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“Again? Wyatt, I never stopped loving you. I was just pissed.”
“I know, but it still killed me.” I hug her a little closer. I’ll be thanking God every night for the rest of my life for bringing this woman back to me. “We’re fairly certain I’ll be back on the field for opening day, but only time will tell.”
“He’s in good hands. Jesse’s the best orthopedic doctor in the country and his uncle. I'm fairly certain Wyatt’s mom would never let him live it down if Wyatt didn’t recover quickly.”
“I think Charlie has more to do with my recovery than Jesse does. But I know without the two of them, I wouldn’t be seeing the light at the end of the tunnel though.”
“So, what’s going on with Stubbs?” She smirks, hoping I’ll give her even a few crumbs of information.
Owen already warned us about this. He’s asked we don’t say a word concerning Stubbs to anyone in the media. He’s been pushing to get more money out of Owen and I think it’s going to become a legal battle. Either way, it’s not something I want to be a part of.
“Yeah, we’re not discussing that.” Charlie waves off her question. “Nice try, but this interview is focused on Wyatt’s injury and our relationship.”
“I totally understand. I know my boss will be up my ass when he finds out about this interview. He’ll want to know if I asked and I wanted to make sure I at least tried. Honestly, I can't stand Stubbs, so I'm happy to keep him out of this article.”
“Really? Why don’t you like him?” I ask slowly. I'm hoping he didn’t try anything with Liliana. Not only is she really sweet, but she’s Smithy’s best friend. If he finds out Stubbs tried something, he’ll go crazy.
“He just seems like a sleazeball. I’ve gone out with Smithy a few times and Stubbs was always there. He’d wait until Smithy went to get drinks for us, then he’d try to hit on me. I don’t know, he just always made me uncomfortable. I have a feeling he’s used his fameto get women’s attention and hoped that was enough to get them into bed. Sadly, I’ve spent way too much time around professional athletes and I couldn’t care less about them.”
“Off the record…” Charlie meets Liliana’s gaze and when she nods.
Liliana quickly turns off the recording device and places it back on the table so we can see it. I love how she isn't trying to hide anything and seems to be a great person.
Charlie continues, “Stubbs started a lot of drama in the clubhouse after I joined the Pit Bulls. He wasn’t happy that I didn’t pay attention to him. He didn’t understand that not only am I not impressed by his status, but I was already in love with another player. Why would I be impressed by a professional athlete when I grew up with three guys from the team? They’re just people to me.”
“I know Smithy is a player… both on the field and off of it. I hate it and I wish he weren’t like that, but there’s nothing I can do about it.” Liliana presses her lips into a tight line and shrugs.
I'm fairly certain she has feelings beyond friendship for him, but she’s not going to admit that to me. She’s going to keep that close to her heart.
“He’s a good guy,” Charlie says softly. “Sure, he flirts with every woman, but I think it’s a defense mechanism. Deep down, I think he wants a woman he can settle down with and find his happily ever after.”
“Maybe.” Liliana sighs and shakes her head. “I just hate seeing him get used by all of these women. He doesn’t realize they only want him because of his fame and money. I wish he could see that. Then maybe he’d be looking for someone who actually cares about him.”
“Like you?” Charlie gives her a knowing look and Liliana’s cheeks instantly turn cherry red.
“What? No!” She shakes her head, looking more than flustered.
“Hey, we’re not going to say a word to him,” I say, trying to calm some of her nerves. “I think it might be a good idea to let him know though. What if he’s always wanted you as more than friends too?”
“No, he wouldn’t like someone like me. He always goes after those model types.” She waves us off and turns back to her notebook. “So, what are your plans for the future?” She turns the topic away from her and we don’t try to stop her.
She needs to want things to change between her and Smithy badly enough to make a move, until then, she’ll be standing on the sidelines watching a game she won't let herself participate in.
Chapter 32
Charlie
Two weeks later
Over the past few weeks, Wyatt’s been working so hard to get back to where he needs to be to get back on the field when the season starts. Jesse’s been commenting on how well he’s doing and he didn’t expect this quick of a recovery. He still has some work to do, but he’ll be able to play on opening day and that’s what matters.
“Are you ready for tomorrow?” I glance over my shoulder and smile at Wyatt. He’s just stepping out of the shower and he’s looking more than delicious right now.
“I'm scared, but I'm ready,” he admits.
“What are you scared about?” I place my brush back on the counter and close the distance between us. I wrap my arms around his neck and stare into his gorgeous eyes.
“What if my knee can't handle the strain of squatting for the entire game? What if I get hit again and tear the ligament completely? There are just so many things thatcan go wrong.”
