AllFreeNovel
Share Us
I close my eyes for a second, silently praying I wasn’t a complete fool for sharing my son’s name with this man who may not be what I thought.
Me: Did you know it was coming out? It was just released this morning.
Pike: I knew something was coming out.
Me: Okay…and?
Pike: I’m not very happy about it, because I didn’t get to talk to you first.
I stare at my phone’s screen, noting that he’s not denying anything that was mentioned in the article. Tears well in my eyes as I realize that what the article mentioned is true.
Pike: I really don’t want to do this over text.
Me: I really don’t want to do it at all, but here we are. Is it true that you and your teammate bet on who could seduce women faster?
I can tell he’s texting me back when the three dots appear on my phone screen. I hold my breath as I wait for his response, for him to defend himself, or at least explain that the article was overembellishing their bet. The dots disappear, then reappear a few seconds later.
Pike: It’s not exactly like that, but there is a grain of truth to it, yes.
I didn’t get my greatest wish—that it was completely false—but I’d settle for knowing this was something he did when he first got to Vegas, and that he stopped before meeting me. I swallow hard and type out the question that might as well ask if I’m a complete and utter idiot.
Me: Am I one of those women? Was I part of a bet?
Pike: I’m flying home tomorrow. Can we talk about this then? I swear I planned to talk to you about it when you came by the other day, but you had to go, and then you couldn’t talk that night.
Me: I have to know. Did you and your teammate make any bets involving me? Or any other women since you met me?
Pike: I won’t lie to you. Yes. But I never really cared about the bet. I want to be with you, and that has nothing to do with some ridiculous bet.
I hurt. It’s not just my heart that is breaking, either. I feel a physical ache after his admission. Once again, I was the fool. I’m so disappointed in myself. I was nothing more than a pawn in a game, and I might never have known if Rue hadn’t told me.
What more is there to say? I power down my phone, set it on the nightstand, and cry into my pillow until I’m too tired to cry anymore.
Chapter Twenty-Two
Pike
* * *
“What the hell is wrong with you?” Kylie demands, setting her fork down and scowling at me.
We’re having breakfast together in the hospital cafeteria, and she just listened to me explain the entire situation regarding Indie and the bet. Her reaction is about what I expected.
“Look, I know. I’m a complete asshole,” I admit, getting more and more agitated each time I play things through my mind. “It was a dick move.”
“It was, but you could have manned up and given her the truth as soon as you started to have feelings for her.”
“I thought she’d tell me to fuck off.”
She takes another bite of her vegetable omelet, muttering, “You would have deserved it.”
“Yeah, I know. But I have to figure out how we can move past this. I’m crazy about her.”
“It’s not only up to you to decide whether or not you guys move past it,” Kylie says. “She might not want to.”
I hang my head, knowing she’s right.
“I fucked up,” I say, shaking my head. “It was a stupid thing to do and I regret it. But the thing is, I was a different man when I first met Indie. I spent my time either playing hockey or partying. I didn’t want a relationship. Just the thought made me want to go fuck a woman whose name I didn’t even know.”
Kylie narrows her eyes. “Real classy, Pike.”
“Look, this is me and you. We’re always honest with each other.”
She looks reluctant, but nods. “You’re right. And I’m probably still a little on edge from everything going on with Jasmine, so…continue.”
“I haven’t even wanted to look at another woman since I met Indie. Even when I only got to see her at the coffee shop she used to work at, it was the best part of my day. She actually told me just recently that she has a son. I think she thought it would send me running for the hills, but it doesn’t scare me at all. I can’t wait to meet him…if I get to meet him at all now.”
Kylie’s expression softens and she gives me a small smile. “I’ve never heard you talk about a woman this way.”
“I’ve never felt this way. If I just look at her, I feel…feelings.”
