow.God, give me the strength not to kill him right now.

I somehow managed to refrain from punching him, instead balling my hands into fists. “How could you do that?”

“You act like it’s not something you do every goddamn day of your life.”

“Don’t you dare turn this on me. This is aboutyou. I thought you were trying to earn Presley’s trust back. You told her you wanted to be a family again. Andthisis how you show it? By getting drunk and fucking some random woman while your son and his mother are in town with you?”

“Getting a quick fix doesn’t take away from my feelings for her. Presley has wanted nothing to do with me sexually. I was feeling stressed and needed relief, for fuck’s sake. A man can only take so much. Between the new job and Presley fucking rejecting me over and over—I couldn’t deal with it anymore. I just needed to feel good for one damn night.”

Something told me this couldn’t have been the first time he’d done something like this.

“One night, huh? Look me in the eyes and tell me this is the only time you’ve fucked around since showing up in Beaufort.”

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