by Megan Green
“It’s killing me though. How would you feel if Lexi thought you were lying to her, and you couldn’t get to her to let her know just how much she meant to you?”
Tag rubbed his hand over his head, blowing out a thoughtful breath. “I hear you, B. Knowing Lexi thought the worst of me would kill me, and I wouldn’t be able to think straight until I got it sorted. But don’t throw your entire life away because of one mistake. This isn’t going anywhere. You need to keep a level head; otherwise, you’re going to regret it.”
I knew he was right, that I couldn’t destroy my entire career because Liv couldn’t be bothered to pick up the phone and listen to me. But, right now, sitting here, stewing over what I’m going to do next, I just can’t bring myself to care.
Tag walks out of the bathroom and over to my bed, slapping his hand down on the mattress. The sudden noise startles me, and I shoot up off the bed, narrowing my eyes at him.
“What the fuck was that about?” I shout, pissed that this asshole just can’t leave me be to wallow in my own misery.
He shrugs his shoulders. “Sick of looking at your sorry ass. We’ve got a game to play. And here”—he thrusts his phone in my direction—“Lex wants to talk to you.”
I skeptically eye him. “What does she want?” I’m really not in the mood to get yelled at by a pissed off blonde who’s mad because I hurt her best friend.
He waves it in front of my face again. “Just take the damn phone, Brandon. And then hurry your ass downstairs, so we can get going.”
I take it, watching as he strides across the room and closes the door behind him. Once I’m sure he’s out of earshot, I hold the phone up to my ear and prepare myself for the onslaught.
“Hello?”
“Is it true?” Lexi’s snappy voice comes over the other line.
I sink back down onto the edge of the bed, dropping my forehead into the palm of the hand not holding the phone. “I honestly don’t know. I’ve fucked around with Jayne plenty of times. But I was always careful. I never once took her without a condom. And she told me she was on the pill. I don’t know how this could’ve happened.”
“So, you thought, just because you were careful, you could lie to my best friend?”
My brows furrow, my head snapping up from my hand at her question. “What the fuck are you talking about? I never once lied to Liv.”
She scoffs. “Oh, please. She told me all about the conversation you two had. How you told her you hadn’t been with anyone since your first night with her. She actually believed you, Brandon. Actually thought that you might be falling for her, just like she was for you. Turns out, you were just saying what you thought she wanted to hear. You haven’t changed a bit.”
“Now, wait just a damn minute!” I shout, immediately cringing because, if Tag heard how I was talking to his woman, he’d pound my ass into the ground. But I’m not about to just sit here while she accuses me of shit I didn’t do. “I didn’t fucking lie to her, Lexi. When I told her I hadn’t been with anybody else, it was one hundred percent true. I haven’t been able to get that woman off my mind since the moment I met her. There’s been nobody else, and there never will be. I don’t care how long it takes; I’ll prove to Liv that I’m worth a second chance.”
Lexi is quiet for a moment, and I start to wonder if she’s disconnected the call.
I pull the phone back from my ear and see the connection is still there, so I continue, “I know it’s hard to believe, considering my past, but Liv is important to me. She’s…she’s it, Lexi. And I’d never do anything to hurt her. I wish like hell I could make this go away. Go back in time and tell Jayne to get lost the very moment I met her. But I can’t change my past. All I can do is work for a better future. With Liv. And our baby.”
Lexi lets out a breath, her tone slightly mollified when she finally speaks, “I want to believe you, Brandon. But how do you explain the fact that Jayne is only three months pregnant? If you haven’t been with her since before Liv, then how is that possible?”
I spring to my feet. “What did you say?”
“I said, Jayne is three months pregnant. Have you not talked to her yet? Or read any of the press releases?”
I haven’t because I can’t bear to hear the sound of her voice yet, and I don’t give two shits about what the media has to say about the situation. I figured I’d deal with it after I talked to Liv. But, now…
“So, Liv thinks I cheated on her?”
“Well…yeah. And that you lied to her about not sleeping with anyone else while you were apart. She figures, if you lied about that, who’s to say you haven’t been lying about being faithful this whole time?”
It makes so much more sense now. I knew Liv wouldn’t be happy with the idea of me possibly having another baby, but I also know her well enough that I knew she’d be able to get past it. After all, it is her I love. We could figure this out in time.
But me cheating on her after she tried so hard to keep me out in the first place…
That is an entirely different story.
“It’s not true, Lexi. If Jayne is only three months pregnant, there’s no way in hell that baby is mine. And I will do everything in my power to prove it.”
“Now, that’s the answer I wanted to hear.”
“Are you in Maple Lake? Are you with her now?” I’m suddenly even more desperate to talk to her now that I know the real issue.
“I am in Maple Lake. Liv is in the shower. Despite my trying to convince her otherwise, she thinks she needs to head into the store for a few hours.”
“Let me talk to her,” I snap.
I can practically envision the look Lexi must be giving me at my outburst—eyebrows high, lip curled back in a sneer, and an eye roll thrown in for good measure.
But ask me if I care.
That would be a, Fuck no.
“I don’t think that’s a good idea. Not yet anyway. She’s been feeling a little under the weather today. I’m sure it’s just the stress of this whole situation, and I’m not about to let you add to it. But I’ll tell her what you just told me. And try to convince her to call you. But you need to wait until she’s ready.”
Fuck. That.
“Bye, Lexi,” I say into the phone as I grab my shit and dart out the door.
I shove the phone into Tag’s chest when I reach him. “Let’s go.”
“Please tell me I’m not hearing you right, Jeffers. Please tell me you’re not asking me for yet another leave of absence. That’s three in two months.”
I set my jaw, my stern gaze never wavering from Coach’s. “Yes, sir. You know I wouldn’t ask if it wasn’t an emergency.”
He sits back in his chair, folding his hands behind his head as he warily observes me. “And just what constitutes an emergency in your mind these days, Jeffers? Did someone stub their toe, and now, you need to fly away to the rescue?”
I grind my teeth as I try to remain respectful, knowing pissing off Coach isn’t going to do me any favors. But it’s hard to bite my tongue when he’s acting like the last two times I left were for nothing.
“Excuse me, sir, but both times I left were, in fact, real emergencies. First, I thought I was losing my baby. And, the second time, a dear friend was in the hospital. We had no clue as to his prognosis at the time of my leaving.”
Not entirely true, but I never would’ve let Liv go to Charlie’s side on her own.
“And this time? You don’t think I’ve heard about the mess you’ve gotten yourself into? Another chick is pregnant with your kid. Two different babies and two different baby mamas. This team doesn’t have time to let you gallivant across the country, trying to clean up your messes. We need you if we’re going to make the playoffs.”
I sneer, unable to keep the anger off my face. “With all due respect, Coach, I’m leaving whether you say I can or not. I’ve done a hell of a lot for this team. And I love it fiercely. But some things are more important than baseball.”
His eyes narrow as he looks me over, as if trying to j
udge my sincerity. “Explain.”
I really don’t want to sit here and waste time, telling Coach about my life, but I also would prefer to have a team to come back to, if at all possible. So, I suck in a breath, and I do exactly as he requested.
I explain my feelings for Liv.
“I love her, Coach. Liv has become my entire world in these past few months, and now, she thinks I’ve betrayed her. This new kid isn’t mine. There’s no possible way it could be. It’s just a spiteful woman trying to ruin a good thing, not giving a shit whom she destroys in the process. Meanwhile, the woman I love, the mother of my child, is hurting. I can’t stay here, knowing I’m the source of her pain. And, trust me, you don’t want me here. Not when my head will be a thousand miles away from the field.”
Coach’s brows rise when I finish, and I half-expect him to tell me to stop being such a fucking pussy and to go suit up. But he surprises me.
He laughs.
Not a mocking laugh, meant to ridicule or belittle. But more of a laugh of disbelief.
“I never thought I’d live to see the day when Brandon Jeffers fell in love. She must be one hell of a woman.”
I nod. “She is. There’s nobody else like her.”
“And you’re sure there’s no way this other kid is yours?”
“Yes, sir. She’s only three months pregnant—if she even is at all. I haven’t been with her in more than six. If she’s pregnant, it’s not mine.”
He nods, grabbing a sheet of paper and jotting something down. “Okay. I’ll make some calls, see what we can do to get to the bottom of this. In the meantime…” His eyes rise to mine as his words trail off. There’s a certain kindness there that I’ve never seen from Coach before. “There’s absolutely nothing more powerful in this world than the love of a good woman. And there’s nothing more important than making sure you keep it for as long as you can. Go. I’ll make sure it’s taken care of.”
I bolt out of the office, tossing a hurried, “Thanks,” over my shoulder as I pass through the door. The scene is very familiar, reminiscent of only a few weeks ago when he let me go to Liv’s side after the night she almost lost the baby. Coach might like to pretend he’s a hard-ass, riding us all to the point of feeling like we might break, but inside, he’s a big old softie.
I’ll have to remember to give him shit for it when I get back.
Because, right now, it’s all I can do to put one foot in front of the other as I sprint out of the stadium, desperate to get to Maple Lake.
I’m coming, Tink. And I’m never going to let you go when I get there.
Chapter 25
Liv
I don’t know why, but a weird sense of déjà vu hits me as I turn my car onto my street.
I hate this feeling. It’s so creepy, the sensation that this has already happened, that you’ve already lived these events, but there’s nothing you can do to stop them from happening again. A shiver runs down my spine as I attempt to shake off the thought, but it remains, niggling at the base of my skull, making me feel uneasy as hell.
When I pull my car into my driveway and climb out, my eyes dart around the yard, trying to make out anything in the darkness that might be the cause of my agitation.
I shouldn’t have stayed at the store so late. I hate coming home to a dark house. Living in a small town like Maple Lake has its perks—relative safety being one of them. But, even then, considering I’m a single woman living alone, I’m still careful. Just because the townspeople are safe doesn’t mean we can’t get some crazy drifters coming through.
Hell, my mother was one of them.
Oh, shit, is that what this is? Is my mother back? Is she going to spring herself on me once again, causing even more anxiety in my already shit-filled world?
That would be just my luck. And would explain why I can’t seem to shake this sense of dread.
I slide my car keys between my fingers, using them as a makeshift weapon as I approach my front door, cradling my stomach with my other arm, as if that might somehow protect my baby from whatever might be lurking in the shadows. I don’t expect my mother to try to hurt me, but just in case it isn’t her…
A large form stands from the chair on my front porch.
Definitely not my mother.
I turn, dashing back to my car in hopes of jumping inside before this person can reach me.
It’s no use though.
“Liv!” a deep voice shouts as the form springs from my porch. A few strides are all it takes for him to wrap his arms around me from behind.
I don’t scream though. Because I’d recognize that voice anywhere.
He’s not here to hurt me. Not physically at least.
Emotionally, on the other hand…
I break out of his hold, keeping my back to him as I take a few steps away. “What do you want, Brandon?”
“We need to talk.”
I let out a sardonic laugh. “Well, maybe you didn’t quite get the hint from all the unanswered calls, but I don’t want to talk to you.”
“Too bad.”
It’s all he says before I feel him right behind me, swinging me up into his arms.
I struggle against his chest as he carries me toward the house, but my efforts quickly die off when he speaks, “Quit fighting me, Liv. If I drop you, it’s going to do a lot more damage than a bruised tailbone.”
I still, knowing he’s right. Falling flat on my ass or back, even just from a few feet, couldn’t be good for the baby.
Fine. But, as soon as he puts me down, I’m kneeing him right in the balls. Let’s see him try to father any more kids after that.
I can’t hold back my smile at that. Maybe he wouldn’t even be able to get it up. What would Brandon Jeffers do if he could never get another erection?
He’d have to find a new favorite pastime.
“I see that look in your eye, Tink. And, if you think I’m letting you within two feet of my balls in your current mood, you’re sorely mistaken.”
Damn it. I need to work on my poker face.
Once inside the house, Brandon sets me down on the couch before taking a seat on the recliner across from me, completely out of my reach.
Smart man.
He’s quiet for a moment, his eyes falling to the floor as he tries to decide on how to start. I use the silence to take in his appearance, realizing for the first time since I got here that he doesn’t look like his usual self.
His dark hair is disheveled, standing up in patches, as if he ran his hands through it over and over in the past few hours. His jeans are crumpled, his shirt wrinkled, and I’m pretty sure he’s wearing two different shoes. But it’s his face that really gets me. Gone is the carefree ease that has always worked itself so effortlessly into his features. Instead, I find…
Anguish.
His dark eyes are rimmed in red, the heavy circles around them indicating he hasn’t slept any more than I have in the past twenty-four hours. The lines around his eyes and lips seem to have deepened in the few days since I last saw him, and the normally glowing flush of his skin is now sallow and ashen.
In short, he looks like shit.
The need to go to him, to take him in my arms and comfort him, overwhelms me. But I bite it back, telling myself he deserves to feel awful after what he did.
And yet…
“Why are you here, Brandon?” I ask the same question I’ve asked him several times before.
And, again, I get the same answer.
“Because you’re here, Tink.”
The pet name pierces my heart, shattering the remaining parts into a million tiny pieces.
“Don’t call me that, Brandon. You lost that right the minute you stuck your dick in another woman.”
He’s off the chair and on his knees in front of me before I even realize he moved. Pulling my hands into his, he lowers his face to where they lay in my lap.
He looks so pitiful; I almost feel sorry for him.
Almost.
I try to pull a
way, try to push him from his place in my lap, but he wraps his arms around my waist, holding me in place.
“How could you?” he murmurs against my legs.
And if that doesn’t just piss me right the hell off.
“How could I? How could I, Brandon?” I shriek, shoving harder on his shoulders so that he’s forced to break his hold on my waist in order to keep from toppling over. “I’m pretty sure the only one here who deserves to ask that question is me. How could you? How could you do this to me? To us?” I add on to the end, placing my hands over my stomach, as if trying to protect my baby from the intensity of the room.
“I didn’t do anything, Liv,” he starts, crawling back over to me on his knees.
I scoff, standing before he can reach me.
“Sure you didn’t. This Jayne woman went and got pregnant on her own. She just decided to blame you for no good reason.”
“The baby isn’t mine!” he shouts as I move to stride from the room.
This causes me to pause, looking back over my shoulder at where he still rests on his knees.
“How do you know that?”
He slowly climbs to his feet, his movements guarded and cautious as he steps toward me, as if he were approaching a ticking time bomb instead of the woman carrying his child.
I guess I can’t really blame him. I do feel like a live wire at the moment. And, if he doesn’t start talking soon, I refuse to be held responsible for the explosion I might cause.
“How do you know the baby isn’t yours, Brandon?” I repeat, my words slow but sure. I didn’t want to talk to him, but now that I am, I want answers.
“Because I haven’t slept with her in over six months. I swear to you, Tink, I haven’t touched her.”
I want to laugh in his face, ask him what kind of idiot he takes me for. I want to tell him I don’t believe him, to kick him out of my house, to let him know I never want to see him again.
But I don’t.
Because if I’m being honest with myself, I don’t want to do any of those things. Not really. The hurt side of me may think she’s big and bad. But deep down, I want to believe him.