Page 20 of Just a Football Star

“What about it?”

“Can I still buy you one? Even though I totally and completely lost the bet?”

She tips her head back, laughter easing out of her. The sound of it fits with summer. It fits with the lake and all the memories I have here.

“Maybe.”

Chapter 11

Oakley

“Lizzy. I don’t know what this is about,” I say into the phone. Lizzy’s the only real friend I left behind when I quit the Wolves organization. My palms are a little sweaty as I walk to the conference room wearing the only half decent clothes I brought on this escape. I’m wearing black, wide leg pants and a black and white striped, boat neck top. I’m wearing my hair down, and I even freshened up my makeup.

“The guys miss you,” Lizzy says. “They asked about you. There’s a camp in Atlanta next week and they wondered if you would be there.”

“When did you talk to the players? You’re in accounting.”

“They know we’re friends. I ran into them in the lobby.” Lizzy lowers her voice. “Seems like no one is saying anything about why you left.”

“Good.” I fight to keep my voice calm. I hate how things ended—how I had to leave the guys without any explanation. “Please don’t say anything. No one can know about what happened.”

“I won’t,” Lizzy insists. “I’ve told you that several times. You know you can trust me.”

Icantrust her. She’s a few years older than me and has twin three-year-old girls. If being a twin mom doesn’t deserve respect—and it totally does—then the fact that she keeps the organization’s finances under lock and key would solidify anyone’s trust in her.

“Have you seen Brandt around?” My stomach turns over and I feel stupid for asking. I don’t care about him. But I do care about justice. What he did was wrong—criminal.

“No. But when I do, I can’t be responsible for the things I say and do when I see his smug, pretty boy, spineless face.”

A laugh bursts from me. “Spineless face? I should hope so. That would be a very strange deformity if he had a spine on his—”

“Oakley! You know what I mean. He is spineless, though. What a dirt bag.”

“He most certainly is a dirt bag and all the kinds of disgusting bags. But you can’t say anything to him. Not yet. I need to figure out when and how to file the police report and we can’t provide him any information that will give him an advantage.”

There’s a long pause. “I will try to control myself. But if a whole box of laxatives gets stirred into his coffee somehow, don’t blame me.”

“I’ll pretend you never said that.” I sigh deeply, nerves creeping up my throat. “I gotta go. I’m at the conference room.”

“Oooh. Have fun with those Tate men,” Lizzy says. “And get back to San Antonio soon. I miss your face.”

“My spineless face?” I tease.

“There’s nothing spineless about you. You’re one of the strongest people I know.” Lizzy laughs. “But your faceisbeautiful and spine free!”

Why was I summoned? I know it’s not because of the towels. And my second session of the day with Alec was no help at all. I tried to ask him about it and he said I shouldn’t worry and that he barely knew anything about it. He changed the subject right after.

Barely? So he’s saying he knows something, huh?

As I reach the door, my stomach turns again, probably partly because of its sugar content. I went and bought another bag of chocolate-covered cinnamon bears last night. I might as well, right? I don’t really need to figure everything out and get serious about life again until I get back home.

Shoving my employment/life choices/life goals problems to a tiny, messy corner of my brain, I peek in since the door is ajar. Two very handsome men are sitting at a large table in the middle of the room. It’s got a pared-down Scandinavian feeling to it, with the rich, light woods and clean, textured wallpaper. I recognize Sebastian, who looks like an even more handsome version of the actor Chase Stokes. The other guy has the casual charm of Tom Holland.

I step in, giving a light tap on the door. But before any introductions can be made, a short woman with wavy, dark hair wearing a swingy, pink, floral dress pokes her head in the door.

“Sorry to interrupt! I just needed to say goodbye to Oliver.” She laughs as she pushes the door open and rushes to his side. He stands and envelops her in a hug and then rotates around to me.

“Sophie, this is Oakley Edwards. She’s a guest who’s become friends with Alec.”

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