Page 12

Wild

Evie's face is taut with apprehension. Suddenly, this feels like a sure game spiraling out of my control. Now that we've given them what they want, the room has quieted. They're staring at us like we're aliens, expecting us to do something.

I run a thumb over her pinky. I get no response.

"Leave us, please," I tell the others.

Since I already knew Evie would need convincing, I brought them here, not even for reinforcement. Does recon duty count? And they just took over the mission.

They leave.

Kristyn is last. Her eyes snap a warning as she walks past.

Finally, we're alone. Evie drops my hand like I'm contaminated with some deadly virus and turns on me. "I like you looking out for me, but this is..." She throws up her hands. "You don't have to do this!"

“ Evie—"

“ And why get everyone involved?”

I wince. “ I knew you would refuse.”

"A fake relationship? With you, of all people?"

My jaw locks. "What's wrong with me?"

"Everything!"She paces the living room. "If I was desperate—"

"Which you are—"

"I'm not!"

"You are!"

"She breathes in deeply. "Fine. Let's say I am. If fooling people into thinking I'm nearly married is the solution, then I won't do it with you--"

"So, you said." I snap. "So, who's your preferred candidate?"

She covers her face with her hands, shoulders shaking from choked-up laughter. "Wild, it's not a presidential election."

"Who?"

"Rob is a better fit, I think?"

Rob. She will take Rob over me? Should I be angry? Do I have a right to be angry? I don't even know what I'm feeling right now. "What's so special about him? Does he have an extra head or leg or something?"

"You know what? Maybe he does!"

She has her hands on her hips and is leaning forward with a combative tilt to her chin. I mirror her. "I saw him recently, remember? He's as ordinary as they come. If anything, I'm the one with an extra head."

My words echo in the silence between us and reverberate around the living room. Evie's staring at me with wide, disbelieving eyes.

"Are you that desperate to have an extra head?"Lips trembling with delight, she points at my head. "I'm not sure how your fans will react to you growing an extra head."

I smile sheepishly. "My extra head is supposed to be my advantage over Rob."

Evie sighs. “ I just went out with Rob; people will believe us.”

Her very logical reasoning brings a frown to my face. How did I forget about their date? “ We can say you and Rob are just friends.”

"I'm already used to public pressure and trolls. Have you read the comments online? Who will willingly take that on, Rob?"

She's shaking her head. "I'm not listening to you."

When that's not enough, she covers her ears with both hands and flees the living room. I give chase. We run into Richard coming out of the guest bedroom. With a muttered apology, Evie changes direction, past the gym and onto the patio down to the swimming pool.

"Wow." She breathes.

"It's my favorite part of the house,"I say.

By some feat of civil engineering, the swimming pool has been tucked into a nest of rocks and greens. "My thinking spot. It's good you chose this place for this discussion. As a not-so-superstitious sportsman, I think my chances of convincing you just tripled."

Evie doesn't crack a smile at my joke. "I don't need you to protect me. You have a lot on your plate."

"I'm not pro—"

"Don't dare say you're not doing this to protect me."She drops to her haunches. "How do you think it makes me feel?"

She doesn't get it. "I hate it when you're hurt. It kills me to see you hurt."

"I'm perfectly fine."

"You're not."I know her well. "And some of this is partly my fault."She rolls her eyes and starts to get up. I stop her with a hand on her arm. "Seriously. Everyone knows you're important to me. You've appeared in my social media posts, so everything is spilling over."

When she doesn't object, I press my advantage. "And I could use some help with Coach Billy."

She tips her head to read the truth of my claim for herself. "You're serious."

I nod. "He needs two to three years to make a last championship run before he retires. He believes committing to someone will stop me moving from club to club.”

"And will you commit? Can you do it?"she asks.

I seriously consider her question. "Yes. I'm thirty-four, and—"

"A hundred-year-old man with bad knees in the basketball world."

"Exactly. I want to try for a championship before the end."

My proposal hangs in the air, begging Evie to grab it.

"You deserve a championship after everything."

And I want to smack my 'tailored for basketball'brain. I didn't lead with my most convincing argument.

Evie can be overprotective of me, too. For example, she creates multiple usernames to reply to my trolls. This contract being my last chance at a championship run would have been enough to sway her.

"And Coach Billy won't consider signing you unless you give him a sign that you're in it for the long haul."She bites her lower lip as she thinks it over. "If you get him on your side, you join the championship team he's assembling?"

"Yes."I give a mental fist pump. She's considering it. "And all the rumors about you die and—-"

"Mrs. Langford can rest easy,"she whispers.

I don't care for Mrs. Langford, and I'm praying she doesn't see it on my face. The woman has hurt Evie too many times for my liking.

Evie worries her lower lip some more. At this rate, by the time we're done with this fake engagement, her poor lip will be beyond repair. She turns to me, and I drop my eyes quickly as a guilty flush creeps under my collar. I must be going crazy noticing her lips like that.

"I can meet Parker,"she starts with a doubtful twist to those lips. "Try to sort things out—"

"Evie Cassandra, you will meet that idiot over my dead body."

"I won't meet him since I don't want you to die,"she jokes.

A shadow creeps over her face. I hold my body still to give her the space she needs to consider my proposal. For reasons I don't want to think about, I need Evie to say yes. Richard disapproves, but he always sees the negative in every situation. The man probably objected to his given name as a baby.

Lila is seeing the dollar signs.

I had already given up on Coach Billy and playing for the North Cats.

So why do I desperately need her to say yes?

"You think we can go from our current, very comfortable relationship to pretending to be engaged?"

“ Easily.”

“ You think hugging and—oh, holding hands and being affectionate is easy?”

“ With the right person, yes.”

She scoffs and looks away.

Her doubt is almost insulting. "What? You don't think we can handle hugs, hand-holding, and affectionate things?"

Her expression closes off with even more doubt. She's not giving us a chance at all.

"You have given this a lot of thought,"she says, "which is funny because you've never studied for anything in your life."

“ Do you have to call me out like that?”

"Except basketball,"she adds after a pause. "You really earn every zero in that twenty million."

People only see the ‘ outside' of a sports career, the flashy cars, clothes, and awards, without acknowledging the sweat involved.

“ And what about after we break up? Can we still be friends after that?”

“ I don ’ t see why not.”

Evie digs her hands into her eyes. "Why are you so serious about this?"

“ Anything that concerns you is important to me."

"And affectionate things?" she scoffs. "You mean like holding pinkies? What if we have to—to— oh my goodness.”

"Have to do what?"I urge. "Talk to me."

With both hands pressed to her cheeks, she stares me down. I'm six foot five, and I feel like she's looking down at me. The look in her eyes holds me prisoner.

"What if we have to kiss?"

"Kiss?"I swear I've never heard that word in my life.

"Kiss,"she confirms. "Kiss as in k-i-s-s—"

I bark out the fakest laugh that has ever been faked. Evie doesn't take her eyes off me. My collar feels too tight, like when Mom helped with my tie for the first time. "Don't stress, we won't go that far."

"You think? I should sit you down to watch a fake relationship drama."

Now, we're on normal, comfortable footing. I breathe easier. "This is real life for like six months. Not a--."I nudge her shoulder with mine. "Is that all you're afraid of?"

"You don't think it's something to be…wary of?"

"Wary? Me and you? We're like Kobe and Shaq—"

Her nose scrunches adorably. "Kobe and Shaq? Shaq is like eight foot tall."

"We know and understand each other too well not to work through this."

She shakes her head at me. "So cocky."

"Cocky?"I raise an eyebrow. "Cocky one-time MVP and top five in stats and earnings in the league? Good thing I can back it up."

I won't think about how Evie is the first woman I've ever committed to, fake engagement or not.

Whenever I have to make any commitment, I remember my biological mother, Amelia. And how I couldn't protect her.

Then I remember my draft year and the horror after the championship run.

The memories will usually give me a warning niggle, and my fingers will start a nervous count.

Not this time. I'm utterly relaxed with Evie in my favorite spot. It's like déjà vu.

Eighteen-year-old Evie, the letter that made me feel like I could conquer the world, the hope in her eyes as she offered me daisies.

"I love you,"she had whispered. "I think you're the kindest and best man in the world."

But that was then.

This is now.

The feeling of rightness settles deep in my bones.