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We both take our seats again, and I can handle this change of subject more than the one about our past. “Honestly, Bill is going to let you go, even if that means you’re a free agent for the year.

As you said, you’re the league’s highest scorer.

Now to be fair, most teams in the league have great centers, but we all know you can easily score from any position you play, and that is the real bonus. ”

“Think that’s the first nice thing you’ve said to me.” He smirks.

I roll my eyes. “I’m trying.”

“I appreciate it.” He nods.

“Do you think Bill’s wife knows about Kitty?” I ask him.

Pierre shrugs. “I don’t think so.”

“Unless they have an arrangement,” I add.

“Michelle doesn’t seem like the type that is into sharing, but who knows what happens behind closed doors.”

“Bill is a billionaire. This kind of scandal could tank his company’s stocks, also destabilize his team, and of course, implode his family.

He has more to lose than you do right now.

The video you have of him and Kitty is leverage, and if he’s smart, he will take what you are offering.

I’ve reached out to The Mavericks personally to let them know that you want to move from South Dakota to Manhattan to play with your brother.

They are interested, but they need to discuss it.

Is there another team you would be interested in playing for if The Mavericks don’t work out?

I mean, we have the overseas leagues like Scandinavia or Russia? ”

“I might as well retire if they are my options,” he grumbles.

“And what happens if you do have to retire? What is the next step?” I ask him.

“Coaching, that’s where I want to go next,” he advises.

“Want me to put that on the table too with The Mavericks?” I ask.

“Sure. But it would be Plan B. I’m not ready to retire, and it certainly isn’t like this. I have another cup in me and that’s what I want to do. If I can do it with my brother, then that would be the icing on the cake for me.”

“That would be pretty cool if you could achieve that,” I tell him.

He smiles. “It would, it’s something we always talked about growing up,” he then frowns, “unless that isn’t what he wants anymore. You said that he didn’t want to be on the same team as me.”

“Think it’s more a sibling rivalry thing. You were hard on him growing up,” I tell him.

“Because I wanted him to be the best.”

“I know, but Felix is more sensitive than you, as the baby of the family. He used to idolize you, always did, and following in your shadow his entire career has been hard on him. You are one of the greatest players in the game, and everyone automatically compares the two of you. That can be hard to live up to. Don’t forget you forged the way for him,” I explain.

“But he got in all on his own. I never helped him. You don’t think people compared me to Dad?”

“Hardly a comparison between what your father achieved and what you have. He wasn’t a champion like you. Yes, he was a good player, but that was all he was, good. Felix is in the shadow of a legend. It’s normal for everyone to compare two brothers when they play, it happens in all sports.”

“I don’t want to mess up his career. If he doesn’t want me in New York, let’s look for somewhere else,” Pierre says.

“Let’s worry about that if it happens. Felix will be okay with it, he’s probably worried about starting with a new team and you might undermine him in front of his teammates, then he’s lost their respect before he’s even started.”

“I would never,” Pierre argues.

“Not on purpose, but as a brother, you know what it’s like.”

“I get it.” He nods. “What do you honestly think about Felix and Harper dating?” he asks, changing the subject again.

“Honestly, I was weirded out by it at first, but now … seeing them together it kind of works.”

“What were you thinking, sending them to the same resort?”

“I didn’t do it on purpose. Felix should have known better than to tell you about it.”

He smirks. “Felix didn’t want to tell me, but I got it out of him, he was freaking out.”

“The place is huge, I didn’t think they would run into each other,” I explain.

His eyes widen with curiosity. “You’ve been there?”

“Yes.”

“And is that something you like doing? I mean, you went there last night, too,” he asks.

“Who wouldn’t want to go to Paradise and have all your fantasies delivered? Most men in the city are self-absorbed and there for their own pleasure, not yours.”

“Sounds like you’ve been dating the wrong men. I was never selfish in that department.” He smirks. My cheeks heat at the memory. No, he was most certainly not selfish, and again another reason why he has ruined my life. “So, this place lets you do anything?” he asks when I ignore his remark.

I smirk. “Anything, within reason.”

“What were your fantasies then?” he questions.

“I’m not telling you that. We are not there in our friendship,” I snap.

A big smile falls across his stupidly handsome face. “You just called what we have a friendship. I’ll take it.”

I roll my eyes, but a stupid smile pushes against my lips. “Keep asking me questions about my sex life and you will be demoted,” I warn him.

He grins. “Noted. No personal questions, yet.” He arches a brow at me.

I shake my head. “Speaking of personal questions, can I ask what went wrong between you and Kitty?”

“So, you can ask about my sex life, but I can’t ask about yours?”

“I wasn’t asking you about your sex life. I was asking about your relationship,” I remark.

“Same thing. That’s the million-dollar question, isn’t it?

” He lets out a deep sigh. “Honestly, I don’t know.

I thought we were in love, but now I think she loved the idea of us more than she loved us.

Since getting together her online presence has grown, and I was happy for her at the start as she has been working hard on building her modelling brand.

As her following grew and the more opportunities she got, she made new friends, and I saw the girl I thought I knew start to change.

She was partying a lot behind the scenes, she stopped coming to my games, she started spending money on extravagant things, and she became distant.

For example, after your father’s funeral, she didn’t come home for two days.

I needed her, I was a wreck, and we had a do-or-die game.

When she came home, I found out she had been partying in Vegas. ”

Oh wow. They always looked so happy online, not that I was stalking them or anything.

“And when we lost our last game, she left the stadium because she was embarrassed. She had the audacity to tell me that my losing the game embarrassed her in front of her friends.” Damn that’s cold. I saw that game, it was brutal. “She left me that night and partied with her friends.”

“I’m sorry.” And I mean it.

“I don’t know what I did wrong for her to cheat.

” He stills. “Shit,” he curses, raking his fingers through his hair.

“That just hit me. I get it now. I don’t understand why Kitty cheated, just like you didn’t know why I did it.

I’m sorry. This sucks being on this side.

” No shit. “I know dating a hockey player is hard, we are always away working, and I’m constantly training, but I didn’t think it was enough to break us up. ”

“Maybe the two of you started growing in different directions. Her career was taking off while you’re at the height of yours,” I suggest. Pierre ponders this. “Is that why you kissed me?” I ask him.

Pierre sits there quietly mulling over my question.

“I kissed you because I wanted to.” Oh. He then looks uncomfortable as he rubs his neck again.

“I’ve been thinking about this for months.

Why would I kiss you if I was happy in my relationship?

Kissing you made me realize that my feelings for Kitty had changed.

” Wow. “You know I’m sorry for kissing you.

That wasn’t the right thing to do, especially then.

It was an emotional day, and my emotions got the better of me, which is still no excuse.

” Wasn’t expecting that apology. “Was a good kiss, though.” He looks up at me, giving me a heated stare.

My cheeks suddenly turn red reliving that kiss in my mind. It was good. And I hated how much I liked it. “I didn’t appreciate you making me the other woman, though.”

Pierre rubs his chin. “Yeah, I see how that looks now.”

“Why do you think Kitty fell for Bill? It’s such an unlikely coupling other than money,” I ask him.

“Honestly, I think that’s all it is, money. I remember her telling me about one of her girlfriends dating a billionaire and he was buying her all these extravagant things.”

“It’s not like you’re poor. Did Kitty get anything extravagant recently?” I ask.

Pierre frowns. “I don’t know, she always seemed to be shopping.

She was making her own money, so I never questioned what she spent it on.

Maybe Bill was financing her. I just don’t understand why he would do that to me.

We used to go over once a month for family lunches on a Sunday.

Bill would take me and some of the boys golfing.

Kitty used to shop with Bill’s daughters, they were friends.

” Wow. I had no idea they were that close, it kind of makes it worse.

“Do you think Kitty is going to try to get you back?” I ask.

“She is going to try to save her image. Most things at that wedding were in exchange for publicity. I have her muted on everything right now, so I’m not sure what she’s up to.

Harper told her that she needed to say there was a family emergency.

I’m not sure what’s going on because the thought of checking my messages gives me a panic attack, as you’ve bore witness to yesterday. ”

“Do they happen a lot?” I ask him.

He shakes his head. “Not really, but they started to happen more frequently since the funeral.”

Am I giving him anxiety? Now that makes me feel shit and I shouldn’t feel shit, but I do. “Want me to check your messages?” I ask before I realize what I’ve said.

Pierre seems as surprised as I am. “You would? Harper’s checked yesterday’s but mainly she was focused on Kitty and her family’s texts.”

“I’m sure your teammates will have questions,” I tell him.

“You’re right. I haven’t even thought about them. Shit,” he says, running his hand through his hair. “Here,” he says, handing me his phone. “Pin code is 6969.” I raise a brow at him. “Harper gave me that same look.” He smirks.

When I open his phone, the number of notifications from people is immense.

I scroll down through them and a lot of his friends are checking in on him, asking if he is okay.

They are sorry to hear about the emergency he’s had, and they are thinking about him.

There are some horrific texts from Kitty abusing him for being a coward and leaving her to deal with the mess he created.

Then texts from Bill attacking Pierre, telling him that threatening him is not what he wants to do and blah blah blah.

There are also messages from journalists who want him to comment on the rumors that he called off his wedding.

Shit. Yeah. I would have a panic attack if I read all this, too.

It’s wanting to give me one now and it has nothing to do with me.

“Your teammates, I’ll send a message letting them know you will reach out soon, you hope they enjoy their time in Italy, and thank them for making the trek,” I say as I start to type out a message.

“Yeah, that would be great, thanks,” he says, watching me work.

“I’ve also put an out of office style message on your phone so it will tell people that you are uncontactable and if it’s urgent to call Marcus or The Alessi Agency, and if it’s PR related, they need to contact The Rose Agency.

I’ve given them Harper’s office details.

So, it’s all done,” I say, handing him back the phone after twenty minutes.

“You can do that? Thanks,” he says, staring at his now clear phone.

“Hope it helps. Maybe these panic attacks are something we should keep an eye on. Should I tell Marcus to maybe look at a sports psychologist? You might need to speak to someone. Things are about to get rough for you depending on which way it all falls.”

“Once I’ve got Frankston with me, all my worries will cease to exist.”

Not sure how a dog is going to save him from his problems, but I don’t say anything. “About Frankston. Do you think Kitty is going to fight you for custody of him?” I ask.

“She wouldn’t dare. He is my baby. She knows that,” he argues.

“Exactly, she knows how much Frankston means to you.”

“He’s mine. Always has been. I got him after we broke up the first time. I caught her cheating with an ex, and I got him to help heal my heart, but then a month later we got back together,” he explains.

“Kitty’s cheated on you before?” He nods. “And you took her back?” I stare at him in disbelief.

“In hindsight, maybe not the greatest idea. But she was remorseful and really made it up to me, and I know what that’s like to not get a second chance when you mess up.

I thought that was my karma for what I did to you.

And I knew how it felt not being able to apologize.

” Our situations are completely different.

I am not taking responsibility for this disaster.

“She will have a fight on her hands if she dares try to take Frankston away from me.”

“Maybe speak to your lawyer and make sure you get all your paperwork in order in case she wants to fight.” He nods. “This could turn nasty with Kitty. Are you prepared to go public with this?”

“I will do what I have to, don’t you worry about that,” he says seriously.