Final Score: Part Two (Game On Book 6)

by Kyra Lennon

  “I think we’ve all got a lot to discuss,” I told him. “I can’t and won’t speak for Radleigh. I’m sorry. I know this isn’t easy.”

  “Well, it’s not easy for you either. Having Jen unleashed on you can’t have been a whole lot of fun.”

  “That’s for sure. How the hell did you put up with her for so long?”

  The words fell out of my mouth before I could stop them, but thankfully, James let out a laugh, albeit a shaky one.

  “She had her moments,” he said. “I mean, sure, she could be a moody, manipulative, vindictive, petty, nasty bitch. But she wasn’t always that way. Sometimes she was sweet. Not because she wanted something, but because somewhere underneath all of her crap, she was vulnerable. And that was the part of her I loved. I guess I just didn’t have enough to be what she needed.”

  It was hard for me to imagine Jen having a vulnerable side. All I’d seen was her falseness and her spite. Nobody is all bad, I guess, but hearing Jen being described in such a different way than I’d witnessed was strange.

  “I don’t believe anyone would be enough for her,” I said. “I think she’s someone who will always want more.”

  “You’re right. I just hoped I could give her that.”

  “I’m sorry, James. I’m sorry it’s come to this.”

  “Me too.” He sighed. “Listen, I gotta go get ready for my flight. Thank you so much for talking to me.”

  “Not a problem. I’ll call Radleigh and then I’ll call you right back and let you know what he says.”

  We said our goodbyes and I sank down onto the stairs, phone still in my hand. This was getting more complicated with every passing hour. I refused to think about Jayden for the time being. That was a decision for Radleigh and me to discuss later. But I was concerned about the prospect of Radleigh and James seeing each other again. While I’d been with Radleigh, I’d learned more of what had happened between them and Jen, and it wasn’t pretty. Radleigh and James had once been as close as Radleigh and Bryce, so when Radleigh found out James had been sleeping with Jen behind his back, all hell broke loose. A very physical fight broke out between the guys, resulting in a broken jaw for James, and bruised ribs and a chipped tooth for Radleigh. Radleigh never wanted to see James again, but under the circumstances, he didn’t have a lot of choice. Well, they could just get their lawyers to deal with it, but it would be faster and smoother if they got together and talked between themselves.

  I had a feeling we were all in for a horribly uncomfortable night.

  **

  By the time the evening rolled around, I was ready to collapse. My day had consisted of organising the “meeting” between Radleigh and James, calling my parents to let them know what had happened, eating a rushed lunch, collecting Jessica to take her to see Radleigh at the hospital for an hour, taking her back to Mitch and Deanna’s where I managed to grab a pathetic one hour of sleep before the stress of everything woke me up and rendered me unable to drop off again. I stayed at Mitch and Deanna’s while I called everyone I still hadn’t got back to replying to, including Stacey and Alison who had been worrying themselves sick because they hadn’t seen me before they left. They felt terrible that they hadn’t said goodbye, and I did too, because they’d flown all the way over to see me, and I’d been unable to finish the night with them. I told them they should come back some other time after the wedding so we could have a do over – minus the costumes – and we’d make a full weekend of it, not just one night. Deanna fed Jessica and me before I went back to the hospital, ready for the toughest part of the day yet. I was wiped out and had little energy for the amount of focus I’d need and the emotion I’d face, but I had to push through for Radleigh. He needed me, and he was dreading this meeting.

  I sat beside Radleigh on his bed while we waited for James, and he held my hand so tight I thought he might snap my fingers.

  “Baby, this is going to be okay,” I told him, rubbing my thumb across his now white knuckles. He looked tired, and I knew he was still in a lot of pain. This was the last thing he needed, but knowing James wanted to take Harley - if not Jayden too - home, he wanted to get this over with quickly. Those kids had been through enough.

  “I haven’t seen him in years. I don’t know whether I should still be mad at him for what he did, or shake his hand for putting up with Jen for so long.”

  I laughed softly. His words reminded me of the way I’d felt about Jen. Part of me had wanted to slap her for the way she’d treated Radleigh in the past, but another part had wanted to thank her for letting him go so I could find him.

  “At this point, I think you just have to shrug off everything that happened and start again from here.”

  He nodded. “Yeah. I guess so.” Radleigh sighed, resting his head back on the pillow. “I’ve been thinking about this all afternoon, and… I can’t make any decisions without knowing how you feel.” His eyes fixed on mine. “Jayden’s my son. Now Jen isn’t around, he’s my responsibility. James might want to keep him but… he’s mine. Can we… how would you feel if he lived with us?”

  Something resembling hope flashed in his eyes, and I smiled. “I would love it. He’s a sweet kid, and I think he’d like it here.”

  “But… he’s Jen’s.”

  I shook my head. “He’s yours. Radleigh, when she first came back into our lives with this huge news, I hated her. I hated her for giving you something I didn’t. But I never hated Jayden. I never felt any resentment towards him because none of this is his fault. He’s a little boy. Your little boy. And if you want him to live with us, I have no problem with that. I want him too.”

  Radleigh squeezed my hand, his eyes shining with warmth. “Thank you, but if you need more time…”

  “I don’t.”

  “I’m gonna in be here for a while, Leah. That means you taking care of him and Jessica on your own. That’s a lot to ask.”

  “I’m not worried about that. The only thing that concerns me is if he’ll feel weird being around me since we only met once.”

  “Maybe he could stay with my parents for a while? He knows them better, and you could maybe just spend some time there with him until he knows you more.”

  I nodded thoughtfully. “That could work. Let’s just… wait and see what James says, okay?”

  As if on cue, the door to Radleigh’s room opened, and a tall, lean guy with shoulder length blond hair peered through, his face ashen, worry lines creasing around his eyes.

  I glanced at Radleigh and he stiffened for a second before blowing out a deep breath. “Hey.”

  James Winters stepped into the room, dressed in blue jeans and a slightly rumpled blue polo shirt. I guessed he’d pretty much got off the plane, rushed over to see the kids then made another dash to the hospital with barely a stop in between.

  “Hi,” he said, closing the door behind him.

  The tension in the room threatened to choke me, but I let go of Radleigh’s hand and stood up, taking a step towards James. “Hi. I’m Leah. It’s nice to meet you.”

  James nodded. “You too. Thanks again for everything you’ve done today. I appreciate it.”

  He was a good-looking guy, and the more I looked at him, the more I understood the appeal. I mean, he was no Radleigh, but he was definitely the kind of guy who would turn a woman’s head.

  “Not at all,” I said. I took another look back at Radleigh then shifted my focus to James again. “I think you guys have a lot to discuss, so I’m gonna give you some time. I’ll just be outside if you need me, okay?”

  James nodded his thanks, and I turned to Radleigh once more and mouthed, “I love you.” He smiled and also gave me a nod to let me know he was okay with me leaving for a while. As much as I wanted to support him, they needed to have at least part of their first conversation in years without me being there. Aside from recent events, they’d once had a friendship, and some way, they needed to find some common ground so they could sort out what would happen next.

  I went straight to the d
rinks machine to grab a large coffee before taking a seat outside Radleigh’s room to wait. Tiredness kicked in as soon as my ass hit the seat but I kept taking caffeine hits to keep me awake. Being so busy had been the only thing that had kept me from totally losing it at the horror of the last twenty-four hours. Around this time the night before, I’d been the happiest I’d ever been. Things with Radleigh were back on track, and I was having dinner with my girls, about to get ready for the greatest hen party ever. Within hours, that vision of the perfect night with my friends had gone up in smoke, and I’d almost lost the man I loved.

  Nope. Don’t do this now. Not here. Hold it together for a little longer. When you go home, then you can collapse. Just one more hurdle to get through.

  I waited for an hour, refilling myself with coffee until my blood began to vibrate in my veins, and trying to think about anything that would keep my mind off the horrifying truths of the past twenty-four hours. Eventually, James popped his head around the door and asked me to join them.

  I wasn’t sure what I’d walk into, but the atmosphere was substantially less thick, and Radleigh’s shoulders weren’t quite as hunched as they had been when I left, but he did look more tired. Dark circles were starting to appear under his eyes again, and I could tell he was struggling with the pain a little.

  James sat in the chair beside the bed, and I sat on the bed next to Radleigh. I placed a kiss on his forehead and took his hand.

  “Everything okay?” I asked.

  “Yeah,” Radleigh said. “We’re just trying to work out the best thing for Jayden. We thought you might be able to help with that.”

  I raised my eyebrows. “Well, tell me what you’re thinking and we’ll take it from there.”

  “I want to keep him,” James said, pushing a hand through his hair. He too looked tired and worn down from it all. “I know I have no legal right to do so. And I’ve always known he isn’t mine. But I’ve raised him as my own since the day he was born. Until a few weeks ago, he thought I was his father, and he still calls me daddy. He’s grown up knowing me, and then there’s Harley. The boys are so close. The idea of splitting them up…” he trailed off and shook his head, lowering his gaze to the floor.

  “I want him too,” Radleigh said. “I understand how you feel. And thank you for everything you’ve done for him, because who the hell knows how he would be if Jen was the only influence on his life. But I didn’t know he was mine. If I had, I’d have fought for the right to see him and then I wouldn’t be a stranger to him. I’ve been lucky enough to spend some time with him, and he knows me now. Not the way he knows you, but he does know I’m his dad. He has grandparents here, and a little sister. I think he should be with me and Leah.”

  James glanced up at him again. “Everything he knows is in New York.”

  “Everything? From what he’s told me, he’s never had much of a childhood. Not many friends, doesn’t go to a school.”

  “I gave him a childhood, Radleigh. Everything Jen didn’t do for him, I did. I took him to the park and taught him to play soccer. I took him to football games, and watched movies with him. He has grandparents in New York too. My parents. I was there when he took his first steps. Said his first word.” He shook his head. “The truth is, I know I can’t win here. Jayden is your son, and if you want him, there’s nothing I can do. I just need you to be real sure this is what you want. He’s been through enough. I don’t want his life screwed up anymore.”

  The love James had for Jayden was almost tangible. I could almost taste it on my tongue because it flooded from him in waves. He loved that little boy with all his heart, and as much as I understood Radleigh’s position, and wanted Jayden to live with us, my heart ached for James. He’d lost his wife, and was about to lose the child he’d always called his son.

  And I was supposed to help make this decision somehow?

  “So far,” I began, “you guys seem to be handling this pretty well. This doesn’t need to get ugly. All we need to do is work out what’s best for Jayden, and if we can do that without having to get lawyers too involved, all the better.”

  “What do you think is best?” Radleigh asked.

  For a moment, I stayed silent, trying to figure out my answer. I wished it was as easy as being able to choose one over the other, but it wasn’t. Both Radleigh and James had Jayden’s best interests in mind, and they both had valid points about where he’d be better off.

  “This might sound crazy,” I said. “But… why don’t you ask him what he wants? I know he’s only five, and maybe he’ll just pick whoever buys him the most toys and sweets, but he’s very bright for his age. Something tells me he’ll know what he wants.”

  “But… what if he chooses James?” Radleigh asked. “How would that even work?”

  “I guess we would have some kind of custody agreement drawn up that states that he lives with me during school time and with you during the holidays… maybe?” James suggested. “I don’t want to keep you away from him, Radleigh. You can visit whenever you want, or I can bring him here.”

  “What if he chooses Radleigh?” I asked. “If Jayden lived here with us, what would make it easier for you? What would you want in terms of seeing him?”

  Beside me, I felt Radleigh tense and I knew what he was thinking. Even though he understood James’s feelings, I knew a part of him wanted this to be it. If Jayden came to live with us, James would no longer be a part of his life. But cutting him out completely? It just wouldn’t be fair.

  James sighed. “I don’t know. I don’t know what I’m even allowed to ask for if it came to that. Like I said, I have no rights. But he is Harley’s brother, and regardless of anything else, I want them in each other’s lives.”

  I nodded. “Of course. But that’s not going to be easy with work for all of us, and school for Jayden. He’s so young. We can’t be dragging him back and forth across the country too often during school time. It’ll be too much for him.”

  “I could visit some weekends. We’d have to figure out how often, and maybe I could come and spend some time with him during school holidays too.”

  “You know what?” Radleigh said, and I turned to him. “Can we sleep on this? I’m tired, and I’m not sure we’re really getting anywhere right now.”

  “Sure.” James stood up as if he was ready to get the hell out of there. “I’ll bring Jayden in tomorrow so you can see him.”

  The tension had amped up somewhat during the conversation, and Radleigh was right, if we kept talking, we’d probably have ended up going round in circles. We all needed to get some rest.

  “Thanks.” Radleigh gave a small nod. James nodded back in response, and after giving me a small smile, he left the room.

  The second he’d gone, Radleigh and I both let out huge sighs, making us both laugh as the tension drifted away.

  “Are you okay?” I asked, placing my hand on his cheek as I turned and shuffled closer to him. “You should probably try and get some rest soon.”

  Radleigh placed his hand over mine, our fingers entwining. “You should too. You look beat.”

  I nodded. “I’m exhausted. But I’m not ready to leave you yet.

  Smiling, he said, “Come here, baby.”

  I kicked off my shoes then turned and put my feet up on the bed, carefully snuggling against him and resting my arm lightly across his chest as he put his arm around my shoulders. Right away, the tiredness fully kicked in, because lying in his arms was the only thing I’d wanted to do all day. The only thing I wanted to do for the rest of my life.

  “I know there’s a lot to talk about,” I said quietly, closing my eyes. “But right now, all I want to do is just be here with you.”

  Radleigh’s hand moved slowly up my arm then burrowed into my hair, winding strands gently around his fingers. “Me too.”

  There really was a lot to discuss. Things we should have tried to figure out before James came back and we had another attempt at working out what was best for Jayden. But I needed the silence.
We both needed it. The blur of the last twenty-four hours had my head spinning, and I wanted it to stop. To do that thing everyone always tells you to do. To take a moment to appreciate everything I had. It wasn’t like I ever took Radleigh for granted, but coming so close to losing him had made me realise a few things. First and foremost, how much I loved him. It’s one thing knowing you love someone, but in that haze of time when you don’t know if you’ll ever see them again, nothing makes sense anymore. The clocks stop, your heart ceases beating, and the fear? God. Nothing in the world could have prepared me. He meant everything to me.

  Everything.

  If things had been different, if he had left me for Jen, I wouldn’t have coped. No matter how strong I thought I was, Radleigh was so much a part of me that seeing him with someone else would have broken me. But never seeing him again at all?

  I didn’t understand how Freya survived Will’s death. At the time, I’d clung to Radleigh, so damn grateful to have him in my life, and wondering what I’d have done without him. But I could never have imagined the agonising ache that had gripped my heart when I tried to picture a life that didn’t have him in it.

  The other thing that had become clear was how lucky I was to have my family. I thought about how Bree had been dealt a crappy hand as far as families went, and I knew I hadn’t always appreciated mine, especially when I was younger. After telling my mum what had happened, she offered to fly over. Of course, I told her she didn’t need to, but the fact that she’d been willing to leave her cosy life in Cornwall to help me out meant a lot. She’d never been to L.A before. Never been farther than Spain a couple of times. Honestly, I knew she’d hate Los Angeles. Tourist attractions aside, she’d find it noisy and impersonal, but it was nice to know she would have pushed herself outside of her comfort zone for me. We’d had more than our fair share of differences over the years, and we weren’t as close as I’d always wanted us to be, but I knew she’d do anything for me, and I for her. This only proved it.