Yeah, the words stung, but he was right to yell at me.
I put myself before this team, and he doesn’t know me well enough to believe that was an anomaly. I will work, and even though I missed a week and a half of team bonding, I’ll make up for it.
Dax tilts his head so he can look at me. “Yeeeah,” he says slowly, gauging my reaction, no doubt. “That wasn’t great. Iguess Reese didn’t tell you that Coach Masters can get a little... unnecessarily personal.”
I take a little longer to pair my socks, my jaw clenching just a little. Yeah, he did say some things he can't take back, but I'm not here to be best friends with Coach. I'm here to prove that I can lead this team to some kind of victory, and that's what I'm going to do.
“I'm waiting for the realtor to get back to me,” I say as a way to get off the topic of Coach. “And for the record, I don't just have that money lying around. It's mostly tied up for the next four years.” I pair a few more socks before stuffing them into the drawer. “And some of that isn’t guaranteed because it’s related to performance bonuses.”
“Yeah,” he drawls. “But you did get a signing bonus.” He points at me. “And don't you dare tell me you didn't, because I got one, and I was second-round pick. In fact, I think the only reason I even got drafted with the Raptors is because you mentioned you liked me.”
“You’re right on both parts.”
Not that I’d ever admit it to them, but having Reese and Dax here has made the transition across the country easier. Especially since I have no idea where Honey is going to be after the end of the week.
My lips quirk just thinking about her.
This.
This is what she does to me without even realizing. She makes my day so fucking better just by thinking about her.
“Is that why you chose to live in my guest room instead of Reese's?” He holds his hand to his chest. “Because you love me?”
“If I loved you, you'd know. I'm not exactly subtle.”
He barks out a laugh. “You're right about that. You’re about as subtle as a billboard when it comes to Honey.” The thought makes him pause, and his eyes start to scan the area as thoughhe's coming to some realization. “Wait, are you not settling because you want to pick out a place with Honey?”
I don't answer immediately, which is its own answer.
Another self-satisfied laugh. “Zach.”
“She's going to move in. Eventually.”
“Eventually? Dude, I love you like a brother, so I'm going to be honest. You chased her for literalyears,then the second she gave in, you left her stranded on a cruise.”
“That's not how it went down, and you know it.”
He doesn't know I left her engagement ring with her, or that I've proposed more times than I can count, but those details don't change the outcome.
“Have you spoken to her?” he asks a little more thoughtfully.
“Just a couple of texts,” I say casually, even though it’s killing me inside.
It’s only been three days, but giving her space is so fucking hard.
“She'll come around. Everyone knows your endgame.”
“Yeah,” I mutter, not sure if I believe it anymore.
“But, since we're on the fact that your dick won't get hard for anyone else except Hunniford Sanderson, I've got a question for you.”
“What?”
“That photoshoot you're doing in a week,” he says, scratching the back of his head. “That's with that golfer, Whit Marlow, right?”
The way he says her name piques my interest. I glance over at him. “Yeah? Why?”
He offers me a sly smile. “Cool. Cool.”
