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CHAPTER 12
MADDIE
Maddie
Two months later…
Every time I thought I heard the roar of a motorcycle driving by, my eyes immediately looked out the front picture window at Magpie. Heart pounding. And every time, it sank.
Because my Mr. Tall, Dark, and NOT an Asshole was nowhere to be seen.
But once a week, a cupcake arrived from the local bakery down the street where Owen bought Reid her Death By Chocolate muffins.
The simple card inside had one hand written sentence each time.
For my Ember…
7
Sebastian’s number.
My new job helping Kylie with herfoundation, though, kept me busy during the day. When there was a lull at Magpie, I sorted through emails and set up appointments.
It was, for all intents and purposes, my dream life.
Late at night, though, he was there. A phantom lover, the one person who made me forget that anyone had the right to ever make me feel small again.
I missed him. His eyes. His touch. Watching him cook for me in his dimly lit kitchen.
Knowing he was so close, yet so far away.
My fault. The sleepless nights. I decided on the rules.
One night only.
“Kylie just left me a message, and she wants to know if we can go to the opening game to meet with the new owners. I told her I wasn’t sure I could make it, but maybe you’d like to?” She let out a sigh and plopped down on the small sofa and stared up at the chandelier. “Owen has ‘plans’ for us,” her eyes twinkled, “but I think a huge part of it is that he hates the thought of watching his brother play. It’s so ridiculous. I can’t imagine not talking to Kylie. Ugh. men!”
My heart pounded in my chest, an unsteady staccato echoing in my ears so loudly I was sure Reid had to hear it. “The season opener?”
“Maybe I can talk him into picking me up after. I’m sure I can entice him. Or if not, I’ll just go and-”
“Oh, God, please! I can’t hear it right now!”
She flinched, but smiled wickedly.
“I want to hear,” Jessa said cheerfully as she leaned over the back of the couch. “All the dirty, nasty Big Dom Daddy details, please? I haven’t had any kind of action in far longer than I’d like to admit. Well, with another person, anyway!”
“Fine.” I joined Reid on the couch as Jessa shot me one of her grins. “But I am not helping you brat and whatever. Maybe Owen will just let you go? Because I'm going?” I fluttered my lashes.
She typed out a text. “Good play. Ha, plus I told him if he let me, I’d be extra good when he came to pick me up. We’d be in the owner’s suite, but Resnick Gentry asked if we wanted to come early. He’s addressing the team before the game, and he wants to use it as an opportunity to introduce the partnership.” A ping on her phone made me jump, and Reid grinned. “Good to go. But, I might have to sneak out early. Which means you, my beautiful friend, finally get to do more than just return emails and set up appointments. Sounds like the perfect plan.”
Ever since the night I spent with the enemy (the guilt from lying to Reid and Owen was eating away at me even now), Reid had looked differently at me. As if she saw something different in me.
God, I felt different.
And I hated that he wasn’t here to see it.
Maybe I could change that.
