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"Yes, Maddox. It happened because we were in New York, and you were devastated when you saw her with someone else. Do you remember that?" I didn't respond because the past didn't matter. I didn't care who that guy was because she was mine now. "You wanted to go out and get trashed and destroy what you'd worked so hard to fix, but instead, you stayed in with me, and we had an amazing night." She twisted in her chair to face me.
"It never should have happened."
"Maybe not, but it did, and the reason was because of her, which proves my point. She is bad for you. You make bad decisions when it comes to her."
"I don't care."
"A friend showed me your new TikTok videos." Her jaw flexed, and I rolled my eyes. "The videos you didn't get approved by me." I wanted to tell her to go to hell, but technically, it was in our contract that I got approval from her. When I'd fallen off the deep end, making bad decision after bad decision, Casey was going to drop me, and at that time, I needed her. The only way I could keep her was to agree to her terms. I didn't need that anymore because my career had taken off, and I would have no issue replacing Casey if I needed to. "The ones of you and Addison basically fucking each other with your clothes on." She was being dramatic. We were learning the newest trendy TikTok dance, and we let our fans see our bloopers. Were some of them intimate? Yes, but they were real. They were us.
"I think it's time for a new contract. I don't need you in the same way I did."
"That's bullshit, Maddox." She pushed out of her chair. "You're making the same stupid mistakes you did back then, but now you're going to sink her career with yours." Cocking her hip to the side, she crossed her arms over her chest. "She's going to lose her creditability as a journalist." Her tongue swept out, wetting her lips. "I hate to say it, but it makes her look like she sleeps her way to the top."
"That's why we are making our relationship public tonight." I sank back into my chair.
"And you think that's going to make it better? You think then the media won't have a field day the next time you leave her panties on the floor at an event?"
I tried to fight the smile pulling at my lips as the memories of her bent over that table surface and failed. "I don't care about the media. In fact, I don't think this is working."
"Are you going to fire me?"
"No." I frowned. "But we need to make some changes. First, the contract changes." Back then, I wasn't bringing in the money like I am now, and she couldn't afford to lose me. "And I need to be careful not to put myself in a situation that would make Addison question my loyalty to her, and if she does, then I will have to let you go."
"We were friends long before we ever slept together."
"I can live without you, Cas. But I can't live without her."
"Maddox, she will be the reason your career ends."
"Casey, I don't think you understand." I leaned forward in my chair. "I would give up football for her. If I had to choose, I would always choose her."
She dropped her arms. "You're serious, aren't you?" I nodded. "I just don't want to see you get hurt."
"It's a risk I'm willing to take."
"Okay," she said on a heavy exhale. "I get it."
"Oh, and if I find out, you threaten Addison with ruining my career again," I said dryly. "I won't just fire you. I'll ruin you. You'll never work in this industry again."
"I know you don't believe me, but I really am just trying to protect you. It's part of the job." I did know that. It made things complicated because we'd been intimate, and truthfully, it might still come down to me having to choose between Casey and Addison, and everyone knew who I'd choose.
"Am I interrupting something?" Addison said behind me.
EIGHTY-ONE
ADDISON
I trusted Maddox. There was no way he worked this hard for us to throw everything away for her, but it didn't change the fact that I felt a strange mixture of uneasiness and jealousy coil deep in my gut seeing Maddox and Casey together, alone.
I had to get past this feeling because she worked for Maddox, and they would be alone in the future, especially once I had to go back to New York or when he traveled for games, and I couldn't tag along.
"Casey was just leaving." Maddox pushed to his feet from the patio chair.
"Actually." Casey crossed her arms over her chest and tilted her head. "I was hoping to talk to Addison for a minute."
Maddox's questioning gaze flashed to me. If I was ever going to be able to move past this, then we needed to have a conversation, and I was also curious about what she had to say since our last discussion alone didn't go well.
"I'll be inside in a minute," I smiled.
