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I cut her off, needing to know what she told him before I go find this fucking asshole and tell him how this will be. “Andie, what did you tell him?”
She pushes her lips to the side, her eyes drifting away from me, and it’s only then that I feel slightly better, knowing she let him have it.
“I told him you and I don’t care what other people think. I said if he has an issue, to take it up with you.”
I rest my hands on my hips and let out a long breath, trying really hard to keep from smiling. “Is that all?”
Her cute face scrunches up. “Why are you smiling? This isn’t funny.”
“Actually, it is. You told him exactly what I would have, but you were nicer. I don’t care if they trade me. I’m so sorry you had to deal with all of this.”
“Seriously, you aren’t mad? I didn’t make it clear that Ax isn't yours and…I know this only makes it harder for you. What if he uses this against you?”
I grab her hand, and I don’t even care. She doesn’t pull away. “Andie, you’re right. It’s our lives. It’s my job, but it won’t be my entire life. Doug is going to hate to hear that.”
Her eyes drop to the ground. “I told him I didn’t work for him and that even if I liked him, I wouldn’t do it.”
“Is that all now? Does he have a black eye?”
“I definitely thought about kneeing him in the balls, but I thought I’d let Gem have the satisfaction. She is turning eighty soon. It’ll be my gift.”
I laugh, and it feels so good even though I should be worried about what’s coming. I can’t believe Doug would do this or think I’m the kind of man who would hide a child, one he thinks is mine.
She pulls her hand back and sticks it in her pocket, my momentary joy turning sour. “Look, I should’ve probably been a little gentler in responding. I don’t want to go another round with all of this, and Ax can’t be involved. This all needs to stop.” She shakes her head. “I won’t hide Ax, but after we welcome everyone, I’ll keep to myself.”
“Andie–”
She holds up her hand to stop me. “This is your job, and a lot of people are counting on you. Your team, your fans, all these kids who now believe they can be you one day. What Doug is suggesting isn’t right, but what you do matters to all these people.”
A growing sense of doom fills my empty space inside, and my heart rate picks up speed as my palms start to sweat.
“Andie, I don’t want this organization or anyone else to tell me how to live my life. I did that, and look where it got me. In the tabloids because I trusted someone I shouldn’t have. I’m tied to an organization that doesn’t trust or value me for anything other than what I can do on the field. Evidently, even that doesn’t matter anymore.”
I hang my head, needing to calm the blood racing through my body with the fear of her walking away from me. “It shouldn’t be like this. I can’t go back to pretending nothing mattered. Iwas numb and lost and wrapped up in bullshit. I let everything important just fall away, and now…”I’m going to lose my closest friend.
She tips her head to the side. “Let’s just get through today without new targets being painted on our backs. Hopefully, the damage is minimal, and you can figure out what’s really going on, and I won’t be a factor.”
How did things turn so quickly? I rub my temples, trying to figure out how to tell her that won’t work.
“There you guys are.” Jonesy interrupts from the stage. “Miranda is on the hunt. We’ve got to start now.”
“Ok,” Andie says and then turns back to me. “Let’s do this, and then you have time to figure things out. This will be over.”
“I don’t want this to be over.” That damn elephant is squatting on my chest again, and the last thing I want to do is stand on this stage and pretend everything is fine.
Andie grabs my hand. “Don’t let those bastards ruin one more thing. Just give it all a little time. Things will work themselves out.”
I want to believe her, but besides football, that’s not how my life works. It’s probably why I let myself get lost in the first place.
______
The drum sets the beat of the next song, mimicking the pounding in my head. The crowd before me is singing and dancing, while it’s all I can do to keep myself planted here instead of finding Doug and getting myself into a hell of a lot more trouble than I’m already in.
“Not only is she a smoke show, but I could handle listening to her sing me to sleep every night.” Mark slides up next to me, Shane with him.
“Not right now, Mark,” I warn.
“What’s with the scowl and bad attitude?” Shane grumbles quietly, although, with the music, I’m certain no one can hear him.
