Page 45 of Press Your Luck

“But I didn’t count on Big Ed coming into the picture.”

“Opportunist or not, this is my life.”

For a brief moment, Pierce’s face flashed in my mind. What was he going to think when he saw this news? God, why did I care? It had been weeks since I’d seen him. “My life is not some made-up story to sell tickets.”

“Naomi, your job depends on ticket sales,” Todd reminded me, his voice calm and infuriatingly rational. “Just go along with it. People will forget about it when the next scandal comes around.”

“Easy for you to say.” My heart sank at the thought of playing along with this charade. But what choice did I have? Maybe if we were losing and the team was still pushing back against me, I’d give up. But now I was proving myself. The team was winning. “I don’t get it, Todd. We’re winning. Why do we need to fan the flames of a bogus story?”

“I understand this is hard, Naomi. I’m not asking you to pretend to be in a relationship. Just let the press do what they do. Ignore them.”

Ugh. The last thing I wanted to do was to throw my coaching career away because of some stupid tabloid rumors. "Fine, but I’m not happy about this."

"Trust me. This will all blow over soon enough."

I hung up, feeling hollow and betrayed. The excitement of our win was now tainted by lies and manipulation. But I had made a promise to myself and my team—I wouldn't let anything stand in the way of our success.

My stomach didn’t have the same confidence. It churned violently, probably fueled by last night's celebration and the bitter sting of betrayal. I bolted for the bathroom, barely making it before I retched into the porcelain bowl. When I finished, I looked at my reflection in the mirror above the sink. I’d seen better days. I splashed cold water on my face, hoping to wash away the remnants of nausea and despair, but it did little to ease my frustration.

I tried to focus on my breathing, reminding myself that I didn't have to face this alone. My team—most of them, anyway—had shown their support for me just last night. That had to count for something, didn't it?

I was a good coach. I was breaking barriers and changing the game. I couldn’t let some stupid tabloid story get in my way. I couldn't change what had happened, but I could control how I reacted to it. That was what Analyn said to do. I wouldn't let Todd's machinations or Big Ed's threats define me or my career. I was here to make a difference, and no amount of sensationalist gossip, nor Big Ed or Todd, could take that away from me.

21

Pierce

The sizzle of the pan filled the kitchen as I flipped a piece of chicken, taking in the aromas of garlic and olive oil. Cooking was a form of therapy for me, and God knew I needed it now more than ever. Between the mess with Naomi and the shocking discovery that I was the father of an eleven-year-old boy, I craved normalcy in my life.

The headline in today’s news feed flickered in my head.

Love Triangle Drama:Coach Withers Caught Between Players

Jesus fuck.Was that Todd’s idea? Or was she lying to me when she said there was nothing going on? There was no way she’d be with Big Ed, right? The man was the very definition of misogyny. And why was I even thinking about it? She’d been clear. She didn’t want me.

"I put the stuff on the table," Porter said in his usual bitter tone. “Am I done?”

I studied him. I was rethinking the DNA test as I could see me in him when I was his age. Not his attitude, but his dark hair and blue eyes. And he was tall for his age. I tried to deny it, but when I pulled out old photos, there was no doubt. The kid was mine.

“Can you toss this together?" I motioned to the salad bowl.

He rolled his eyes but did as I asked. As we worked side by side, I prayed that this evening would go well. Reed and Analyn, and Bo and Ruby, were coming over for dinner, and Bo and Ruby were bringing their daughter, Laina. I hoped she and Porter would hit it off. Since enrolling him in school, Porter hadn't made any friends and seemed to be getting into trouble more often than not.

The doorbell rang, and I wiped my hands on a towel. "That must be them. Why don't you let them in while I finish up here?"

"Fine," he mumbled, not quite meeting my eyes as he left the kitchen. Was the fact that he didn’t say “whatever” a sign of progress? Then again, he used the same tone saying “fine” as he did “whatever”.

"Hey, Pierce." Bo's voice echoed through the condo as they entered. "How's it going, man?"

"Good, good," I called back from the kitchen. "Just putting the finishing touches on dinner."

"Something smells amazing. You've really outdone yourself," Reed said, clapping me on the back.

“Maybe I should have married you.” Analyn inhaled the scent of chicken.

“Don’t even joke about that,” Reed said, wrapping his arm around her and tugging her close.

It was a sweet gesture that tugged at my heart. I had an image of me doing the same in this kitchen with Naomi. With an inward kick in my ass, I pushed the image away. The woman haunted me, and I was getting pissed about it.

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