Page 76 of Her Greatest Mistake

“I mean, is there anything else? I don’t think it will be long before you both break and finally talk about whatever is going on between you, but I don’t think that’s the only thing you’re in your head about.”

My stomach pinches. It’s right there on my tongue, but it almost feels too embarrassing to admit.

“Braxton, I won’t judge you. You know that,” she adds, finding my hand and squeezing my fingers.

“I don’t know about him, but I . . . I’m nervous, I guess. Nervous that he won’t like what he sees when and if we get there. We might have known each other for forever, but there’s a lot of me that he hasn’t seen.” It all comes out on one heavy breath, and I blink back a sudden burn in my own eyes. “I want to go there with him. I want to so badly that sometimes it’s all I can think about. But I don’t know how I will react when we do get there. What if I just freeze or freak out on him? Or worse, what if he’s the one to freak out?”

This time, it’s me squeezing her hand. I hold it so tight she couldn’t pull it away if she wanted to.

“Maddox Hutton has loved every single piece of you since you were both too young to even know what love was. Your fear is normal. Everyone gets nervous before being intimate with another person. That’s just part of being human. But you shouldn’t let it keep you from taking that step. If you’re both ready, it’ll happen naturally. You’re the strongest woman I know. You got this,” she says softly, words quiet, gentle.

I smile at her, nodding. Her words sink deep and help fight back some of my self-doubt and worry. The rest is up to me.

“I appreciate you. You know that, right?”

She winks. “I know. And I’ve always got your back. I’m sorry I didn’t do more to help at brunch.”

“Don’t apologize. Dad was out of line, and Mom shouldn’t have played into his games again,” I mutter.

“I don’t even know why they’re still married. They can’t stand each other.” She pauses, biting at the inside of her cheek. “Do you ever worry about your own marriage after watching theirs? Like, do you ever think, what if mine turns out the same? What if my husband becomes another version of our father and I lose my backbone like our mom?”

I contemplate that. “Yeah, sometimes. I had Maddox’s parents’ marriage to look at growing up, though. Maybe that’s why I’m not completely against the idea. I think I still want to get married someday.”

“I don’t know if I ever want to. The idea of giving the man I marry the same power over me that Dad has over Mom seems like torture,” she admits.

That makes me frown. My sister is too young to be so fearful of love.

“A real marriage isn’t about giving your partner power over you, Anna. It’s about sharing it. Giving and taking in equal parts. I know it’s hard to understand that when you’ve only seen it one way for so long. But there are happy marriages. Amazing ones that last for lifetimes.”

“But what happens—”

The goal horn rings out again, and suddenly, we’re thrown into a rush of screaming fans and raining VW merchandise. Annalise jumps out of her seat, clapping and screaming as our home team takes the first win of the second round by a score of three to one.

I hate that we’re leaving such a heavy conversation incomplete, but I’m also aware that my sister isn’t one to love heavy topics and that she won’t go there again with me right now. I just have to hope that she was really listening to what I said and that it resonated somewhere inside of her.

Joining in the celebrations, I replay her reassuring words to me and pray that they can help calm my nerves come tonight.

God knows I need all the help I can get.

28

MADDOX

“How doesit feel to grab your second straight win?” the reporter asks Bentley, his recorder lifted. With his eyes wide and lips parted with excitement, it’s like he’s on the edge of his seat to receive the same answer we always give these guys when they ask stupid questions.

Bentley gives the guy a tired smile. “Feels great. It’s what we came out to do tonight.”

We’re all exhausted and antsy to get the fuck out of here. Most of the guys are going out to celebrate, but I have other plans. Much more important ones.

Our press manager, Penny, gives the go-ahead to another reporter, and I swallow back a curse when I see a familiar woman stand. I’ve already forgotten her name, and I curse myself out for that too. I should have looked her up or something after last time.

Alexander was clear that when it came to the press, I wasn’t to sit in on the post-game interviews until Braxton and I had made progress with our fake relationship, so this is the first time I’ve been back since before Roy’s story broke. With the chatter focused more on my new relationship, we hope that it will take the attention away from all of his other claims.

“Rose Carpenter from Sports Weekly,” she says before holding out a long, skinny arm, recorder in hand. “Maddox, do you have an update on your contract?”

Annoyance bubbles in my blood. I roll out a long breath and stare at her, my gaze intense with the hope of making her squirm. I lick the back of my teeth before I speak.

“No. Not at the moment.”

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