Total pages in book: 57
Estimated words: 52440 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 262(@200wpm)___ 210(@250wpm)___ 175(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 52440 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 262(@200wpm)___ 210(@250wpm)___ 175(@300wpm)
I mutter a curse, bouncing my helmet against my thigh pad. "So this is my only option?"
"It is if you still want to play next year," she says quietly. "They're not going to budge on this one. You don't have to announce it to the world, but they want you in an alcohol education program."
"Fine," I mutter. "Whatever."
"You'll do it?"
"I'll think about it."
She smiles at me, relief coloring her expression. "I'll let them know. And it won't be so bad, Teo."
I snort, not buying that bullshit for a hot second. She knows damn well it'll be bad. Someone will inevitably get ahold of the news that I was forced into alcohol education. It'll serve to confirm exactly what everyone already thinks.
I'm not a fucking alcoholic.
"How are things going with Nadia?"
"Fine."
She kicks me in the shin.
"What the fuck?" I growl, scowling at her.
"You spent half the day at the studio with her yesterday. It's all over the gossip sites," she snaps. "Don't give me fine, Mateo Kirby."
"Jesus Christ. Do you have any business of your own?" I ask.
"Yes. It's called being in yours. Now, spill."
My lips twitch with amusement. "We're working shit out. It's private, Emelia. I'd like to keep it that way."
"Then maybe you shouldn't have told the press that you're dating." She gives me a dirty look. "You did not run that by me."
"I was hedging my bets."
"You're lucky she didn't kill you."
"She loves me."
Emelia smiles, genuinely happy. "Good. Then don't fudge it up. Team management is willing to back off for now if you take the classes and partner with a charity for image rehab, but we still have to convince the league that you're a changing man."
"I want Nadia left out of it," I remind her. "She isn't something to dangle in front of them like proof."
"I'm aware. But she's good for you. And what's good for you is good for the league. So don't fudge it up," she repeats.
"Fuck it up. It's fuck it up."
"Go play sportsball, and leave me alone."
I laugh quietly, shaking my head as I turn back toward the field.
"Oh! By the way, is there anything in your past you don't want the press to know?" she asks me.
I turn a questioning look on her.
"With the two of you back together, they're going to dig," she says. "Is there anything we need to worry about them finding?"
"Nadia's accident," I say softly. "I don't want them splashing it all over the goddamn news. She shouldn't have to relive that."
"I'll see what I can do," Emelia says.
"Thanks."
"Jesus," I rumble, staring at Nadia. She's sitting on my doorstep in a little sundress, her hair pulled up in a bun, her head tilted back so the sun hits her face. She looks like a goddamn angel.
"Hey," she whispers, smiling up at me sweetly.
I stumble toward her, unable to take my eyes off her. My heart pounds against my ribcage, beating a frenzy. I feel jittery, nervous energy humming through me in a way it never does when I'm on the field. Out there, shit never really mattered much to me. But this right here? This moment? It's everything.
She's here right now, willing to give me another chance. I've spent so fucking long fantasizing about this day, but I don't think I ever let myself believe it could actually happen. In my mind, I was the reason she almost died, and she knew it too. She fucking hated me for it. How could we ever get to this point after that?
And yet…we're here. She doesn't blame me. I'm not sure I'll ever feel the same way. But hearing her say that shit last night—that she never blamed me, that it wasn't my fault…Christ, I needed to hear that. More than I've ever needed to hear anything.
"I thought you had to be in the studio this afternoon, butterfly." I hold my hand out toward her.
"Brogan decided to get the band back in today," she murmurs, allowing me to pull her to her feet. "So I decided to come here instead." Her teeth sink into her bottom lip, her gaze dancing across my face. "Um, if you have things to do, I can go."
"Fuck no," I growl, pulling her into my arms. "You aren't going anywhere."
"Okay," she whispers, her shoulders drooping with relief, as if she really thought I might tell her that I'm too busy for her. Fuck that noise. I'll never be too busy for her.
My gaze lingers on her pouty lips for a long moment before I groan reluctantly. "I want to kiss you, but there are still camera crews outside the gates."
"I know. Your security people practically had to beat them off with sticks to get them to leave me alone when I got here." She rolls her eyes, huffing adorably. "Did you really have to tell them that we're dating, Teo? They're never going to leave us alone now."