Page 38 of Love is Fake (Love is Everything #1)

“He chose you. Every single time, he chose you. It’s just that…There were things…Ugh God… Honey, she’s complicated. Irrational. And there were loose ends that needed to be tied up in order to not have her spiral out of control. No one expected her to show up the way she did –“

“But she still had the right to show up. She could still do that. And you know what Lennox didn’t do? He didn’t send her packing.”

“He’s hurting, Iz,” Kai says, completely avoiding everything I’ve said. “But he won’t let anyone see it. God forbid the almighty Lennox Gray prove he’s human,” he chuckles. “You’re the only one he really ever let in, you know? That has to count for something.”

I bite my lip, feeling the emotions I’ve been trying to keep at bay hammering at my resolve.

I do know, because Lennox told me as much.

He told me things he hasn’t told anyone else and I’ve done the same because I thought what was between us was real.

I trusted him with my deepest thoughts and feelings knowing it would be hard when things inevitably came to an end, which the cynic in me always thought it would.

Joke’s on me, I guess. I thought it would be hard when we broke up, but it was more than that, it’s been heartbreaking.

“Hey, Iz.” Kai waves his hand in front of my face, taking me out of my daydream. “Turn your TV on to ESPN.”

I frown at him.

“For what?” I shake my head. “It doesn’t matter, Kai. I’ve gotta go!”

“It sure as shit does matter, Iz. I saw how you and Nox were together, I saw how he looked at you like you hung the damn moon and don’t try to pretend you didn’t look at him the same way.

It was sickening, but it was also the happiest I’ve ever seen Nox.

And from what I’ve heard from Kiara, it’s the happiest you’ve ever been.

So, if that isn’t worth 5 minutes of your damn time, then maybe I don’t know you at all!

” Kai throws his hands up in the air in frustration, looking at me with a seriousness all the more powerful because it’s completely out of character for him.

“You been practicing that?” I raise an eyebrow at him, covering the effect his words have had on me.

He shrugs. “Nah – I figured I’d just wing it.

I’ve been told I have a flair for the dramatic.

” He looks inordinately pleased with himself and I can’t help but laugh as some of the tension eases out of the air.

“So, are you gonna turn ESPN on or am I going to have to carry you inside and do it myself?”

“I’d like to see you try,” I mutter at him, making a decision. “Tell me what it is you want me to watch first.”

“Nox has a pre-game interview starting in about,” Kai checks his non-existent watch. “2 minutes ago.”

“And I care about this why?” I ask, although I can’t help but steal glances at the TV set as if Lennox might just appear behind it.

“Jesus, you and Nox are as damn stubborn as each other, no wonder you get along so well,” Kai gripes to himself, before changing tack. “Have I ever steered you wrong?” I give Kai a look and he holds his hands up. “Alright, don’t answer that. But, seriously, Iz. Just do it.”

I give up pretending I’m not all-consumingly curious about what’s going on and – for once – I do as I’m told, going back into my apartment, leaving my case for Kai to deal with.

Turning the set to ESPN, the sight of Lennox suddenly filling up the screen takes my breath away. It really is unfair how good he looks. I’m here pining and he looks like a damn male model.

The attractive reporter is in the middle of asking a question about the new Pelicans uniform when Lennox interrupts her. For the first time I notice he seems a little antsy, his hand goes to the back of his neck in a telltale sign I wonder how many people apart from me know.

“There’s something else, I wanted to come on here and talk about,” Lennox says, looking straight into the camera. “Actually, it’s more like a message I’ve been trying to send someone, but she didn’t want to listen to me.”

I sink down onto my couch, not trusting my legs to sustain me anymore, eyes gripped by what’s unfolding on the screen.

“Alright, I’m guessing this is for your beautiful fiancée…”

“No. There’s no fiancée,” Lennox states coldly.

“What the -?” I whisper and my surprise is mirrored in the face of the perfectly coiffed interviewer on screen.

She looks like she’s been caught off-guard, but she also knows you don’t interrupt Lennox Gray. The man is a God in the world of sports and whatever’s about to come out of his mouth is going to be big news.

“Told ya.” Kai shrugs nonplussed before I shush him.

“So…you’re not engaged,” the reporter confirms and the expression on her face says this is good news to single women everywhere. She looks like she might jump him there and then. Jealousy flares up inside me until I remind myself I don’t have any claim on Lennox, not really, not anymore.

“I never was,” Lennox clarifies, looking straight at the camera instead of at the reporter and it feels like he’s speaking directly to me.

“It was a PR exercise for Honey.” There’s no disguising the way his lip curls at her name and – I’m not going to lie – it gives me the warm fuzzies.

“We’d dated for a while, a long time ago,” he emphasizes, “but we’d stayed friends and she came to me and told me she needed some help.

She was launching her own swimwear brand and needed some extra buzz around it and what creates more buzz than a story the tabloids can run with?

That’s what my manager said and – like an idiot – I agreed.

” Lennox shakes his head as if he still can’t believe it.

Join the club. “I was happy to go along with it as a favor to a friend, but once I started to become involved with someone else, I tried to call the whole thing off, but it was too late. Honey was willing to push the news through with or without my cooperation.”

The anger in his voice is palpable and I’m transported back to that fateful day in his study when he was yelling down the phone at Declan that the whole thing should have already been shelved.

“I told you to stop it!”

“We agreed that wasn’t fucking happening!”

Lennox continues. “It was only supposed to be a picture of us taken a long time ago and we’d just let the tabloids run with it.

A few column inches, some publicity for her, no harm done.

Unfortunately, Honey took it too far and planted the engagement story.

A diamond ring was photoshopped into the picture of us without my knowledge and then it was too late.

The damage’s been done. I’ve hurt the only person I never wanted to hurt. ”

The reporter is sitting on the edge of her seat, looking as rapt as I am. “And, why did you go along with it? You could have come out and told the truth as soon as the story landed.”

My question exactly, lady.

“The reason I’m speaking out about it now is because I signed a contract, a confidentiality agreement with Honey.

It took some time to iron out the legalities but once she started threatening to sue not only me, but everyone who works for me, I decided it was time to make a stand.

I won’t allow anyone to go after the people I care about, no matter how much it’ll fucking cost me in the long run. ”

The reporter’s eyes widen a little at Lennox’s curse which most definitely isn’t ESPN-friendly. I half-expect them to cut to a commercial break.

“All I want to do now is apologize. Isabella, if you’re watching I never meant to hurt you and – I know I don’t deserve it – but I’m asking for a second chance, because I know I can make you happy.

And I know you sure as shit make me happier than I’ve ever been, than I ever could be without you. I miss you like hell, baby. Come home.”

Home. I stare at Lennox’s face, seeing the anguish, the sincerity in his eyes and I know exactly where my home is. It’s where my heart decided to stay.

“You might want to inhale at some point, before you pass out, Iz,” Kai’s suggestion reaches me just in time and I take a deep breath in. I didn’t even realize I was literally holding my breath and waiting to hear everything Lennox had to say.

The reporter dabs at her eyes discreetly as if she’s been moved by his words before she thanks Lennox and throws to commercial.

“When was this recorded?” I’m still staring at the screen even though it’s switched to a commercial about hair transplants. I can still see the expression of sincerity in Lennox’s eyes and there’s no doubt in my mind everything he said was true.

“This morning,” Kai replies quietly. “He wanted to tell you, but you wouldn’t listen. This was the only way he could get the message out to you and hope you’d hear it.”

My resolve hardens and I grab my cell to call him. After what I’ve just seen I have to talk to him.

“If you’re trying to call Nox, don’t bother. He and the other guys are in pre-game mode, no cells in the locker room.”

“Dammit!” I look between the two tickets in my hand, one to Alabama and the man who taught me how to love, the other to the game and the man who I’ve loved so hard I thought it was going to kill me.

Dad would tell me to follow my heart and to chase happiness all the way to the end of the world if that’s what it takes.

“Kai, I need to get to the game. Can you take me?” I look up and meet my friend’s eyes.

“I thought you’d never ask,” Kai smiles and I all but run out the door, because now I’ve made up my mind. And I don’t want to waste one more minute.