Hate the Player: An Enemies-to-Lovers Romantic Comedy

by Max Monroe

  I miss her. So fucking much.

  And I just…I need to tell her all the things I should have told her in Memphis. I need her to know how I really feel. I need her to understand that the way I feel for her is more than sex. More than fun. That I’m so far deep in love with her, I’m not sure I’ll ever recover from losing her.

  There are so many things I want to say, but mostly, right now, I just want to hold her in my arms and take some of the stress off her plate.

  Fuck it, my mind whispers, and I stand up from my chair. But just as I’m taking my first step in her direction, the maternity ward doors swing open and Luca steps out, a giant, beaming smile on his face.

  “I have another princess,” he says, and happiness rings out in his voice. “It’s a girl, and momma and baby are healthy, happy, and doing great.”

  “It’s a girl?” Birdie exclaims. “I have a niece?”

  He nods. “You have a niece, Aunt Birdie.”

  In an instant, the stress on her face dissipates, and only relief in the form of happy tears takes over. She wraps Luca up in a big hug. “Congratulations. I’m so happy for you guys,” she says, and he hugs her right back.

  “Thanks, Birdie.”

  When she steps back, I don’t hesitate to do the same, wrapping up one of my best friends in the whole fucking world in a tight hug. “Congrats, man. So happy for you.”

  “Appreciate it.” He smiles at me. “Do you guys want to meet her?”

  “Are you kidding me!” Birdie shouts. “Take me to my niece!”

  Luca laughs and leads us both through the doors and into Billie’s hospital room.

  I can’t deny it’s a beautiful sight, Billie sitting up in the hospital bed with her brand-new baby girl in her arms. And when Luca moves around the other side of the bed to stand beside his family, it’s enough to make my chest ache.

  But when Birdie holds her niece in her arms, everything comes into focus.

  My past. My present. My future.

  And I know, I just fucking know.

  That, right there, is everything I want in life.

  Birdie

  I am officially an aunt to the most beautiful baby girl in the whole world.

  My sister is healthy and happy and, somehow, looks gorgeous despite the fact that she had to deliver an eight-pound baby without a freaking epidural, and her fiancé looks like a man whose whole world sits on the hospital bed at his hip.

  Andrew congratulates Billie with a soft kiss to her forehead and kind words. And I waste no time picking my niece up into my arms.

  “I am certain I will spend the rest of my life spoiling you rotten, little lady,” I whisper down to her, and I watch in fascination as her tiny lips open wide in a yawn and her big blue eyes stare up at me.

  God, she’s gorgeous. I’m sure I’m biased, but I don’t care; she is the most beautiful baby I’ve ever seen.

  “If you want a scoop of ice cream,” I whisper down to her, “I’ll get you two scoops. If you want to bitch about your mom to me because she’s being annoying—” I glance up at a grinning Billie and wink, before looking back down at the baby “—I’ll be there to listen. If you want a pony, you got it, girlfriend. Anything you want, you just let me know, and Aunt Birdie will make it yours.”

  “Uh oh, sounds like you two are already going to be a problem,” Luca teases, and I just stick out my tongue at him.

  “Don’t listen to your daddy,” I whisper to my niece. “He’s just jealous that we’re going to have all the fun.”

  Both Luca and Billie chuckle, but when I look up from the baby and meet Andrew’s gaze, I’m taken aback by the tender expression on his face. He’s just looking at me, watching me, glancing between my face and the baby in my arms, and I have no idea what he’s thinking, but God, it makes my chest ache.

  The discomfort starts to spread into my throat, but I swallow it back and focus on my baby niece. “So, what are we naming her?”

  “Daisy,” Billie answers, and my breath catches in my lungs.

  Our momma’s name.

  My heart fills with bittersweet emotion, and I grin at my sister. “That is the most perfect name for our girl.”

  Billie smiles, her heart in her eyes. “I thought so too.”

  Andrew walks over toward me and stares down at a now-sleeping Daisy. “She’s a beauty, guys,” he says and reaches out to gently touch her soft cheek with his finger. “Welcome to the world, Daisy.”

  The tenderness in his voice and the sweetness of his words make me feel oddly sad. Like, it’s painful to see how wonderful this man really is. Like, deep down, I made a mistake the way I handled things in Memphis.

  Pretty sure you mean you shouldn’t have given a fuck about the media and just followed your heart.

  “I’m so glad I got to meet you, sweetheart,” he whispers down to my niece. “But I’m going to let you and your mommy and daddy rest now. They’ve had quite the day.” He glances up at my sister and a smile brightens his eyes. “I’m pretty sure your mommy is going to be telling you about this day for the rest of your life. Especially when you’re a teenager with a sassy attitude.”

  Billie giggles. “That’s so true.”

  “Bye, pretty Daisy.” When he presses a gentle kiss to Daisy’s forehead, that discomfort inside my chest only grows, and it turns into a constant ache after he tells Luca and Billie goodbye and meets my eyes one last time. “See ya later, firecracker.”

  And then, he leaves.

  Thankfully, a nurse comes in a few moments later to distract us all. She takes Billie’s blood pressure and feels around on her belly to make sure everything is doing what it’s supposed to, and eventually, she takes Daisy from my arms for a quick assessment.

  But when she finishes her rounds and heads on to the next patient, my sister doesn’t hesitate to let me know exactly what’s on her mind.

  “You’re being so stupid, you know.”

  “Uh oh,” Luca mutters and busies himself with checking on Daisy, who is now sleeping in the hospital crib.

  I tilt my head to the side and meet Billie’s steady gaze. “I’m being stupid? Pretty sure I’m not the one who planned a whole party with the intention of butting into something that’s none of her business.”

  “Kind of like how you butted into my business when I was being stupid about my relationship with Luca?”

  Touché, sis.

  “You need to let it go, Billie. Just let it go.”

  “Nope,” she refutes. “I’m not letting it go, because you and I both know he’s your person. It’s so fucking obvious. The way the two of you are absolutely miserable, and yet, when you’re in the same room, you can’t take your eyes off each other.”

  “That’s not how it is.”

  “Oh, trust me, I know,” she remarks. “I planned a whole party with the intention of bringing you together. Needless to say, I’ve spent several hours simply watching your every move.”

  “You realize you sound insane, right?”

  “Not as insane as you.”

  “Well, I was nothing more than a challenge to him. A challenge that he succeeded in,” I retort, but the words feel all wrong coming off my tongue. Because I know they’re total bullshit. A man doesn’t do all the things Andrew did for me without it meaning something.

  My sister also knows this. “You and I both know that’s total crap. God, sometimes, I wish stubborn didn’t run so deep in our family.”

  I know Billie is prepared to go on and on about this, but right now, she needs to rest and spend time with her husband and baby and just be cocooned in happiness. Not worry about my complicated love life.

  “How about we reconvene this conversation at a later date?” I suggest with a smile. “You need to get some sleep.”

  “And you need to open your fucking eyes.”

  “God, Billie.” I sigh. “I’m not having this conversation with you right now, but I promise I will be back tomorrow morning. And for the next three weeks’ worth of mornings after th
at, I’ll be around. So, you’ll have ample time to tell me how stupid I am.”

  “Three whole weeks?” she questions, and her voice loses its frustrated steam. “But I thought you were going on a trip to Fiji soon?”

  “I am, but I told Neil I didn’t want to go right after you had the baby. I want to be around to help you guys out and just spend time with my niece.” I step forward to press a kiss to Billie’s forehead. “So, have no fear, you’re going to have lots and lots of time to tell me what you really think. But right now, I just want you to rest and enjoy the bliss bubble that is your beautiful family.”

  “Okay. I’m holding you to that.”

  I laugh. “I know you will.”

  After one last kiss to Daisy’s forehead, I tell Luca goodbye and head out of Billie’s hospital room and toward the hospital exit, where I figure I’ll have to call an Uber to get me back to their house so I can pick up my car.

  But I only make it two steps outside before I’m stopped in my tracks.

  Cameras flash, and what feels like twenty paparazzi stand just outside the lobby entrance.

  “Birdie! Over here, Birdie! Did your sister have the baby?” One shouts toward me, and the rest follow.

  “Is it a boy or a girl?”

  “What’s the baby’s name?”

  “How much did the baby weigh?”

  “What did Luca say when the baby was born?”

  Just a barrage of questions being shot in my direction from every angle.

  Hospital security tries to push the small crowd back, but it’s no use.

  I have a feeling they won’t be able to get them off the premises without LAPD assistance.

  But before I can attempt to find an exit strategy, I spot the one person I really fucking want to see right now just to the side of the paparazzi crowd.

  Andrew.

  Andrew

  I want my future to start right now.

  When I left Billie’s hospital room, I had the intention of just heading home.

  But when I got to my car, I realized I can’t go home when my fucking home is in that hospital.

  So, I waited for Birdie.

  And while I waited, I replayed everything I wanted to say to her over and over again in my mind. I had it all planned out in my head, but apparently, it didn’t take long for Billie’s birth news to spread to the media vipers. Before I knew it, several paparazzi found their way to the hospital and camped out just outside the entrance.

  Which made me second-guess trying to talk to Birdie right now.

  I’m pretty sure the last thing she wants is for the photo-hungry media to witness us together.

  The instant she steps outside the hospital doors, the paparazzi hound her with questions, snapping photos in quick succession.

  Birdie ignores them as best as she can, and before I can decide whether I should discreetly leave to protect her from even more media attention, her eyes meet mine.

  My mind goes blank, and my only recurring thought is, This beautiful woman owns my fucking heart.

  I’m not sure what I expect her to do, but when she walks straight toward me, closing the distance between us, I’m utterly shocked.

  More cameras flash, and it’s more than obvious they’re aware of my presence when they start tossing out questions about our relationship.

  “What are you still doing here?” she asks, and I choose to be completely honest with her.

  “Waiting for you,” I answer.

  She tilts her head to the side in confusion.

  “Birdie, there are so many things I need to tell you. So many things I need you to hear. And I just couldn’t wait any longer,” I admit. “But I’ll understand if you want to have this conversation somewhere else.”

  “It’s okay.” She shakes her head. “You can tell me now.”

  I’m tempted to remind her about the paparazzi just standing over there, watching us like hawks, but I know she didn’t miss them.

  She’s really okay with this?

  “Andrew,” she says, and my name sounds too damn good on her tongue. “You can tell me now. It’s okay.”

  I look at her, then over at the bastards with cameras, then back at her, but when her expression stays utterly neutral, completely patient, I decide to just lay it all out there.

  “I fucked up in Memphis,” I admit. “I shouldn’t have walked away. I should have stayed, and I should’ve made you understand how I really feel about you. But here’s the thing. I’m not the kind of guy who lets himself fall in love. I’m quite the opposite, actually. And you, well, you changed that for me. You turned my world upside down. And falling in love with you was the easiest thing I’ve ever done. You are too beautiful, too sassy, too adorable, too much of everything, and I didn’t stand a fucking chance. I was completely powerless against it. Against you.”

  Her lips part and her eyes go wide at my words, but I can’t stop myself from telling her more.

  “Seeing you hold your niece in your arms and smiling down at her with your heart on your sleeve, I saw the life I wanted flash before my eyes,” I say, meaning every fucking word. “I used to think I loved fast cars and women, and nothing would ever change that. I used to think I didn’t need anyone. I used to think falling in love and marriage and babies and shit wasn’t in the cards for me…” I pause and step closer to her.

  “But then I met you. And fuck, you changed the game. You changed everything.”

  “Andrew, I—” she starts to respond, but I reach up with a gentle hand and place it over her lips.

  “Wait, just let me finish. I need you to know everything that’s inside my head. That’s inside my heart, okay?”

  She nods.

  “I want that life, Birdie. I want you. All day, every fucking day. I want to fight with you and laugh with you and wake up next to you. I want it all. Marriage. Babies. Forever. With you. I’ll give up the fast cars. I’ll even drive a fucking minivan, if it means I get you.”

  “Andrew.” Tears fill her eyes, and I reach out to grasp both of her hands in mine.

  “Birdie, I’m in love with you.”

  Birdie

  He’s in love with me.

  I have never in my life felt so free, so full, so fucking relieved.

  Andrew Watson is in love with me.

  And even though we have quite the paparazzi audience, I give zero fucks.

  It feels like my whole world, my whole life, comes into absolute focus, and I just know. I know what I want. I know how I feel.

  I know.

  “I fucked up in Memphis too,” I whisper and make no move to remove my hands from his. I grip them tighter. “I was scared and let fear get in my way. But I was so wrong, and I handled it all poorly.”

  He nods and searches my eyes, but he also waits patiently as I find the right words.

  “I…” I pause and try to search through all the thoughts that are racing around inside my head. There is so much I need him to know and feel and hear, but hell’s bells, it’s like I don’t know where to begin. “I…uh… Are you free in about three weeks?”

  “What?” he asks, utterly confused by my question.

  I can’t blame him, though. On the surface, it doesn’t make a bit of sense.

  But eventually, he’ll understand.

  A smile consumes my mouth. “In about three weeks, can you clear your schedule for a month? No work. No filming. No nothing.”

  “I…uh… I think so? Why?”

  “Do you want to go on a trip with me?” I ask. “To Fiji?”

  A shocked laugh leaves his lips. “I just told you I’m in love with you, that I want to spend the rest of my life with you, and you’re asking me if I want to go on a trip to Fiji?”

  “Uh-huh.” I stand up on my tippy-toes and press a kiss to his lips. Just a soft, simple little kiss against his perfect mouth. “Oh, and by the way,” I whisper against his lips, “I’m in love with you too.”

  He leans away from my lips to meet my eyes. “Yeah?”

&nbs
p; “Yeah.” I nod, and it feels like my smile is consuming my whole face. Tears join the party, too. “I’m so deep in love with you, Andrew. And I want that life, too. I want everything. With you.”

  “Goddamn, sweetheart,” he mutters and pulls me into his arms and wraps my legs around his waist. “It’s yours. I’m yours.”

  In the middle of the hospital parking lot, with cameras flashing and paparazzi shouting questions in our direction, we both tune it all out and stay focused on our little bubble of bliss.

  Andrew kisses the hell out of me, and I don’t care who sees it.

  I don’t care about anything but kissing him right back.

  My teasing guy.

  My charming player.

  My Andrew.

  My Andy.

  My whole world.

  My family.

  6 weeks later…

  Andrew

  I’m going to marry this woman.

  The morning sun flits into the living room of our private overwater bungalow, and I stare out through the open doors that lead to the deck, taking in the view of blue skies and turquoise Fiji waters.

  Birdie and I have been here for three weeks, and I’ve yet to grow bored of this view. I have a feeling it has everything to do with the beautiful woman I often find in the frame.

  I head over to the front door, open it up, and find today’s big surprise is all set to go.

  I grin. Yeah, this is going to be the best fucking day of my life.

  Once I quickly make two cups of coffee to really keep up the charade of this being a normal Fiji morning, I carry them out onto the deck, where Birdie sits in a teak lounge chair with her legs curled beneath her. My woman is a fucking vision of long, messy, wavy hair—courtesy of my sex-hungry appetite last night—and already wearing one of her ridiculously small bikinis that drive me fucking mad.

  I swear, she might be secretly trying to kill me.

  Miles upon miles of visible skin and my mouth is already watering for a taste.

  “Fancy some coffee?” I ask her, and she looks away from the water to meet my eyes. Hers instantly brighten when she spots two fresh mugs in my hands.