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The next morning, it looked like my room had been ransacked. Clothes, books, and trophies were strewn all over the floor. Dresser drawers were tumbled over, and a glass lamp lay in pieces on the floor. My desk was broken in half and missing a leg. Everything, with the exception of my flat-screen and bed, was damaged beyond repair.
That morning, Nick pulled me aside and told me to get my shit together and then helped me clean up the mess. Since then, I’d only drunk myself into a stupor a handful of times. But I didn’t destroy any more shit, although I’d itched to do it.
“I haven’t destroyed anything since.”
“Thank the good Lord for small favors. I’m getting a little tired of having to make sure you stay on the straight and narrow,” he said.
“If I needed a life coach, I would ask.”
“Suit yourself, little buddy.” He forked a piece of black forest cake and turned to feed it to Kenzie.
I rolled my eyes at their sickeningly sweet display and glanced down at my untouched cake that I had no one to share with.
“You know, you could call her.”
I raised a brow at Nick, acting as though I had no idea what he was talking about.
“Come on, Axe. Don’t act like you don’t care about her.”
Thumbing the stem of my glass, I frowned in contemplation. “I don’t think she wants to talk to me.”
“Oh? Is it that bad?” he asked.
“Probably,” I said under my breath, thinking about some of the shit I said because I was trying to hold myself together. Because it felt like I’d taken a hammer to the chest.
“Maybe if you reached out to her, you could work through this.”
“I doubt it.”
He leaned in, laying a hand on my shoulder. “Sometimes it doesn’t hurt to set your pride aside and apologize.”
“Why do you think I need to apologize?”
“Because I know you, man. I know how you operate. You’ve never been serious about anyone. But with her, you looked like you would fight the world for her. Hell, you acted crazy jealous over anyone who approached her. Even before your so-called project began. And you’re scared; I get it. You like to be in control of your emotions. So, you cut ties with her because you felt like you were losing your sense of self.”
Was Nick also a relationship expert now? He was kind of spot on, and I didn’t know what to make of it. But he didn’t know the piece about her getting married—or potentially getting married. It was probably for the best if I left her alone and let her live her life. “There’s nothing to work out. It was just a fun project while it lasted.”
Nick swiped a hand over his face, snorting in disbelief. “Whatever. Stay in denial and see where that gets you.” He straightened his tie, smiling smugly. “As for me, I’m going to take my girl back to my room and celebrate. All night long.”
I shook my head, shoving my envy aside. What the fuck did Nick know anyway?
Later that night, I found myself walking through the hotel’s casino with a few of the guys I’d met at the draft. They talked me into hitting a club with them.Why the hell not?
We bypassed the club’s waiting line, and the bouncer let us in like we were celebrities. He even congratulated me on getting drafted. We were immediately led to the roped-off VIP section, with drinks in our hands and beautiful girls approaching our table like bees to honey.
This was what I needed. I sat back in the velvet wraparound booth with a gorgeous blonde on my left and a hot brunette on my right. Both had their phones out, taking selfies with me and chatting about shit I had zero interest in. The longer I sat, the more I wondered what the hell I was doing here. But I stubbornly shoved my conscience aside. I slammed back my drink and ordered another one.
I stared down at my drink, ignoring the girls beside me. “Axel.” I looked up to see a blonde, curvaceous woman standing in front of me in a skintight black dress. She wasn’t just a random at the club. She was my new boss. Actually, she was the daughter of the owner of my new team.
“Hey…” I squinted my eyes, trying to remember her name.
“It’s Diana.” She smiled wide.
“Yes,” I snapped my fingers in recognition. “Sorry, it’s been a long night.”
“I totally understand. Draft night can be crazy. Just wait until you arrive in New Orleans and see the hundreds more people you’ll meet from our organization.”
“Yeah. I can’t wait.” I took a long drink and smoothed out my dress shirt.
