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“Are you serious?” The hurt in my voice is evident as I shoot back. “Collins and I were just having coffee. I can’t help it if he’s friendly!”
Vaughn is clearly agitated. He runs a hand through his hair. “That’s not the point! It’s the work, not socializing with my teammates, that you’re supposed to be focused on.”
I breathe deeply, trying to hold it together. “Hey, Vaughn, I’m not thinking about anything else. What’s got you so worked up? Did something happen?”
I can see the frustration building beneath the surface as he hesitates. “I was just on the phone with the league. They are accusing me of using drugs, and now I find out you’re too busy with Collins to help me!”
The accusation hits me like a slap in the face. “What? That’s ridiculous! I know you didn’t do anything wrong!”
“I need you in my corner, Rachel,” he says, his voice rising. “You’re out there acting like a fool instead. You should be taking this seriously!”
Anger surges inside me, but I suppress it. “You think this isn’t serious to me? I’m here now, aren’t I? I dropped everything to come help you.”
“Is that what you call it?” he retorts. “It’s like you’re more interested in dating my teammates than supporting me.”
A swirl of anger and offense fills my chest, and I feel it sink. “I am not dating anyone! I’m here to help, and I’ve been busy making sure everything is going smoothly. You need to trust that.”
He shakes his head, his expression darkening. “Trust? You want me to trust you after everything? The guy who tried to bribe you—you didn’t even tell me about that!”
The words shock me, and I catch my breath. “Bribe? What are you talking about?”
“The guy who approached you about sabotaging my reputation,” he snaps, his frustration boiling over. “Now you let that slide, and it’s coming back to haunt us. If you’re keeping things from me, how can I trust you?”
“I didn’t think it was that important!” I protest, my voice rising. “I was handling it. I was going to tell you, but I didn’t want to make your stress any worse. I could deal with it myself,” I say.
I can sense the distance between us growing as his eyes blaze with anger. “If you had, you should have told me from the beginning. This is serious, Rachel. Do you know how damaging that could be?”
His words land heavily on my shoulders, and I take a step back. “I’m trying to protect you, Vaughn! It didn’t seem urgent at the time, and I didn’t want to burden you.”
“Protect me?” he scoffs, the bitterness in his voice cutting deep. “You think keeping secrets is protecting me? Rachel, I don’t know if I can trust you. Or maybe you took that bribe after all.”
My anger is on the edge of bubbling over. I feel it, like a knife in my gut. “How dare you! Never in a million years would I do something like that. You know me better than that,” I say.
“I thought I did, but you’re making it difficult to believe,” he snaps.
The tension is suffocating, and I can hear my heart pounding as I try to process it all. Right now, it feels like Vaughn is pushing me away. I’m not his enemy—I’m trying to help him.
“You’re accusing me of this?” I ask, my voice quivering. “You deserve my trust, and I’m here for you. If you can’t see that, then maybe I should just go.”
“Maybe you should,” he replies, his tone cold and cutting.
The words hit me like a blow, and tears threaten to spill from the corners of my eyes. I won’t let him see me cry. I swallow the hurt and straighten my back. “Fine, I’ll leave. And don’t think for a second that I’m the problem here.”
I turn to walk away, but I feel his gaze on my back. I’m hurt, and I’m furious—a storm of emotions. I thought we were in this together, but the distance between us feels insurmountable.
The cool air hits my face as I step outside, and I take a deep breath, trying to calm the storm within me. But I won’t let his anger define my worth. I can’t let Vaughn make me feel like something I know I am not.
My heart is heavy with a mix of anger and disappointment as I climb into my car. The drive home feels long and lonely, but I know one thing for sure: this won’t be the end of my fight—for my integrity, for my career, for my relationship with Vaughn. I’ll show him. I’ll show myself that I deserve better.
Chapter thirty-two
Chapter Thirty-Two
Vaughn
The pressure has been mounting ever since the accusations about the drug first surfaced two grueling weeks ago. It’s been a battle every day, and the league hasn’t relented in their scrutiny. I’ve been tested, searched, and questioned more times than I can count, and today I’m just done.
I step onstage for the press conference, and the bright lights and sea of cameras make my heart race. Reporters fill the room with their skeptical, curious faces. I adjust the microphone and clear my throat.