“Yo, you just got really pale,” Jake comments, snapping his fingers in front of my face. “Did I say something that spooked you?”
I collapse on the closest surface, a chair by the window, and groan. “I don’t know. Maybe all of what you said spooked me. I don’t know what I want, and the only thing I know about her is that she wants to keep her job. There are so many what-ifs in this scenario. What if I get traded? What if she loses her job? What if we try something, realize we aren’t compatible, and I still have to seeher all the time? What if one of us wants more and the other doesn’t? That’ll make work absolutely miserable. What if she starts getting to know me and realizes I’m not worth the trouble?”
Jake stares at me, mouth agape. “I didn’t think you’d actually answer me. Dude, all I wanted to do was hold a guinea pig. I’m not smart enough to answer any of this.”
I chuckle bitterly. “Neither am I.”
He shoves the guinea pig into my hands before pulling out his phone. “What are you doing?”
“Calling in reinforcements.” I watch as Jake furiously types on his phone, but I don’t receive any new texts. He glances up, giving me a cheeky grin. “You know we have a group chat without you, right?”
“I guess I didn’t,” I say, chuckling with a shake of my head. Do I want help? How many people will know about this? What if it gets back to the team? I quietly put Marilyn — or is it Muriel — back in the cage, then frown. It’s a small setup. I’m not entirely sure what is considered normal for multiple guinea pigs, but it has to be bigger than this. Layla’s apartment was small, and from other comments about finances, I assume she’d buy something bigger if she had the opportunity. I make a mental note to contact Jamie for recommendations. I’m sure he and Audrey can give me all the best tidbits for successfully raising guinea pigs.
And that’s when I realize I’m again making plans based on Layla not moving out.
Maybe Idoneed help from the guys.
“Alright,” Jake says, slapping a hand on the island. “Dante, Jackson, and Ryder are heading over. Hernandez said to tell you to buy her things. In all honesty, he sent a voice memo, and it sounded like he said you should buy hertinks, but I’m assuming he meant things. Delgado said she won’t move out if you make her come a lot, and honestly, he’s probably not wrong.”
“As great as that help is, I’d prefer a woman who actually wants to be with me forme, not just for sex,” I snap, irritation clear in my voice. It’s bad enough that professional athletes are constantlyfaced with women in it for the wrong reasons, and now I’ve got guys telling me to lean into that? Hell no.
“Yeah, I couldn’t do that either. I don’t want to be used for my body. Use me for my bank account, like everyone else,” Jake replies. Hearing the snark in his tone, I study him. I hate that he’s already this jaded after only a couple of years in the majors. It happens to everyone, no matter how we start in professional sports. Trial by fire.
“Are the guys coming here?” I ask.
“I said we’d meet them downstairs in my apartment. Just in case Layla comes back here. I’ve never seen her leave work during the day, but I know she drove in from somewhere. Being this close to home may be too much of an impulse to resist,” Jake explains.
“Shit. I never thought of that. We need to go. I don’t want to explain you being here if she shows up —” I’m interrupted when the object of my fantasies opens the door, a big smile on her gorgeous face. But as soon as her eyes catch Jake in her periphery, that smile fades drastically.
Fuck.
I hadno intention of going back to Max’s apartment, but I couldn’t resist. I wanted to check on my girls, see if the fresh groceries Max ordered ever got delivered, and I really want to take a bath in the massive soaking tub in the guest bathroom. Honestly, if the guest bathroom is this nice, what does his bathroom look like? It must be sheer heaven.
While I didn’t necessarily expect Max to be home, my heart skipped a beat when I saw him as soon as I opened the door. And then I saw Jake.
“Oh, shit,” I blurt out, panic clawing at my throat. “Uh, so yeah. Um, Max gave me a key to clean out his fridge, and —”
“He knows, Lay. You don’t have to lie.” Max’s gaze doesn’t leave mine, his eyes imploring me to hear him. “He saw you leave this morning. Asked if I knew what was going on, and I’ve already told you I’m a really crappy liar.”
Jake sidles next to Max, slinging an arm over Max’s shoulder. Even with the tall ceilings, these guys are so insanely tall. And, like every athlete I’ve ever met, they exude a confident energy. The air around them almost pulsates with power. “I’m sorry if I overstepped, Layla. I honestly assumed it was something else betweenthe two of you, but Max set me straight about someone breaking into your apartment. How are you doing?”
My eyes bounce between the two men. What does he mean about Max setting him straight? And why am I sad about that? “I’m okay, I guess. Not really anything I can do about it now. I’m just glad Max had a spare room for me to crash in until I can figure out my plans.”
“You can stay as long as you want,” Max says calmly.
Jake nods. “And if he gets on your nerves too much, you can come to my apartment. It’s probably only half the size, but I’ve got a spare bedroom. Honestly, a handful of guys live in this building. We can pass you around.”
My eyes widen as he finishes, and as I inhale rapidly, I accidentally choke on some saliva, coughing harshly. “Uh, no, thank you, I don’t want to be passed around by the team.”
Jake gasps, and Max throws his head back in laughter. “Fuck! That’s not what I meant! Just in the bedroom!”
Max bends down, pressing his hands into his knees. “Dude, you’re making it worse.”
Jake’s face reddens as he stutters, trying to backpedal. “N — no, I mean you can use us for our bedrooms. Shit, that sounded just as b — bad. Dammit! Do you have any idea what I’m trying to say here?”
“I really hope you’re saying I can stay in guest bedrooms if I have to leave Max’s apartment before I’m ready to move back to my own place,” I say hurriedly. “Can we move on and act like this conversation never happened? I’m only here to check on the piggies and give them some food. Did the groceries get here?”
Max clears his throat, wiping his eyes after laughing so hard. “Yeah. I put everything away and gave the girls a treat. They really like carrots.”
