Chapter 9

Hendrix: You free tomorrow night?

Me: I don't have plans, why?

Hendrix: Pick you up at 7?

Hendrix: Don't say no. You know you're curious about what I have planned.

Me: Curiosity doesn't mean it's a good idea.

Hendrix: Do you trust me?

Me: Not even a little bit. Send me the address and I'll meet you there.

* * *

Shit.Why did I agree to go out with Hendrix? I should've told him I was busy, that this wasn't going to work.

Staring through the window at the building in front of me, I wonder how much Hendrix would hate me if I turned around and left.

"You going to get out?" Hendrix's voice fills my car from the passenger window.

"I haven't decided yet." Why is it that I don't seem to have a filter around this man?

"I wasn't sure if you were going to park or if you were just going to leave."

Laughing, I turn to face him. He looks effortlessly sexy in his blue jeans and black t-shirt. "Honestly, I thought about it."

"I thought so. Come on, Harlow, let's go in before you try to run away again."

Turning the car off, I climb out and make my way to the front where Hendrix is waiting. "That wasn't too bad, was it?"

"Not yet." I try to stop myself from scanning the parking lot for anyone taking pictures, for anyone who recognizes Hendrix.

"I already checked us in and got our putters and balls, purple for you because it reminds me of your dress." he winks, handing me my putter and ball.

"Did you grow up around here?" Hendrix asks, heading toward the first hole.

"Yep, born and raised. Dad moved into the house he's in now right after I was born. I lived with my mom until she left when I was six. Being married to a professional athlete was too much for her."

"Is that why you try to avoid being with me in public? You saw how hard it was for your parents?"

Taking my first swing, I watch the ball bounce off the concrete block in the middle of the green before disappearing into a small tunnel. "Not really. I never wanted to date someone who was in the media. It's too much drama, too many rumors, and it can really break down a person's self-esteem. It just seems more destructive than it's worth."

"I understand that. It's not easy to live your life in the spotlight." Hendrix's swing has a little more power behind it than mine did. I watch as his ball taps mine out of the tunnel before following it through to the other side.

"You can't tell me that it doesn't suck, especially when you're forced to avoid getting in trouble and can't go out and hook up with anyone without risking getting yourself traded right now."

"Even that has its perks. And, honestly, I don't miss it as much as I thought I would. What about you?"

"What about me? I don't have to stay out of trouble."

"What about avoiding having any attention on you?"

"You would too if you went through what I did," I tell him, knowing he's going to want to know what happened sooner or later.

"What happened?" He looks at me from under the edge of his hat.

"I met Ian when I wasn't in the best place. My dad and I had just gotten into a big fight about my future. I had been dating a guy on the team, which caused enough problems. I was just ready to get out.

"Ian seemed so perfect. He was kind, paid attention to me, and listened to me. At that point I just wanted to be someone's focus. I knew he didn't live locally, so I knew I wouldn't see him often. But I did. He would make these surprise trips all the time to see me. I never thought it was odd at first that I was never making the trip to see him. I got a job as a manager at a dance studio near him, so I moved. I thought he would be happy that he didn't have to keep making trips to see me, but we started fighting more." Rolling my eyes, I move to the bench near the next hole. Hendrix doesn't touch me as he takes the seat next to me; he's just there. I can feel him sitting close but still trying to give me space.

"He proposed a few days after one of our bigger fights. He told me he was stressed about work, and that he'd been thinking about relocating, but since I hadn't talked to him about my move, he wasn't sure about his plans anymore. He told me he had wanted to move to his hometown in Maine. He thought it would be a great place to raise our family eventually. When everything blew up him and his wife threatened me to try and stop me from going to the media, not that I would have. Then they turned around and sold a bunch of lies about me. It was a game to them and I looked like a person who was trying to ruin a family."

"I'm sorry you had to go through all of that, I know it doesn't change anything but I hate that you had to go through that."

"I learned my lesson though, I know I need to be more careful about who I let into my life and who I trust."

"You do know that what he did is a reflection on him, right? You did nothing wrong. You didn't know." Hendrix moves my hair behind my shoulder, and I want nothing more than to hide my face. I hate the shame and anger I still feel. I hate that Ian can move on like nothing happened, and I'm left living with regret not only for myself but for the family that was hurt in the process.

"I keep trying to remind myself of that. I mean, I'm completely over him. I was pretty much over my feelings when I realized that our relationship was very one sided when it came to feelings. I know what I want and deserve now."

"You deserve a man who is going to put you first every single time. A man who is willing to make the effort and come see you when you need him, not just to hide your relationship."

"I do deserve that, which is why I told you I couldn't hide whatever it is we're doing. I know you need to stay out of the media for your own reasons, but all the lies about me… I can't go through that again."

"What if you meet someone else who is in the public eye? If you think about it, the chances of you being in the media again are higher just because of who your dad is."

"I won't say never. But I would need to know for sure that I could trust whoever I'm with and that he would never intentionally hurt me."

"You'll find that because anyone would be lucky to have you." The soft press of Hendrix's lips against the side of my head has my body heating and feeling relaxed at the same time. Could Hendrix be the one I could trust to be in that position again? He knows the struggles of living a public life, and I know I can trust him with my life. But am I ready for that?

"Let's get moving before the people behind us get angry at us for holding them up."

For the next two hours, we play mini golf, laughing and stealing touches. The heaviness from our conversation easily fading away.