But he pulls me in against his chest, and the steady thump of his heartbeat is somehow soothing and familiar. His strong arms feel normal, safe. Even though he’s holding me somewhat stiffly, it feels good to just be held.
He lets me go and I step back. Feeling bold, I rise up on my toes and kiss the scruff of his cheek. That pink colour comes back, and I hide my smile.
“See you later, babe,” I say loudly, biting back a giggle at the slow blink he gives me. I open the back door of my car and set my bags inside, and when I turn back around, he’s already at his own car.
One fake date down, four more weeks of fake dates to go.
Chapter eight
Maverick
“She’s meant to be your girlfriend. You can’t act like a fucking robot.”
Colin continues pacing in front of me while I sip coffee on my couch, trying to tune him out and failing. I know he’s right, I was too stiff yesterday, too caught up in my own fucking head.
I wasn’t ready for her to climb out of that car looking like a fucking pinup girl. Gone were the frumpy clothes that hid everything. Hell, she didn’t even have those glasses on. Instead, it was curves for days, held in by a tiny pair of jean shorts and a tank top that showed a hell of a lot more skin than I was expecting to see.
I’m not blind. I thought Sadie was pretty the second I saw her in the stairwell at the hospital. But I also dismissed that notion really fucking fast. I don’t do relationships, and she’s not the kind of woman to hook up with a guy like me one night and be done with it. She’s the kind of woman that wants to get to know a guy, have feelings and shit. And that will never be me.
So I overcompensated. I tamped down the wave of goddamn lust I felt when I saw her and put a wall between us to make sure she didn’t realize how I was affected.
Apparently, that wall was noticeable to everyone but her.
“Okay, I get it,” I grumble, draining the rest of my coffee from the cup. “What do we have to do next?”
Colin drops down into the chair across from me and fixes me with a hard stare. “Another date. This time, you gotta play it up more. I’m not saying sleep with her…” He drops his head in his hands, shaking it from side to side. “In fact, please, for the love of God, don’t sleep with her. But you need to make everyone else think you’re intimate with her. We need you smiling, hugging, looking like you actually want to be around her.”
I heave a sigh and let my head fall back against the couch. “This is bullshit. Serious fucking bullshit. I don’t understand why me appearing to date some do-gooder is gonna be the key to making everyone believe I’m not just an asshole who gets in fights.”
“And crashes cars in street races,” Colin adds wryly. “Don’t forget that.”
I sit up and glare at him. “As if I could.”
My phone vibrates on the table between us. We both see the name, and I’m not fast enough to grab it before he does.
“What the hell does he want now?” Colin growls, opening the text from Eli.
“Don’t fucking read my messages, asshole,” I say, moving swiftly to try and take it from him. But even though I’m the pro athlete, not him, he moves fast enough to dodge me.
“For fuck’s sake, Mav. How often does he text you asking for money?” Colin’s voice is dripping with rage. “Tell me you don’t still give it to him. You know what he wants it for.”
I grind my teeth together, refusing to answer.
“Holy shit, you do.” Colin tosses my phone down on the couch. “This is why you’re stuck. This is why everyone thinks you’re an asshole. Because you refuse to believe you can be anything more. Because he’s got you trapped, thinking all of his shit is your fault and it’s fucking not. You’re enabling his habits, Mav. You’re not helping him, you’re making it worse.”
“Enough!” I roar, my fists tight at my sides. The pain in my shoulder is welcome, fueling my anger. This isn’t the first time we’ve had this fight and it won’t be the last. “I’m doing what you asked. I’m pretending to date Sadie. I’m staying out of trouble. Now you go do your fucking job and make sure my career is safe.”
We stare at each other for a long minute. He breaks first, shaking his head at me one more time. “Fine. I’ll email the two of you details for tonight. Make it believable, brother.”
I give him a brusque nod, staying where I stand until my door closes behind him. Only then do I exhale sharply. I know heisdoing his job. Just as I know there’s no one else I’d trust to have my back. Butfuck.
Swiping my phone off the couch, I open the message from Eli. Sure enough, he’s asking for money. Never mind that he still hasn’t checked to see if I’m okay after the fucking car crash that I got in because of him.
I drop the phone back down and head to the bathroom instead, turning on the shower as hot as it can go. I’m due at thestadium for a physical therapy session in just over an hour, and I know Lark, the trainer who’s working on my rehab, isn’t going to take it easy on me. Not with my return to the field hinging on how the next couple of weeks go.
And I need to get back on the field.
Which means I need to make sure my future with the Tridents is safe. If making the world think I’m dating Sadie is the key to that, then I’ll do whatever it fucking takes. Colin wants it to be believable? I’ll show him.
