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I thought maybe we were becoming friends, although I’d never tell him that, but now I’m seriously wondering if that’s possible. The way he’s acting is taking me straight back to Elevator Sean, and friendship with that guy is a big, fat HELL TO THE NO.
Chapter 24
SEAN
I’m trying to take some deep breaths, but a fat ass elephant is sitting on my chest. Coming here was a mistake. I should have just stayed home. But no, the need to get out of the house and the possibility of being traded depleted my common sense. Now, I’m here, unwelcome, only to discover that Andie has a baby.
This just makes it so much worse. Not only have I dragged her into this mess, but there’s a child involved, and I don’t know how to make this better. I didn’t think Morgan and her lies could get worse, but this…I hate myself.
Andie should’ve never been wrapped up in this, let alone trying to keep her child safe and away from horrific tales being spun.
I know what this has done to my life with team management and my sponsors, but these were my choices. I spent time with Morgan and let her have a place in my life. Andie was just an innocent bystander, who I now know has a child and shouldn’t have to worry about fending off made-up stories about her love life.
I hear Andie talking, and I lift my head.
“Alright, booger. That wasn’t a very long nap.” She walks back into the room, holding a baby, her guard dog trailing behind.
She sits on the other end of the couch, avoiding eye contact while she lays the baby against her chest. I have no idea how old he is, but he still looks tiny to me. He lifts his head when he notices me, his inquisitive blue eyes staring. I give her a few seconds, but Andie continues to ignore me.
“Andie.” I try carefully, feeling like the biggest asshole in the entire world.
“If you say my name like that one more time, I will give Snipe the command, and he’ll show you to the door.”
“Say it like what?”
“Like…you’re disappointed in me.” She says it on an exhale, and I hear what sounds like hurt in her voice, which I don’t understand, but it makes me feel horrible.
My whole body shifts to face her and that ridiculous statement. “Andie, I feel like the biggest jerk in the entire universe. I’ve been walking around for weeks, knowing just being near me for a few minutes turned your life into a nightmare, and that was enough to make me want to crawl into a hole and pile the dirt on top. I couldn’t stand what people were saying and being unable to do anything about it or make any part of it better.”
Her son fists the sleeve of her shirt and rests his head on her shoulder.
“This…you having a child only makes it so much worse. You shouldn’t have had to deal with any of this, but you have a baby. What if someone follows you or they find out where you live and start parking outside your house like they do mine sometimes? What if they get pictures of you with him, and he becomes the new target? Andie…” I’m furious. My heart is pounding at the possibilities of how this could go.
I want to call Morgan and tell her this is done. Whatever she wants, however she wants to deface me, carry on. But not one more word about Andie. Not one more fucking word.
I run a hand over my face, trying to calm down. This whole situation needs to end.
“There’s nothing we can do about it,” she says softly. “He’s my first priority.” Her hand runs up his back and then down again.
“Andie, I’m so sorry.”
“Stop.” Her hand pushes toward me in a halting motion. “Don’t apologize. You didn’t do this.”
“But it was my selfish decisions and the fact that I let myself get so far removed from what matters and what’s really important that led to this happening. I was such a self-absorbed prick.”
She gives me a raised brow side-eye. “I’m not going to argue with that.” I sink down into the couch and stare at the ceiling. “Sean, all that may be true, but the reality is, your ex decided to sell a bunch of lies, not caring who she hurt in the process. You can’t own that. We just have to figure out how best to live through it and make it to the other side. That’s what we’ve been doing, and now that you know about Ax, it doesn’t change that.”
I turn my head toward her. “Ax?”
One side of her mouth turns upward. “Sean, meet Axel, my son. Ax, meet Sean, the mediocre football star your mommy is supposedly doing the dirty with.”
A second ago, I was about to lose my shit, and then this woman goes and says something like that, and I instantly want to laugh. I wonder how she does it–remains light and grounded despite her circumstances. I envy that and could use a little of that in my life. Rather than sitting around hyperventilating, I need to focus on what I can control and move forward.
I peek at her out of the corner of my eye. “Doing the dirty? What are you, still in high school?”
She shrugs. “Well, we’re not friends. The only thing that links us is the scandalous rumors about what we’re doing behind closed doors.”
“So you’re saying we’re non-friends with no benefits?” My lips tug upward, and it feels really good.
