39. Violet

Chapter 39

Violet

After I drop Jake off at school, I decide to swing by Reese’s place to try to patch things up with him. Callie answers the door as if she’s been expecting me and offers me a sympathetic smile before she pulls me in for a hug.

“Come on in,” she says when we part, then walks me into the living room.

Reese isn’t around, but I’m not upset about it. I’ve been wrestling with what I’m going to say to him all night, and I still don’t have it figured out, so I’m not going to complain about getting a few moments to catch my breath with Callie first.

She sits down on the couch and pats the spot next to her, so I join her. “I take it you heard all the news?”

“Are you kidding? It was all I heard about last night. Like, nonstop.”

I sigh. “Ugh. I’m sorry.”

Callie shrugs. “Don’t be. He’s your big brother, he’s supposed to be protective of you like this. But for what it’s worth, I’m on your side.”

My eyebrows shoot upward. “You are?”

“Of course I am. I remember back when I was pretending to date Reese, trying to keep everything quiet to avoid all the scrutiny was the hardest part. We still managed our way through it and fell in love, but it would’ve been a hell of a lot easier outside of the public eye.”

I breathe the first genuine sigh of relief I’ve had since all of this went down. Of course Callie gets it. It wasn’t quite the same situation with her and Reese, but they had just as much of a reason not to want the rest of the team to find out what was really going on between them as Sawyer and I did.

But there’s one very big difference.

“Sawyer and I aren’t in love,” I tell her, my heart twisting a little even as I say the words.

Callie flashes me a little smile. “Right.”

Before I can challenge her on it, Reese comes down the stairs and freezes halfway when he spots me. “I thought I heard voices. What are you doing here?”

“Can we talk, please?”

Callie turns on the couch to give him a look, and although I can’t see it, I can guess what it is.

Reese sighs and beckons to the back door. “Let’s do this outside.”

“Thanks,” I mouth to her as I get up off the couch and follow Reese out into their backyard.

He walks far enough away from the door that Callie can’t hear whatever we’re going to say to each other, then spins and faces me with his arms crossed over his chest. I’m still trying to think of just what the hell to say when he launches into his own speech.

“You know how much I care about you. That’s all this is,” he starts and lets it linger, his words joining the chorus of insects and birds chirping around us. “And that’s why it bothers me so much that you didn’t tell me about what was going on with Sawyer.”

“You wouldn’t have been happy even if I did.”

Reese sighs. “No. But you still should’ve told me instead of letting me find out like that. Not that I think Sawyer is a bad guy or anything, but you’re the only family I really have left, Vi. If anything happened to you?—”

“I know, I know,” I say, wincing. I’m already feeling guilty enough. I don’t need him laying it on thick.

“Okay. That’s all I needed to hear. But if there’s anything else you need to tell me—and I do mean anything—now’s the time to do it,” he says, staring me right in the eyes with his trademark concerned big brother look. I’ve never been able to hold his gaze when he pulls it, and this time isn’t any different.

Maybe it’s because of what he said about us being the only family the other has, or maybe it’s just because I’m in a confessional mood now that I’m in the hot seat, but I decide to tell him everything. No more secrets, no more creeping around behind his back. If I can’t trust my brother with this stuff, then who can I trust?

I take a deep breath and force myself to look him in the eye again. “I lost my job back in Chicago. Like, a while before I came to Denver.”

“Shit, really?”

“Yes, but it’s fine,” I rush to add.

“What happened?”

“It’s a long story for another time, but the short version is that some asshole forced me out because I wouldn’t play by his rules.” Reese’s expression darkens, but I hold up a hand to him to keep him from going on a rant. “What happened was shitty, but like I said, it’s fine. It all worked out. I’ve got this new job lined up out in California that’s a perfect chance to advance in marketing, and I’m working for Sawyer in the meantime. What’s done is done.”

Reese chuckles and smiles at me. “I’m proud of you.”

That definitely wasn’t the reaction I was expecting, and it must show on my face because he laughs again.

“I’m serious! I don’t know how you do it, but you always find a way to just keep going. Nothing keeps you down. And with that kind of attitude and how good you are at marketing, you’re destined for an amazing career.”

Something warm expands in my chest, and my eyebrows rise slightly. “Um… wow. Thanks.”

“I mean it, sis. I’m not just saying that to inflate your ego.”

“Yeah.” I swallow. “With everything going on lately, I wouldn’t expect inflating my ego to be at the top of your list.”

Reese makes a face and shrugs. “So… this thing with you and Sawyer. How did that all start?”

I groan and give him a look. “Do you really want all those details?”

“I’m not asking for the nitty gritty. Just the broad strokes,” he says, and it’s my turn to shrug—mostly because I don’t really know how to answer.

“It just sort of happened.”

“Did you start it or did he?”

“I honestly don’t remember at this point, and I’m not sure it matters anyway. The point is that it happened. It’s happen ing ,” I say, putting a fine point on the present tense. Reese winces but catches himself.

“It’s just older brother stuff. I don’t want you getting hurt.”

“I know, and I appreciate that, but I’m a big girl. I can handle myself.”

Reese smiles at me. “I know you can. You’re already doing it, so I’m not going to sit here and try to tell you how to live your life or what you can’t do.”

“Thank you.” He pulls me in for a hug, and I’m happy to give him one.

We’ve always gotten along, but in a weird way this revelation about what’s going on between Sawyer and me has somehow brought us closer. I totally expected him to go nuclear over it—not that he would’ve necessarily been in the wrong—but I guess Callie really has influenced him. Or maybe his relationship with her has just made him more sensitive.

“I’m really gonna miss you when you leave, you know,” he says when he lets me go. “It’s been nice having you living in the same city as me.”

A lump forms in my throat and I nod.

“I’ll miss you too,” I whisper, my voice strained—because the truth is, I’m going to miss so much more than just him when I go. I can’t help but hug him again, squeezing him tight as if it’s going to somehow freeze time and stop my rapidly approaching departure date from crashing into me like a runaway train.

But of course, it won’t.

“I love you, sis,” Reese says and kisses the top of my head.

“Love you too.”

We don’t say anything more on our way back into the house—there’s nothing else that needs to be said—and I hug Callie goodbye too before I climb back into my car and start the engine. But I can’t bring myself to leave yet, so I dig in my purse for my phone for a reason even I don’t know and see that I’ve missed a couple of calls while I was talking with Reese.

I connect my phone to the Bluetooth in my car and tap to play the first voice message as I back out of the driveway. Sawyer’s voice fills the car, bringing a bittersweet smile to my face.

“Hey, heartbreaker. Just wanted to tell you I’ve got a meeting with Desiree downtown today, so I won’t be here when you get back. We’re going over details about the commercial. Honestly, I’m kind of a nervous wreck about it. I’ve never filmed a commercial in my life, so I have no idea what to expect, but I’m sure it’ll be fine. Anyway, I guess I’ll see you later. Have a good day.”

I touch the dash of my car like Sawyer can feel it. “You’ll be more than fine.”

My phone automatically starts playing the next voice message, and my stomach twists as soon as I hear the voice coming from the speakers.

“Hey, hot shot. It’s Elijah.”

My body instinctively shudders at his name, and I shrink in on myself. I should stop the message and immediately delete it, but some morbidly curious part of me won’t let me.

“I know we haven’t talked in a while,” his voice continues through the car’s speakers. “But I’m in Denver for a marketing shoot that’s coming up. The Aces are your brother’s team, right? Small world, we’ll be working with another player from the team for this shoot. Anyway, I know you’re out in Denver now, so I was wondering if maybe you’d want to get together for drinks or something to catch up while I’m here? Let me know.”

My throat seals so tight it’s hard to breathe, and my hands are trembling so much that I’m scared I’m going to crash the car. But a swell of desperation takes over me, and before I even realize what I’m doing, I abruptly spin the car around and speed toward the office where I’m guessing Sawyer is going to be having his meeting with Desiree.

I vaguely remember seeing the agency’s name on one of Desiree’s business cards Sawyer left sitting on the kitchen table, so I fumble with my phone to punch in what I remember of it into the Maps app, and thankfully the phone fills in the rest.

The drive there passes in a flash like I simply teleported from one place to the other. I don’t remember even driving here, but I’m parking the car and tearing out of it, watching the whole thing like I’m somehow outside my body. Tunnel vision carries me to the door, which is all my eyes can see, and I crash through it where a surprised secretary looks up from her desk.

“Can I help you?”

“Sawyer Townsend. Where is he?”

“And you are?”

“His nanny.”

That seems to get the secretary’s attention because she jumps out of her chair and motions for me to follow her. She takes me to the double doors of a conference room and knocks lightly before she opens it.

“I’m sorry to bother you, Mrs. Blanc, but?—”

“Sawyer,” I choke out as I step around her, and Sawyer jumps up from the conference table where he was sitting and talking with Desiree and a few other people in business attire whom I assume are her colleagues. Desiree flashes Sawyer a concerned look, but he ignores her.

“Get out,” he snaps, and my heart falters because I think he’s talking to me. I shouldn’t have barged in like this, shouldn’t even be here right now.

In a daze, I turn and start to leave.

“I said get out!” Sawyer repeats, his voice more urgent, and I freeze when I realize he wasn’t speaking to me after all.

He’s trying to clear the room so that he can talk with me.

Desiree and her associates scatter in a hurry, and when the room is empty, Sawyer slams the conference doors shut so it’s just us before he pulls me into his arms.

“What’s wrong?”

“Elijah,” I choke out, and his expression twists.

“What did he do?” he asks, his voice low but deadly serious. I don’t know where it comes from, but all the emotion I’ve been holding back since I listened to the voicemail comes flooding out of me.

“He called me, pretending like everything is fine and that he didn’t tank my career. He said he’s in Denver to work on a commercial shoot with an Aces player— your commercial shoot—and he wants to meet me for drinks and probably pick up right where he left off in ruining my life. All he wants to do is fuck things up for me and tear me down, and I… I don’t know what to do, Sawyer!”

I drag in a shuddering breath, and Sawyer squeezes me in his arms. He rubs my back, and I try to calm down, but I’m reeling. I thought I’d put thousands of miles between me and that lecherous creep who’s starred in way too many of my nightmares.

But somehow, he’s back.