Dropping The Ball: A New Year’s Billionaire Romance

by Weston Parker

  “I don’t care about being at the top. All I want is to be able to do what I love doing again,” I said, even though I’d contemplated calling this whole thing off again just this morning.

  It wasn’t because I didn’t want to be back. I really did. I just didn’t know if the risk was going to be worth the reward.

  My doctors had checked in with me again, and according to them, everything looked fine. Not that it hadn’t before and I’d collapsed at the ice rink anyway, but they assured me that there was nothing physical indicating an attack was imminent.

  It wasn’t an exact science, of course, but they’d drawn blood and done everything they could to make sure I was really ready. It was up to me now.

  True to the promises I’d made him, I’d spoken to Carter this morning about my doubts. His response had been just as perfect and unexpected as always.

  If you want me to take you away from here, just say the word. We can become beach bums on some remote island in Southeast Asia or go instruct kids learning how to ski on slopes somewhere. We’ll fall off the map and never come back.

  But then he’d rolled over me in bed, tucking my hair behind my ears and staring deep into my eyes. Just because you go back for this one show doesn’t mean you have to stay. If it’s too much, if you ever feel like it’s overwhelming you and you want out for good, we can go. Or stay right here and officially announce your retirement.

  My heart still melted at the memory of his words. Not just because they were exactly what I’d needed to hear but because I’d felt like I was staring right into his soul through the caramel windows of his eyes.

  He’d meant every word of it. If it came to it, I knew he’d run with me or stay right here in the city with me.

  All I’d been able to think about was how I’d never take him away from doing what he loved. His job, his life, was also right here in Manhattan.

  Besides, I might be nervous, but I wasn’t a runner. I’d stay and face my demons if that was what happened. Then I’d slay them and never look back.

  Carter had only been away from me for about an hour, but there was already an ache of missing him deep within my chest. It was always like that now when we were separated, even for the briefest period of time.

  I’d worry I was getting co-dependent, but I knew it wasn’t that. I was just in love with him. I knew I loved him. Hell, I’d fallen for him when I was fifteen years old—maybe even before then— and no other man had ever managed to get my heart back from him.

  I hadn’t told him yet. There had been a lot going on, and I wanted to tell him when it was just us. When we were relaxed at home and this show wasn’t looming over us anymore.

  Billy cut into my thoughts with the exact question that was on my mind. “Where’s Carter? I thought they’d be done with their walkthrough by now. I’ve thought about some new threats to add to the ‘you’re dating my little sister list.’”

  He made air quotes with his fingers, looking mighty smug for a guy who’d played a key role in getting us back together without any threats having been made. Carter had told me about what Billy said to him, and I’d been honest about how much it’d meant to me that he’d gotten my brother here in the first place.

  When we talked about the conversations we’d both had with my brother, we’d realized that he’d gone in the complete opposite direction of big brothers who found out their best friends were dating their little sisters. Fine, childhood best friends, but it still counted.

  Billy hadn’t been a dick who tried to keep us apart. If anything, he’d brought us back together. And we still had no clue what was really going on in his life.

  He was always evasive, giving us answers that didn’t really do anything but cause more questions. All we knew was that after our parents’ anniversary party next month, he was going on tour with some country-music star.

  Carter said he’d try to dig a little while Billy was here for the show. I shook my head at my brother now, remembering he’d asked a question. “I don’t know where he is. I’m sure he’ll be back just as soon as they’re done.”

  “I’m going to go look for him.” Mirth danced in Billy’s eyes when they met mine. “Don’t worry, Ry. These threats are good. He won’t ever hurt you. If he does, I’ll send the aliens to probe him.”

  He gave me an exaggerated wink before making his way to the door. Tani and I exchanged a look. I laughed and she rolled her eyes. “Who knows what goes through any man’s head, right?”

  “We know if they tell us,” I said, but she just rolled her eyes again and suggested we run through a few more songs.

  When we were done rehearsing for the last time, my performance was growing near and there was still no sign of Carter. Nerves bounced around in my stomach. He was a public figure now too, thanks to me and my brilliant plan of having him pose as my boyfriend.

  I fidgeted with my hands, running the pads of my index fingers over my thumbnails while I watched the door. Mom and Dad came up to me wearing matching frowns of concern.

  “Are you sure you’re okay, darling?” Dad asked. “You seem worried.”

  I turned away from the entrance, giving my parents my full attention. They deserved at least that from me. “I’m okay. It’s just that lovely sack of nerves bugging me. I know the doctors cleared me, but I can’t help but think about it, you know?”

  In the back of my mind, my last time onstage kept replaying itself over and over again. “What if my legs give out again? What am I going to do if I fall out there, on New Year’s Eve, with the entire country watching?”

  Strong arms enveloped me from behind, and Carter’s voice was right next to my ear. “I’ll be there to catch you. You’re going to be great, baby. This is your moment. Take it.”

  I pivoted to face him, my arms going around his neck as he pulled me closer. Our mouths met for a long, lingering kiss we probably shouldn’t have shared in front of my parents, but I couldn’t break away from him.

  He was right. It was my moment and I was going to take it. If I fell, I knew he would be there for me.

  Letting out a long breath once our kiss ended, I looked into those gorgeous eyes and smiled. “It’s time to show up and show off. Everything else be damned.”

  Chapter 35

  CARTER

  Almost a million people were barricaded into the pens lining the streets this evening. Large screens showing performances, interviews, and other entertainment were mounted everywhere. The roar of the crowd was constant, but the speakers managed to drown out even that in the immediate vicinity.

  I was situated near the edge of the stage, and the energy of the audience behind me was palpable. There was a certain magic in the air I couldn’t describe, but that might just have been me.

  In less than thirty minutes, Rylee was taking the stage in front of me and I couldn’t wait to see her do it. There were whispers about the surprise guest who would be performing on this stage soon, but no one had any real idea of what was about to happen.

  My hands were folded behind my back, the earpiece buzzing with reports from Bart and the rest of our team. Police officers checked everyone before letting them into the pens, running wands up and down their bodies, checking bags, and trying to mitigate the risk of trouble.

  At an event of this size though, there was only so much anyone could do. A potential threat could pop up anywhere, anytime.

  My eyes were peeled, my body on high alert. I didn’t expect the threat that made its appearance in the least, but it happened when Nathan walked onto the stage Rylee would soon be rocking.

  He shook hands with the host, waving at the crowd like he was a celebrity in his own right. My muscles tensed and my eyes narrowed when he was handed a microphone.

  Oh, fuck. Here we go.

  “Ladies and gentlemen, please help me to welcome to the stage the New York Times’s very own, Mr. Nathan Biles.” The host grinned at him. “Nathan, thank you for joining us.”

  “It’s a pleasure to be here, Phil.” The asshole fla
shed a smile that made an ooh travel through the pen closest to me. “I’m happy to be here to ring in the new year with you all.”

  “We’re happy to have you.” He tucked one hand into the pocket of his coat, twirling the microphone in the other. “You’ve written a series of articles recently concerning Broadway star Rylee Naples. She took the scene by storm a number of years ago and then suddenly disappeared. What inspired you to write about her after all this time?”

  “Well, Phil, just because she’s been gone for a while doesn’t mean she doesn’t still have fans out there.” He motioned toward the crowd, and a cheer with some catcalls ran through it. Winking at them, he waited for people to settle before continuing. “I’m a staunch believer that we deserve to know the truth and I didn’t believe that what her team was putting out there was true.”

  Phil nodded sagely. I didn’t know if he was humoring the asshole or if he truly believed him, but seeing that nod made a viper coil in my stomach.

  “You’ve recently reported that she was diagnosed with a critical illness. Multiple sclerosis, was it?”

  “That’s the one.” Nathan manufactured a somber expression that made me want to punch him twice as hard as I had before. “The girl was a rising star, loved by us all, but unfortunately, she was struck down right in a middle of a rise that could’ve been meteoric.”

  “So you believe she’s done? Has New York seen the last of Rylee Naples?” Phil’s tone was overly dramatic. “That would be a real shame.”

  Nathan bowed his head as he shook it. “It truly is a shame, Phil, but yes, I believe we’ve seen the last of her. She struggles daily with the symptoms of her illness. There are weeks where she can’t even get out of bed.”

  My blood boiled, but Nathan kept right on discussing things he knew nothing about and frankly were none of his business. “Sources have told me she spends more time in the hospital than out of it, although that might also be as a result of the abusive relationship she’s in.”

  Spots of fury flashed in my vision. Nathan paused when the crowd drew in a collective breath, nodding at them like he agreed. “It really is tragic, but I’ve been on the receiving end of her boyfriend’s wrath myself. It’s not pretty. I have no idea why a woman like her would stay with a man like that.”

  “It’s devastating,” Phil said. “She deserves so much better.”

  As if any woman—or man for that matter—deserves to be in an abusive relationship. My heart was pounding, my fingers curled so deeply into my palms that my short fingernails dug into my skin. It was all I could do not to jump onstage and put an end to this bullshit.

  Knowing it would only add fuel to the fire was the only thing that kept me rooted to my spot. Millions of people were watching this bullshit interview. Nathan kept talking about Rylee’s private life and illness like he owned them, lying through his motherfucking teeth, and there was nothing I could do about it right now.

  A murmur than through the audience, and suddenly I understood why. Rylee marched onto the stage with her chin up and her head held high.

  What the fuck is she doing?

  She was supposed to pop up from the floor when her performance began, yet there she was, already dressed and striding onto the stage like she belonged there. Phil let out an audible gasp when he spotted her and Nathan’s head jerked around as he tried to see what was causing the disturbance.

  An eerie smile spread across his face when he saw her. “Well, if it isn’t Ms. Naples in the flesh.”

  Phil pressed a finger to his ear, trying to be discreet while no doubt receiving instructions from his superiors about how to proceed. He gave an almost imperceptible nod before flashing Rylee the brightest smile I’d seen from him yet.

  “This is a surprise. Thank you for joining us, Rylee.” An assistant ran over to him, handing him another microphone before disappearing again.

  She took it, and my heart dropped. Fuck. Fuck. Fuck. What is she doing?

  Was she going to tell everyone she was done? She’d seemed ready for her performance when I’d left her just a few minutes ago, but now I wasn’t so sure.

  She looked magnificent up there, her eyes piercing even from a distance. The cameras zoomed in for a closeup of her face, and my heart changed direction from dropping to China, lodging itself in my throat instead.

  God, she’s beautiful. She hadn’t so much as said a word yet, but she was already captivating the attention of everyone in attendance. Her presence seemed to reach out and tap people on their shoulders, demanding their attention.

  As I stood there looking up at her with God only knew how many other people, I realized I was in love with her. I loved her so fucking much that every fiber of me belonged to her. I didn’t know when it’d happened, but it had. I’d fallen hook, line, and sinker for my childhood best friend’s little sister, for the stunning woman she’d become.

  There were so many facets to her. She was strong and brave but also vulnerable and uncertain. To the world, she was a celebrity, but to me, she was everything. I loved every part of her. Her playfulness, her confidence, and even the part that had pushed me away.

  I loved the sexy smirk she gave me at least a few times a day. I loved how she, like me, went after what she wanted and didn’t stop until she got it. But I also loved her softness. How she’d stayed with her feet planted firmly on the ground despite the fact that she was revered by so many.

  I’m going to marry that woman. I was going to ask her to be my wife and the mother of my children. It wouldn’t happen tonight but soon.

  For the first time in my life, I wondered about the business hours of jewelry stores. We would be here until at least midnight when the ball dropped, but was there somewhere I could buy a ring even after that?

  As these thoughts ripped through me, coming hard and fast and unrelenting, Rylee lifted the microphone to her mouth and everything went so quiet I’d have been able to hear a pin drop. Even my mind finally went still to hear what she had to say.

  No matter what, my heart was hers. As always though, she surprised me completely, and from the stunned looks on the faces of the people around me, she did the same to the crowd.

  “Thank you for letting me crash your party, Phil.” She smiled at the host before her chest expanded on a deep breath. “I was standing backstage, listening to Nathan sharing details of my life that he knows nothing about, and I just couldn’t let him carry on.”

  Nathan and Phil both opened their mouths, but Rylee ignored them and kept her attention on the audience. “Most of what Nathan has just said is completely untrue. For a man who claims to be after the truth, he sure doesn’t know how to tell it.”

  “Are you saying you don’t have MS?” he asked into his microphone, disbelief ringing clear in his voice.

  She hardly spared him a glance. “That’s why I said ‘most.’ The only thing that is true is that I have been diagnosed with MS.” Her voice was strong and confident, carrying over the crowd as she completely opened up to them. “As many of you know, two years ago, I took a fall on stage. The time that followed that fall was without a doubt some of the toughest months of my life.”

  Neither the host nor the asshole interrupted her. “I’m sure many of you that are here tonight or watching from wherever you are have been told news that rocked you to the very core of your being. Some of you might even have been given the same diagnosis as I was, or have been told that you have another one of the hundreds of other illnesses that won’t ever go away.”

  Heads all around us nodded, and Rylee’s lips formed a soft smile. “Those of you who haven’t heard the news yourselves have no doubt known people who have. Family. Friends. Colleagues. A lot of you will, unfortunately, be able to relate to what I’m about to tell you.”

  Silence reigned supreme in the area around us. Music from some of the other stages carried on in the distance, but here, everyone was waiting with bated breath to hear Rylee’s story.

  “When I fell, I didn’t know what was wrong but I knew it wasn
’t just nothing. My legs just completely gave away from underneath me. I might not have a medical degree, but even I knew stuff like that didn’t just happen to completely healthy twenty-four-year-old people.”

  She closed her eyes for a moment, inhaling another deep breath that she released slowly. “My parents came up from Texas and they were with me when the doctors told me what they’d learned from my tests. To be completely honest with you, I hadn’t even known MS was a real disease until that moment. I had no clue what it would mean for me or what to expect. I was terrified, confused, even angry at times.”

  There was more nodding in the crowd. Some people were even starting to tear up. “My manager, who is also a very dear friend of mine and who was an absolute rock to me during that time, told everyone I was taking a break. At the time, that really was all it was. I was taking a break because I was trying to learn to how to keep living with an illness like that hanging over me every second of every day. He kept my diagnosis private because that’s exactly what it is.”

  She cut a glance at Nathan, who was becoming paler and paler. “I was always going to share it with you all when I was ready, but in the end, Mr. Biles wasn’t willing to wait for me to find my own words. The truth is that I still don’t really know what to say. It’s been two years, but I don’t know much more now about what the future holds for me than I did then.”

  “I’m still scared,” she confessed. “I just had another attack a couple of weeks ago. I was ice-skating with my amazing, supportive boyfriend when suddenly my legs failed me again. It could happen at any moment, even while I’m standing here. It’s difficult to make plans when you don’t know if your body is going to turn on you from one moment to the next. Luckily, Carter was there to catch me and I know now that he always will be.”