Page 104 of West Bound

My anger begins to spike. All that I’ve laid out on the line for her, the fights with my teammates, a third reprimand from my coach because of my behavior which is a direct result of the fallout with her, and she asks for time. I didn’t need time to know she was endgame. But it’s obvious her hangups go deeper than what happened a few weeks ago.

“Fine. Take all the time you need, Vivian. But I can’t promise that I’ll be waiting whenever you decide to come around. I’m not some pathetic sap who will just sit around until you decide to give me the time. Don’t mistake my love for you as a weakness. Because as much as I would move mountains for you, I won’t sit around waiting only to be made a fool of.”

I spin around and march towards the door when I hear her call my name.

“I do love you. I just…” I look over my shoulder and see her shrug.

“Don’t know if it’s enough. Yeah. Got that.” My annoyance with her fickleness is at a breaking point, and I can’t stand around here for one more second.

I open the door and stomp out, slamming it behind me and rattling the name plate. I take a minute to calm myself and hear the whimpers of Vivian’s sobs from the other side of the door. Instead of running back in there and soothing her, I jog as far away as I can.

If Vivian needs time, I need distance to give myself some perspective.

CHAPTER THIRTY-FIVE

VIVIAN

“Your Love” - Nicki Minaj

The team was headed out of town for their road series tomorrow, which meant I had two days before I had to be on a plane to meet them. CeCe was also leaving in the morning, so that meant we had one evening together before things got really crazy heading into Divisional playoffs.

Houston already got a bye the fist round and will be working to beat the first team on their schedule. Because of their standings, Harvey informed me that after this week, I will be attending every road and home game.

This night out is definitely a necessity for not just CeCe and myself, but Cami could also really use the distraction after the giant ass Vaughan was the other day.

“I am so ready for this season to be over. I’ve already put in a request to cover football when this is over.” I swipe mascara across my lashes at Cami’s house as we get ready for a girls night.

“Just temporarily, right?” CeCe asks.

I shake my head, looking at her through the mirror. “No. Permanently. I don’t want anything to do with baseball as long as Phoenix is on the team. It’s hard enough going to the games and feeling his eyes on me every chance he gets. He looks like a sad puppy dog. I can’t stand it.”

Cami pops her head into the bathroom, her long, dark hair falling in shiny waves. “Then why are you torturing both you and him? You heard the recording. He didn’t even know the woman. It should have been an easy forgive, forget and move on. Yet, here you are, still wallowing.”

“I need time to think this all through. Yes, I believe he had nothing to do with that woman showing up at his hotel room. But being in a relationship with someone like Phoenix means constantly wondering if some woman is around the corner, waiting to pop out as say ‘hey. I forgot to tell you that I was pregnant and now you’re a daddy’. Where does that leave me? I’ll tell you where. Sitting on the curb with my heart in my hand.” I close up the tube of mascara and set it back in my makeup bag.

CeCe and Cami look at each other in the mirror and give “the look”.

“Wow. That sounds eerily similar to someone else I know. And look how well being a stubborn heifer turned out for her. Plus, Phoenix would never leave you even if something like that did happen.” Cat yells from the bedroom.

I step out of the bathroom and look at her. “And why not?”

She slips her foot into her metallic pink boots and adjusts her Dolly Parton crop top.

“Because I’ve seen the way that man looks at you. He’s head over freaking heels in love with you. And, my God Viv, he tattooed your ass—basically—on his chest…over his heart. That’s like, Vaughan level love.”

Cami smiles, thinking of the flower and butterfly tattoo Vaughan has on his chest for her and his daughter. The tattoo he got when they weren’t even together. I told Cam that it was like a talisman. Eventually she would’ve found her way back to him.

“I can’t overlook the fact that he’s whored around so much that at any given moment, he can decide that one woman isn’t enough for him. And then poof…he’s gone.” I adjust my mini skirt in the mirror and wait for CeCe to slip on her knee-high boots and watch Cami change into the outfit we forced on her.

“Bitch. Who’re you calling a whore? You have a conquered list a mile long. Is there a single athlete on a Houston team that you haven’t slept with? You’re being a hypocrite with a double-standard that, honestly, is pretty chauvinistic.” CeCe arches her brow at me and I pick up the nearest thing to me and throw it at her.

A tube of lipstick sails through the air and she moves her head just in time to miss it. The damn thing smacks Cat at the moment she rights herself after slipping on her boot.

“Ow! What the hell was that for?” She asks, rubbing her cheek where the tube smacked her.

“Sorry. That was meant for CeCe.” I pickup my lipstick and place it into my clutch before slipping on my boots. “Listen. I don’t want to talk about Phoenix anymore than Cam wants to talk about Vaughan, or CeCe wants to talk about Limoncello. Let’s just drop all of the guy talk and go have a good time. Life is about to get real crazy for me and CeCe and I just want to have some fun with our main bitches tonight. Yeah?”

Cami walks over to me and slings her arm over my shoulders and rests her cheek next to mine. “Agreed. No talking about boys and how stinky they are and how all they do is break our hearts. Tonight we drink, we laugh, we dance and we focus on just us girls.”

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