Page 26

Easton

I watch Paige standing proudly next to her dad, and the reality of what we did sinks in. We could have been caught, but for the life of me, I can’t bring myself to care. Not for me anyway. If getting caught affected Paige’s relationship with her dad then I’d put a stop to it.

But if she’s holding back because she thinks I’ll be dropped from the team, I’m willing to take the risk.

The problem is… this thing between us is complicated by more than just Paige’s dad. And if it really was casual sex , I’d be all for it.

But we moved past that when Isaac decided to get attached to her. He’s only met her twice and thinks the sun shines out of her ass.

And while he’s not wrong, it makes life difficult.

What if we continue on this casual path and it ends badly? Will Paige ignore him when he walks past, his smile wide as he waves to her?

Deep down I can’t imagine she will, but can I really risk that?

As she walks off the stage, Paige’s eyes scan the crowd, and I know she’s looking for me. But I don’t know what the fuck I’m going to say when she finds me.

Since having Isaac, my world has consisted of two things—football and him. I was an ass to Macy. I’ve had time to reflect on our relationship and I know she’s not the only one that changed after Isaac was born. I don’t know if I have room in my life for more than that. My headspace is jam-packed with enough of Macy’s drama, meaning I struggle to think more than a few days ahead.

And yet, I keep making space for Paige.

Because when I’m with her, a little part of the pain and drama melts away.

I’m not sure I can give that up, but at the same time, I’m worried we’re playing with fire and there are more than two people that could get burned.

“East.” Reed nods as he joins me, a warm smile on his face. He’s a nice guy, one of the good ones, and if I had the capacity to let someone else into my life as a friend, it would likely be him. But the most I can afford is teammates. “Are you having a good night? I saw you got stuck with Pierce for a while. Any chance he decided to spill his thoughts on the new GM?”

The new GM. A sore point that I have no intention of touching, not even with a ten-foot pole. They’re still looking for someone. And while we’ve heard many names thrown around, the one everyone seems to be excited about is Wes Johnson. Former player turned coach, turned college football GM. He’s the perfect candidate. But the word is that he’s reluctant.

And I don’t blame him.

In the weeks since Tray left, there’s been a strong divide between management and coaches. Some are openly pissed off about his departure, while others seem relieved.

When I finally asked Keeley about it, she didn’t give me much—she never does—but she did say that the team was better off, even if we couldn’t see it. She can be annoyingly cryptic sometimes, but I believe her. Not only because she’s my sister, but also because of Paige. I can see parts of her in her dad, and I can’t fathom him firing Tray for weak reasons—or as some people have said, so he can claim the role for himself.

But if the team is better off without him, it begs the question, what’s the new GM walking in to? What mess is he going to be left with?

Reed raises a brow in anticipation and I actually smile. It seems everyone’s jumped on the gossip train since this mess began.

“He didn’t say a word. We didn’t even talk about football.”

“You didn’t?”

“No, he was asking about Isaac and that led to us talking about schools in the area.” Yet another thing that’s going to be made harder thanks to Macy’s need to weigh in on every decision when she doesn’t even live here anymore.

“Oh yeah?” Reed nods, seemingly interested though I have no clue why. “Did he offer any good advice?”

“Got a kid coming, Reed?”

He laughs before his eyes dart to someone behind me, and I don’t have to turn to guess it’s his friend. I don’t remember her name but I saw them together earlier, and the way he looks at her is possessive.

“No secret babies for me.” He gives a firm shake of his head. “That’s Luke’s thing.”

“Ah, Luke. Who would have thought he’d ever grow up? Not me, that’s for sure.” Although I’m still not entirely convinced that he has.

“I saw it,” Reed confirms, and I don’t doubt his words—he’s one of those optimistic types that sees the good in everyone. “The mature side of him was buried deep, but I knew it was there.”

“You’re a good guy, Reed. Better than most.”

“And you’re not always an asshole yourself,” he adds and I groan.

“I take back my compliment. You’re a dick. I’m out.”

Reed laughs like I’m joking, and he’d be right, but this side of me only comes out for those that deserve it. And in reality…most people don’t.

As if hearing us talking about him, Luke joins the conversation, along with Dylan, and I reluctantly hang around, listening in until Luke opens his mouth.

“Look at us, the support gang hanging out together.”

I groan—out loud—making sure he can hear me over the music, and the guys laugh.

“Easton, my man,” Luke continues, draining the life out of me, “you need to embrace it. We’re here for you . What do you need?”

“I need for you to shut the fuck up.”

He pretends to zip his lips, put a lock on it, and throw away the key, while I roll my eyes. But it lasts all of two seconds before he’s speaking again. “See, I’m here for you.”

“You just spoke.”

“To tell you that. It doesn’t count.”

I stare at him deadpan and he smirks.

“Okay, you caught me. I assumed you meant that I couldn’t talk about your issues with Zane and your ex. Or the fact that you’ve been hiding your relationship with Keeley. How the fuck didn’t we know she was your sister?”

“Reed, did you hear something?”

“You’re hilarious for an asshole. I hate to break it to you, but Reed and Dylan want to know too.”

Dylan raises his hands in the air. “Don’t bring me into this. I’ve retired.”

“And yet, you’re still in the group chat,” Luke quips back and he has a point. “Reed then?” he asks.

We all turn to Reed as he curls his lips into a very un-Reed-like smirk. “Not going to lie, I’m curious.”

For fuck’s sake. “Why don’t you ask Keeley then?”

“We did. She said to ask you.”

“Uh. If you must know, it was easier that way. I didn’t want anyone to think she got the job because of me.”

The guys fall quiet, their expressions comical as Thomas joins us. “Wow. What did I miss?”

“Easton just admitted he has a heart,” Luke fake gushes and I almost deck him.

“Why the fuck were you even questioning that, Luke?” Thomas shakes his head as his gaze bounces between me and Luke. “East almost beat the shit out of that dick for harassing Amelia last season. If the security guard hadn’t stepped in—”

“Enough,” I cut in. “I’m out.”

I walk away, leaving them undoubtedly talking about me, but I don’t need to listen. I know what happened. I was there. And I didn’t almost beat the shit out of him. I had him up against a brick wall with my fist clenched, ready to strike. We’ll never know if I would have hit him or not. But God was he a fucker.

He got what he deserved in the end. No one will work with him. And I heard he got a year’s community service for what he did.

The only thing I did was remove him from the situation. I couldn’t stand by and watch him attack Amelia. I may not have been happy about her or the TV show, but she didn’t deserve that. And I’ve come to realize, she’s one of the good ones too.

Truthfully, she’s probably the only reason I haven’t shut down the group chat entirely. If she thinks Luke’s a good guy, then maybe deep down he is.

A fter walking away from the guys, I force myself to endure another twenty minutes of mingling, then I’m ready to leave.

I look for Paige, not wanting her to think that I disappeared without seeing her, and find her on the dance floor, smiling and laughing with Amelia, her friend Hayley, and of course, my goddamn sister.

I bite back a groan—Paige being friends with my sister couldn’t possibly be a good idea—yet my lips pull into a smile completely of their own accord.

As if sensing my stare, Paige glances my way and her own smile widens. She’s breathtaking when she’s like this—happy and carefree—and it makes it that much harder to leave.

I nod subtly before walking toward the door, hoping she gets the hint that I’m leaving. I have no doubt we’ll see each other soon, and if we don’t, maybe that’s not such a bad thing.

Beelining for the valet stand, I pray that he’ll let me take my truck since I never bothered to collect my ticket when I handed over the keys. But before I can ask, a loud whistle sounds from behind me, drawing my attention to Paige disappearing around the corner, back to the scene of our first little moment.

After checking my surroundings, I spin on a dime, then stalk toward the side of the building, only stopping when I’ve found her.

I open my mouth to speak but she stops me in my tracks, throwing her arms around me before slamming her lips to mine, her tongue immediately seeking entry.

It takes me a second to catch up before my stiff body relaxes and I wrap my arms around her waist, my hands splayed on her back, forcing her closer.

Her breath hitches as we kiss and a soft mewl escapes her throat, her sounds alone making my cock harden.

Moving a hand to her neck, I curl my palm beneath her styled hair, careful not to mess it up, while tilting her head back and deepening our kiss. Our tongues clash at first, fighting for control, but after a beat, we settle into a smooth rhythm, my heart pounding like I’ve never kissed this way before—slow yet possessive and… Jesus . Maybe I haven’t.

But fuck if I’m going to get caught up in that now.

We kiss for another minute until Paige pulls away, stepping out of my hold. “Sorry about that,” she says, wiping her lips with a grin that suggests she’s not sorry at all. “You didn’t kiss me earlier. So”—she shrugs, not a care in the world—“I hope it’s okay that I did that.”

I wish I could answer her but I’m not entirely sure how I feel, except that I don’t want this to end.

“Yeah, it was okay.” I smile. “Maybe we need a few more addenda.”

“I think I can get behind that. But for now, I better get back.” She points toward the building behind her and I nod.

“You better. This isn’t going to last long if we get caught.”

“Definitely not. My dad’s likely to riot.” Outwardly she’s joking, but how much truth is there to that statement?

“Who would take the brunt of that?” I ask, my hand cupping the back of my neck. “You or me?”

Paige laughs, and like always it’s infectious. “Definitely you.”

“And you’re not worried about your relationship with him? If he found out?”

“No, I’m not. We’ve been through some stuff and we’ve only recently repaired our relationship. I don’t think he’d let something like this set us back. I can’t say the same for you. He seems serious about the ‘no dating my daughter’ rule, but the question is—how far will he go if someone breaks it? And trust me, you don’t want to find out.”

Paige smiles as she makes her way inside, but I don’t let her get far before calling out in a loud whisper. “What if I do?”

“What?” Paige spins, confusion marring her features.

“What if I don’t mind finding out? The last thing I’d want is for this”—I gesture between the two of us—“to affect your relationship with your dad. But if it’s just about me, I don’t care.”

“What if he drops you for a game?”

I shrug.

“What if he drops you for a month?”

I shrug again, though in reality that would be his loss as much as mine. The team needs me.

“Okay, what if he gives you that look of disappointment that makes you squirm every time you see him? I bet you know the one. I think they hand it out when you have your first child.”

I know the look she’s referring to. I’ve seen it many times. But I’m willing to take that risk.

“Bring it.”

Paige laughs before running back over and pressing a kiss to my cheek. “I’m almost afraid to ask, but even if my dad’s not a concern…what about Isaac? And all the other complications we had before we realized my dad connected us?” She frowns and I feel it in my chest even before she adds, “Has anything really changed? Think about it, okay?”