The Player

by Aliyah Burke

  “Faye, baby, I’m so sorry. Please let me explain all of that. You know it’s not true. Call me. Please.”

  He had just gotten home when his phone rang. Answering without checking who it was, his heart picked up speed.

  “Faye?”

  “No, it’s not Faye.”

  “Lannie.” He dropped his bag by the door and kicked off his shoes. “How can you fix this?”

  She snorted and ice moved into his chest. He didn’t like her coldness directed at him.

  “What exactly do you want me to fix, Kaeden? The fact you called me and went on a drunk rant, even though I told you to shut up at the time because, wait for it, you were in public!” She took a deep breath. “I don’t know what you want me to do about this. I know you meant for this to be private, but then again, you spewed stupid shit so maybe you didn’t. I’ll see what I can do.”

  He slumped against the nearest wall and let it support him on the way down until his ass hit the ground. Knees up, he groaned and banged his head back.

  “So I’m fucked.”

  “Yes.”

  That was Lannie. Direct. Curt. Honest.

  And gone.

  Leaving him alone in his misery. He called Faye once more but this time, it said the call cannot be completed as dialed.

  Faye’s message was clear. She’d blocked his number.

  She had finished with him.

  Chapter Fifteen

  Faye went through the motions of getting ready for work. She wanted nothing more than to crawl back into the bed she’d barely made it out of and forget the world existed. Staring at her reflection, she sighed.

  I don’t hide. I don’t run.

  The pep talk was shit in the grand schemes of things. Her friends, bless them, had assured her they didn’t mind taking over for her so she could be home.

  Honestly, she’d needed to go. Otherwise she would spend her day thinking about what had happened. And that wasn’t a road she wanted, or needed, to go down.

  Gathering her hair, she piled it on the top of her head and wrapped a cloth of black and white checkered pattern around it. After she put in her earrings, she turned from her image and walked from the bathroom to the front door.

  It felt odd not having to pick up her school bag as well, but that wasn’t something she would be carrying anymore. Funny, that should make her happier but it didn’t. There was this emptiness in her chest that she didn’t want to think about.

  Turning on some music, she took a final fortifying breath and stepped outside. There were a few reporters there and she walked through them, not paying attention to the words they hollered at her, or the cameras shoved in her face. At her car, she climbed in and left. Only once she was a good distance down the street, did she turn off her music.

  JadaLei and Randy both were out back to meet her and walk inside with her.

  “You know we could have handled this,” JadaLei said pushing a fresh mocha in her hand.

  “Better I’m here. Stops my mind from thinking things.”

  Randy gave her a sidehug as she reached for one of the three pastries on the plate before them.

  “What’s the plan for the day?”

  “No plans, nothing different. I’m not going to give those vultures any fucking satisfaction my life is shit.”

  “Okay. We open in ten minutes, are we ready?” JadaLei glanced at them both. “We have each other’s back. Nothing different. Just a day that we help people find that next book they need and eat some awesome pastries.”

  “If reporters come in,” Faye added. “If they are here to buy something, that’s fine but no loitering or we call the cops.”

  This was what she needed. Her girls. Her business. Her life back.

  “We got this,” Randy said as she moved over to the music. Give Up the Funk blasted and Faye laughed.

  She hugged each of them. “Love you both, thank you.”

  “We still want to castrate him, but we follow your lead on it. You know this.” Randy’s comment was agreed to by JadaLei.

  Then she had no more time to dwell on it, time to open.

  When she came up from the back after a short break, her heart leapt in her throat. Kaeden stood there, eyes trained on the back. On her.

  He stepped forward when he spied her, and she bit the inside of her cheek to keep her emotions under control. She could do this. Be professional.

  Deep down, no matter how hurt she was by what he did, she knew their thing had been strictly to boost his image. She wanted him to succeed because, no matter what, she would always love him.

  Randy shot her a concerned glance. Her smile was meant to reassure her friend, but Faye wasn’t sure it worked.

  “Kaeden.” The smile didn’t slip but the strain to keep it in place grew.

  “Faye. I need to talk to you.”

  “Sorry.” She was not taking in how fucking good his still managed to look. “I’m in the middle of a workday.”

  “You’re not taking my calls.”

  “No need. If you’ll excuse me, I have customers.”

  “I’ll wait all day if I have to.”

  She paused and turned back to him. Moving up until she could smell his masculine scent. Swallowing, she struggled for the words. “Look we have nothing to talk about. Your goal was met, enough said.”

  “No, that’s—”

  “You two are still talking after the viral video of what he said about you, Ms. Reynolds?” A reporter shoved between them.

  She saw the anger in Kaeden’s expression and cleared her throat. What she didn’t need was him chucking the man through the window.

  “Of course we still talk. Like he mentioned in what shouldn’t have even been posted publicly was that we have been friends since we were little. I’m not going to lie and say I wasn’t hurt by his words, but Kaeden and I will always be friends and I will always support his career, wishing him nothing but the best.”

  The man she spoke about watched her, his expression tortured.

  “So that he was out with all those women the night before, means nothing to you?”

  “Leave her alone,” Kaeden grumbled, animosity spewing from his mouth.

  “It’s okay, Kaeden. They’re going to hound us until they get the answers they want.” Her gaze cut back to the reporter. “Of course it hurt, like I’ve said, I’ve known him for years. I would have thought better of him, but people change. Obviously. Now as you are interfering in my business, I’m going to ask you to leave.”

  She doubted it was her expression that got him out of there. More like the lurking footballer beside her. But as the man left, she’d take it.

  Kaeden gripped her arm when she began to walk off. Her entire body responded to a single touch.

  “Let go,” she hissed.

  “You said we were friends.”

  “I lied. Do us both a favor and don’t ever show up here again.”

  “Let me explain,” he said.

  “Nothing to explain. Your words were clear and succinct. And I don’t want to hear that you were drunk. I don’t give a fuck.”

  She walked back to the counter, doing her best not to shake.

  He did leave but there was no denying the lingering look he gave her before the door closed. There was a literacy class tonight and she didn’t want to be here, but JadaLei had an appointment she couldn’t miss and she’d assured her friend, she had it covered.

  The class dragged on, and Marvin didn’t show. Her brother called her a few times, but she ignored his calls as well. When she walked outside after everything had wrapped up, a familiar figure leaned against a Range Rover.

  He opened his arms and she walked into them. Strong arms around her, she just shook and cried. The man holding her didn’t say a word and when she woke later, she was in a room she knew well.

  Faye slipped from the bed and padded out to the living room. Trevor and Leo sat there talking in hushed voices. Trevor held out his arm and she curled up next to him and sank into his side as th
ey continue talking about this upcoming match they were coaching.

  Why couldn’t I have fallen for Trevor instead?

  It sure would have made life much simpler for her. But he wasn’t the one who made her palm sweat, her heartbeat go all funky, and the one she loved more than anything. Hell, since she started the damn charade with Kaeden, not even Billy had been a blip on her radar.

  Makes me a stupid fuck. Even hearing what he’d said, I still love him.

  Three hours later, she was rolling her shoulders as she jogged out onto the grass of the pitch. “Not sure how I let you talk me into this,” she called to Trevor. “I have no business playing rugby with you lot.” She glanced at her watch. “Especially at this hour.”

  “We figured you’d have some anger to get out. So they’re wearing that.” He thumbed in the direction of the opposing players.

  She burst out laughing at the look of them with paper printouts of Kaeden on their faces. The eyes gouged out so they could see.

  He hugged her and bussed a kiss along her cheek. “Let’s go put some hurts on them, yeh?”

  “Best. Gift. Ever.” She jumped on her toes a bit. “Let’s do this.”

  αβ

  “Archer! My office!”

  Kaeden just walked there, not looking at any other player. Not that it mattered, they all fucking hated him right now anyway.

  “Yes Coach?”

  The man ran his gaze over him then pointed at his eye. “Marvin?”

  “Her brother,” he said shaking his head. Mitchell had cold cocked him the moment he’d seen him. Truth be told, he figured had Mitchell not done it when he had, Marvin would have. Either way, he was now once again on the outs with his team. And this one he’d actually liked.

  “I’m giving you today off.”

  Kaeden opened his mouth and coach shook his head.

  “Not up for negotiation. You need to fix this shit going on in your head. We have a game in two days. Figure it out.” He waved a hand in his direction. “Get out.”

  He hadn’t gotten it figured out. As he went home to his quiet home after the ass kicking they’d gotten tonight, he knew something had to give. The past two games he’d played like shit and they’d lost both games.

  Were they both his fault? No, but he sure as fuck contributed to the problem.

  He rooted around for a drink and with a curse, threw the bottle across the room, watching it shatter and run down the wall. Then he collapsed face first in bed.

  I don’t want a drink. I want Faye.

  Someone was in his place. Breakfast could be smelled on the air. He struggled to roll over, but his body had taken hell of a punishment last night, it took a bit. When he pulled his eyes open, he sucked in a sharp breath.

  His mother stood there, disapproval etched all over her expression.

  “Five minutes,” she snapped. “Kitchen or I’ll be in here to drag you there.” She walked away without saying anything else.

  Kaeden moved. His mother didn’t make threats lightly and he knew she’d meant every word about coming back in to drag him out. Stopping to splash water on his face, he stumbled down into the main part of his home and found his mother in the kitchen, putting food on a plate for him.

  She slapped the plate down with far more force than necessary before she pulled out a seat on the island and took it with the regality that would make the queen hesitate. He, in his sweats, pulled out one and started to sit before he stopped. Making sure to kiss his mother’s cheek he returned to his stool and stared at the waffles, eggs, sausage and fresh fruit on his plate.

  Her blue eyes watched him but she didn’t speak.

  Drinking some of the orange juice she’d put down as well, he licked his lips and pushed the plate away from him.

  “What are you doing here, Mom?”

  “Trying to figure out what the hell you’re doing.”

  If he’d not been on guard waking to find his mother looming over him, disappointment all over her face, that tone, would have put him there. Right away.

  “I know I’ve sucked these past two games, Mom. I’m just, not playing at my best.”

  She blinked and gave a slow nod.

  If this is how prey feels, no wonder they do something stupid.

  “What?”

  Sandra Archer was a formidable woman and not many went up against her. Personally, he wasn’t foolish enough to do so. Not anymore that was.

  “Is that what you think?”

  Not anymore. “Yes ma’am.”

  “You think I left my home and flew across the country on a redeye because of your playing? But all the stupid things you did before to sabotage your career and I never showed up, you think after two bad games I would be at your house?”

  The ice edging her words made it all of a sudden, clear.

  “Faye.”

  Even with muttering her name, his heart hurt.

  “Yes,” she lifted her chin. “Explain, ‘Faye’ to me and make it good because I have to live beside her parents, our best friends, after having you go on your drunken behavior.”

  “I was an idiot.”

  “I said explain it to me, not tell me something I already know.”

  “Mom. I was pissed. We’d had three weeks plus of travelling on the road. Had a short week and our Thursday night game.” Anger spiked. “She wasn’t there.”

  The utter devastation on his mom’s face almost broke him again.

  “So, because that woman wasn’t at your game for you, you felt that meant you should go our whoring and just, being fucking cruel to her?” She got to her feet and stomped to his side, vibrating in anger. “I want to smack you, Kaeden Beauregard Archer. I cannot believe I raised such a selfish, spoiled brat of a kid.”

  “She didn’t seem all that put out when I had found her the following morning, after I tracked her down.” His voice rose.

  “You know why she wasn’t at your game?”

  How the hell does my mom know why Faye wasn’t there? “What excuse did she give to stay on the families good side?”

  “Keep on like that and I will smack you.” She tugged at the sleeve of her shirt. “She didn’t have to tell us anything. We were all there with her. It was her graduation. We attended virtually, but she got her masters that day, she’d taken the test and they’d given a small ceremony. It was early in the day so she couldn’t attend your game. She told us she tried to call you but your voicemail was full. I’m guessing all the whores you give your number to.”

  He would have collapsed if a stool hadn’t been under his ass. Her degree. He’d completely forgotten about it.

  “I’ve never been so disappointed in you before, Kaeden. When you and Faye came home,” she moved to the other end of the island and fidgeted with a cup, “I was so hopeful. That girl has loved you since she knew what love was. You always looked after her but when you were older, we all saw the looks you sent her. Ones that weren’t brotherly. But you left and we let it go.”

  “Is this necessary?”

  “Yes. I saw you both together, even when you had to act for the crowd. No one is that good of an actor. I watched you hold her as you danced. The way you made sure she didn’t need anything. Can you honestly tell me you don’t love that woman?”

  “No.” Despite his anger and pain, the truth slipped free. “I love her more than football, but she won’t give me the time of day. If I keep lurking in her shop, she will call the cops on me.”

  “I hope you figure it out quick. When I saw her yesterday, she was laughing about the rugby she’s been playing with her friends at one in the morning. Seems to me, if men have her out there for that kind of hands on game, someone wants something else.”

  “Fucker,” he bit off.

  “Blame yourself, Kaeden. You pushed her away and killed her heart. You fucked up big, I suggest, you try to fix it bigger.” She walked back to his side where she kissed him. “I’ll be back, clean this up.”

  “Mom?”

  She turned back, one eyeb
row lifted.

  “Do you think she’ll take me back?”

  “I think that woman loves you just as much now as she always has. If she didn’t, she would not have defended you. Problem is, you hurt her and it’s not going to be easy to win her back. Her trust has been shattered.”

  Sorrow filled her expression before she left him alone with a partially eaten breakfast. Kaeden knew he had work to do.

  Once his food had been devoured, he cleaned up. Showered and dressed, he went to get in his car and headed to one place, he knew he wouldn’t be welcome but had to try to mend this bridge as well.

  He tugged on his cap before knocking on the door. It swung open and the man there narrowed his gaze. “Fuck no.” The door swung shut.

  Wedging his foot in there at the last second, he winced when Marvin pushed on it harder.

  “Please, Marvin. I’ve come to apologize. I know I fucked this up and, just can you give me no more than five minutes.”

  “You have three. Thankfully I can count, even if I can’t read.”

  “I was a complete douche and betrayed your trust.”

  The man blinked. “Did you think I was going to disagree with you? Clock’s ticking.”

  Chapter Sixteen

  “He’s here again.”

  Her stomach tightened as she turned to look out the window. Sure enough, Kaeden stood across the street on the sidewalk there with another sign over his chest.

  Reasons I, Kaeden Archer, love Faye Reynolds: Her heart is incredible and I didn’t know how lucky I was to have it until I messed up and I will spend my days trying to make it up to her.

  He stood there as he had day in and day out that they were in town, with reasons that he loved her and how much he missed her. How sorry he was.

  That was it, he hadn’t come into the store but never failed to stand out there at some point during the day. He’d taken to signing off from his press conferences saying he loved her. People were starting to come in the store asking her if she was going to give him another chance and when.

  She didn’t want to admit how much she missed seeing him there when they had away games. Right now it was ten minutes to closing and more rain was coming.