Page 10

Chapter 9

Rina

I zzy’s eyes shift to me, and I put my hands up.

“I have no idea what’s about to happen.”

She rolls her eyes. “Leave it to Keelan to steal the show. I’d hate to see what he’s capable of doing at his own wedding.”

I look over to the center of the dance floor where her brother is currently twirling his suit top over his head. He dramatically slams it down, and the other groomsmen move along with him.They break into synchronized moves, all boy-band style.

“A choreographed dance? He got Fergie, O-zone, and Hicks to choreograph a dance?” I say, almost in awe.

The four of them beckon Ryker onto the floor. We both look at Ryker, who’s actively covering his face with his palm.

Izzy shoves his shoulder, and he looks at her with pleading eyes.

“Go,” she tells him.

“I’d rather not,” he protests.

“Go, Goalie-zilla. I’m only getting married once, so you'd better make the most of it.” Then, to me, she says, "No offense."

I hold back a laugh. "None taken."

“I am making the most of it," he protests. "By not dancing with your brother.”

Keelan does a few backflips and now the wedding guests have surrounded them. Cell phones are recording and all I can think is that I hope he doesn’t break his leg again. The last time he did, he became the world’s neediest man-child.

He top-rocks his way over to the bride and groom’s table and holds out his hand to his best friend.

“No,” Ryker says, not making any moves.

“Come on, Ry. Everyone’s waiting,” he says from the corner of his mouth.

Ryker crosses his arms over his chest. He’s not going anywhere.

“Fine,” Keelan says, then shifts his attention to me and holds his hand out.

I straighten. “What are you doing?”

“Dance with me, maid of honor. Don’t leave me hanging like this bozo,” he says, motioning toward the groom.

I look at his open hand and then over to Izzy, who nods enthusiastically. “Go! Do the first dance in my place.”

My eyes meet Keelan’s again. Those mocha eyes beg me to move, and I’m powerless against them. Before I know it–my feet are moving toward him, and my hand is wrapped in the warmth of his.

He pulls me toward him. And our chests meet. “You still remember how to dance, don’t you, Your Majesty?” His smile teases me and I narrow my eyes.

“Of course,” I say, allowing him to pull me toward the center with him. He spins me, and the second I face him again, I slam my heel onto his foot. He sucks in a grunt. “How could I forget, Man-child?”

Now, it’s my turn to tease him with a smile.

The song changes, and now I’m stuck slow dancing with him while the entire wedding party and guests watch.

He chuckles to himself. “I gotta admit, Ri. I like you mad.”

“I’m not mad,” I deadpan.

“Yes,” he says, his hand moving down to my waist. “You are. And mad is good. Mad, I can work with.”

I feel my blood pressure rising with the proximity. I shouldn’t be this close. Not in front of so many people. It could cause speculation. I already see some of the guys on the team eyeing us.

We’re soon joined by his teammates and their wives and girlfriends. Everyone sways and whispers sweet nothings into each other’s ears. All except for Ryker and Izzy. Ryker doesn’t dance. And Izzy loves him regardless.

I look at Keelan again.

“Why are you so convinced I’m mad?” I ask him.

He tilts his head down at me, our faces just inches apart. “Are you serious? Jenny… the girl you can’t stand since college, just became your work wife.”

I guffaw. “ Work wife ?! Please.”

“Well, you’re sure doing a hell of a job making it seem like you’re not mortal enemies.”

“Jenny and I aren’t even on the same playing field,” I retort.

“You’re the NHL and she’s Tier 3?”

“Your analogies need work.”

He shrugs. “You know what I mean.”

“What I mean is that I refuse to stoop down to her level.”

"Hmm," he says in thought before he leans in close enough to whisper into my ear. “I also heard Redmond is giving you problems."

I pull away. "Who told you that?"

He watches me intently. "Rina… let me help.”

“I don’t need your help, Landry.” What I need is his distance.

“I’ve known you since you were eighteen, Rina. The more help you need, the more you try to pretend you don’t need it.”

My eyes scan the room to make sure nobody is paying enough attention to us to read my lips.

“He froze my accounts this morning.”

Keelan nearly halts us. But I tug him to keep moving. Keep it cool . He swallows hard, the anger he’s been keeping under the surface bubbling up when he says, “I’ll kill him.”

“No, you won’t,” I tell him. "Because you have quite literally done enough. Trust me."

“That asshole’s got a lot of nerve. After everything he put you through.”

"I'm fine, Keelan." The seething turns to a softness in his face when I say his name. “I don’t want you to do anything. Do you understand me?”

The song ends, and those who weren’t just dancing clap as the DJ returns to the mic.

“Come on,” he says, pulling me away from the dance floor once everyone is distracted.

He pulls me into the nearest bathroom and locks the door behind him. It’s a private room with lights that turn on automatically when we walk in. The venue is actually one of the nicest I’ve ever seen.

Ryker spared no expense for his new wife to get the wedding of her dreams.

“Are you telling me you don’t have access to your own money, Rina?”

I cross my arms over my chest. “I’ll figure it out.”

He shakes his head. “That’s not what I asked. Did that asshole seriously take away your money?”

“Technically, it’s still in my account. I just can’t access it at the moment.”

Keelan rubs a hand over his head as he paces back and forth a few times in deep thought. "Why?"

“This isn’t your problem to solve, Keelan.”

“Why did you even have a joint account in the first place? You hardly knew him.”

I glower at him. The last thing I need are my mother's words being thrown at me again. I've distanced myself from her because of this very reason.

"I'm not doing this with you." I reach for the knob, but he blocks it. "Landry," I say, all warmth gone from my voice. "If you value your hands and your career, like I know you do, then I suggest you move. Right now."

His fists clench and unclench.

“How long?” he asks.

"How long what?"

"How long will your accounts be frozen?"

I don't need him to get involved. I already have a plan in place, and I don't need to burden anyone else in my world with this. Despite how much I despise the thought of sinking so low. I can always ask my parents for help.

My dad will do it in a heartbeat. No questions asked.

But mom… I'm already bracing for the storm she'll unleash in my direction.

“Until the property division process is complete or...” I stop myself.

"Or what?"

I've already said more than I wanted to.

"I need to go. Izzy needs me." I move to leave again. And this time, he bends and picks me up by the waist and tosses me over his shoulder. I pound on his back.

"Put me down!"

He pushes aside a flower arrangement and sets me on the counter next to the sink. Holding me by the waist he looks at me intently.

"Or. What. Rina?" He enunciates each word.

I clear my throat. The last thing I need is my best friend's brother looking at me with those heated eyes. His hair is pushed back but messy from his earlier dance routine, and he’s practically standing in between my thighs in a suit that should be illegal.

I've seen him dressed before. The guys are always dressed to the nines before each game. But the way he looks right now. A woman can only have so much self-control, especially if he is the person I need to stay the furthest away from.

He slides his hands off my waist and places them on the counter on either side of me. And bends so that we're face to face.

"Tell me… or what?" He watches me like I'm the most captivating thing in the world.

I gulp. "Or… until I choose to stay with him."

A look crosses Keelan's face. The same look he had when Redmond passed security guards at the arena in search of me. Redmond knew I was working that day. He knew the team would be there. And he chose to make a scene so that everyone would know what was going on between us. It was the only way he would be able to get my attention.

And it worked.

"No," Keelan growls. "You're not going back to him."

There's something I don't take lightly in this world, and that's being told what to do with my life by someone who isn't me. I grew up with a mother who was controlling in everything I did. I vowed I would never let someone take that from me. Everything will always be my choice. I don't care who the person is.

You tell me what to do, and we're going to have problems.

I want to push Keelan away just for saying the words. I want to tell him to fuck off and to mind his own business.

But there's something I want far more than that. And I can never allow myself to admit it because I'm already in too deep. The damage is done, and now all I can do is try to live the best life I can.

I lift my chin, and Keelan stays in the same position before me. Watching me.

I reach for his tie, and he straightens. I wriggle it like I'm attempting to fix it. And as I do, I look him in the eye.

"Don't you ever," I say calmly. Then, not so calmly, "Ever!" I tug him to me by the tie. "Tell me what to do. I'm in charge of my life… and, quite frankly, yours too. So don't piss me off, Landry. That's a game you don't want to play. I have enough enemies as it stands."

I let go, and he steps back, slipping one hand into his pocket as he loosens the now-tightened tie around his throat and cracks his neck.

“Is that what you think we are, Ri… enemies?"

"Well, we sure as hell aren't friends," I slide off the counter and tug my dress down.

"No, we sure as hell aren't friends," he agrees, watching me in the mirror. He steps up behind me, pulls my hair off my shoulder, and gathers it over the other, exposing my neck. And says, "Even so. You always have a bed in my house."

I don't miss how he chose to say bed instead of room. But we both know that's not something we'll be entertaining.

He doesn't bring his lips to meet my skin. But the brush of his breath over it makes my body break out in goosebumps.

He looks down at the reaction my body has to him and then back at me in the mirror, a devilish smirk growing on his face.

I clear my throat. "That won't be necessary." The music outside the door is dying down. "You should go. I'll stay here for a bit longer. I… don't want anyone to know we were in here together."

"Mmm," he says in thought. "Wouldn't want them to get the wrong idea." We stare at each other in the mirror, neither of us making a move.

"Bye, Landry."

"Well, I'm sure I'll be able to change your mind in the coming days."

"About what exactly?"

"Letting me help." He finally takes a step back and bows theatrically. "Your Majesty," he says playfully before opening the bathroom door and slipping out. The door shuts behind him, and finally—I can breathe.

This past month has been a whirlwind. Wedding planning with Izzy. PR campaigns for the team. And the cherry on top—divorce. Because who the hell has the time or energy to deal with that?

As if Redmond can hear my thoughts, I get a text from him. It's a video.

I hesitate to open it, but I've been ignoring his attempts to reach me for two days. And he's been relentless.

I press play.

"Hey, Rina baby," he begins with that rustic, Australian accent I fell so easily for. He's in Austin. The familiar black and blue seats in the soccer stadium where he plays are behind him. "Listen, I know you probably don't want anything to do with me. And I get that. I haven't been easy. And I'm sorry it's come down to this. I just," he sighs. "We should try, Rina. Marriage isn't easy. It never is. And we knew that going into it. But… it's worth fighting for. You're worth fighting for."

He sniffles. He's either emotional, or the Austin cedar allergies are getting to him.

"Rina, please. Let's talk. I'm coming into town next week. Let's figure something out. Maybe… I don't know, maybe we can agree to a separation. Just until we can work things out. You know? We should try. Anyway, I hope you have fun at the wedding. I wish I could've been the one to walk down the aisle with you and not…" he pauses. "Anyway, I love you."

The video stops, and I take a deep breath. I did love Redmond. I did. But we aren't good together. Not because we didn't try… we just aren't. And if I would've stopped and thought about it for more than five seconds, I would've seen it.

But some things you don't realize until it's too late.