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Chapter Four

Levi

“Fucking amazing!” Colton shouted as we headed down the hallway toward the locker room at the end of the game. “That’s how we fucking play!”

“Sure is. That was an absolutely amazing shot, Levi,” Dylan said, smacking me on the shoulder. “We really should take tonight and head out to celebrate. Our fifth win out of five games and all.”

“You guys go ahead,” Clay said, dropping onto the bench in the locker room. “I told Peyton I’d be home after the game.”

“Killjoy!” Lucas chuckled.

“No, not a killjoy. I just promised I’d be there to be with her tonight.”

Knox pulled his jersey off and nodded. “That’s right, he needs to stand up to the words he promised me. To look after her,” he said, giving him the same look he’d given him the night he’d found out they were together, only to laugh the moment Clay did.

I could still hear the crowd cheering as I took off my jersey and dumped it into the laundry hamper in the corner.

“Well, I’m down. I just need to check in with Mrs. Fletcher and make sure Mia is okay.”

Once I’d gotten back to our place, Mia had a full-on meltdown because I’d refused to let her stay with Scarlett.

I’d called Mrs. Fletcher in a panic, knowing full well I’d not be able to get her calmed down, cleaned up, and ready in time to make it to the game.

She came right up to my place, and before I left, she had things under control and Mia in a warm bath.

It was a blessing that she lived in the building for emergencies just like this.

I seriously did not know just how lucky I’d been when I’d found her.

I grabbed my phone and quickly called her. The moment I mentioned going out with the guys she confirmed everything was okay and told me to have a wonderful time. Moments later, I’d gotten out of my gear and was on my way to the showers.

“So where do you guys want to go? Illusions? Tilted Flask? I’d suggest The Rusty Anchor, but it’s game night.”

When I turned around, I saw Knox staring at me with an annoyed look on his face, shaking his head.

“What?” I asked.

“Don’t you know by now that if I’m going out with all of you, we go to Illusions?”

I held up my hands in front of me and chuckled. “Sorry there, big guy. I guess our decision has been made. Illusions it is.” I laughed.

I stood in our private room, a drink in my hand, looking down over the dance floor while the guys behind me stood talking about the game.

“I can’t believe you were so late tonight,” Dylan said, coming up beside me. “When I messaged you, you said you were on your way. I got a little worried when you didn’t show up on time.”

“Yeah, well, there was a bit of a mishap with a cup of coffee and one careless woman who wasn’t paying attention,” I said, grabbing a slice of pizza from the tray before Lucas returned it to the table.

“Doesn’t sound too good.”

“It wasn’t, and when I went to take Mia back to the condo to get her cleaned up, she had a full-on meltdown. If it hadn’t of been for Mrs. Fletcher, I’d have missed tonight.” I sighed, taking a bite of my pizza.

“So, who was hell on feet?” Dylan chuckled as he grabbed a slice of pizza from the tray.

“Remember Scarlett Green?” I questioned. “The reporter from the Ice Insiders ?”

“Yeah.”

“Fucking reporters. Get her the fuck out of here, Tommy!” Colton yelled, grabbing both of our attention.

We both turned and looked in time to see Colton come back into the room, looking seriously annoyed and pissed off.

“What the hell is going on?” Dylan asked, looking over at Colton and Knox as they stood talking to one another.

“That fucking reporter from the Insiders . She followed me through the club, demanding an interview now. Almost got up here if it hadn’t of been for John at the bottom of the stairs.

They go overboard when they are fucking desperate.

” Colton huffed, taking a cold beer that Lucas had ready.

“That’s the reason I hate doing interviews. ”

Irritation and worry flooded me as I looked over my shoulder and quietly scanned the dance floor.

It took me a minute, but I finally spotted Scarlett in the centre of the dance floor with a couple of girls, dancing and laughing.

Then a man approached her, handed her a drink, and placed his hand on the small of her back, joining in the conversation.

“I told Tommy to have her forcibly removed if necessary. None of us are going to be harassed because we need to take a piss.”

“I’ll call Pamela, ask for a meeting, then we’ll notify her of this,” Dylan said, pulling his phone from his pocket. “They won’t have the opportunity for another interview if I have my way.”

“Good thinking,” Knox added. “I already had to call once last week because one reporter followed Lorelai through the grocery store and out to her car.”

“Jesus, better tell all the girls to watch their backs,” Dylan added.

“I’ll be back,” I mumbled as I made my way out the door and down to the dance floor. I would not allow her to do this.

Anger flooded me as I made my way through the crowd. I had no clue what I was going to say to her once I got to her, but she needed to know she crossed the line.

People bumped into me as I made my way through the crowd.

I went straight for the location I’d seen her in earlier, only to find she wasn’t there.

Looking around, I finally spotted her over at one of the small side bars with the two girls.

I made my way over to where she stood and tapped her on the shoulder. She whipped around and looked at me.

“Levi?” she questioned. “What are you doing here?” She smiled.

“Don’t you dare pretend like you didn’t know I was here. Who do you think you are?”

A stunned look came over her face as I waited for her answer.

“I…I do not know what you’re talking about. I’m here on my date,” she said through clenched teeth.

“Yeah, right. That is why you followed Colton through the bar, begging him for an interview,” I barked. “Are you that fucking desperate for an interview? I take it you are probably up for a promotion and are looking for a fast way to get one?”

“Levi,” she cried, holding her hands up in front of her, “I’d never do that.”

“So, you’re going to lie to me. Colton already told me. He’s in the process of having you removed from the bar, forcibly if it comes to it. If you want an interview, then go through the proper channels.”

She looked up at me, tears welling in the corner of her eyes as I continued to glare at her.

Part of me wanted to apologize immediately, because I knew that her crying told me she wasn’t lying to me.

I swallowed hard, debating what to do as she looked at me, when a man, about my height, came up to her and placed his hand on the small of her back.

“Everything okay here, Scarlett?” he asked, giving me a once-over.

I swallowed hard. That wasn’t Duncan, I thought to myself, not that it was any of my business who she was here with. Perhaps shit hadn’t worked out between them. I didn’t know, nor did I really care.

Scarlett glared at me and then turned and looked at the man beside her. “Everything is fine. Let’s go dance,” she said, wrapping her arm around his and pulling him away from me.

I stood there watching as they walked away from me and began dancing, confusion filling me.

Not that it was any of my business, but she’d gotten engaged to Duncan a little over two years ago.

I remembered seeing their announcement in the paper.

Not that I stalked her, but I kept my ear to the ground when it concerned her.

Plus, despite me asking him not to, Scottie always kept me up to date with what was going on in her life.

I pulled my phone from my pocket and opened a new chat between Scottie and me. I was about to go against everything I’d vowed never to do again.

I remembered when he confirmed their engagement.

I sat there staring at my phone, the words blurring as I’d digested the confirmation he’d given me.

I waited a few minutes, hurt, anger, and so many other emotions stirring inside me as Mia had cried on my lap.

I messaged him back an hour later and told him never to tell me another thing about her again.

Anytime he’d bring her up after that, I’d stop him and tell him I didn’t care, when in fact my words couldn’t have been further from the truth.

Of course, over the years when he mentioned her, I’d stopped telling him I didn’t want to hear about her.

I stared at the blank screen, at that stupid flashing cursor, and was about to message him when I felt someone poke me in the back. I whipped around to see Dylan and Knox standing there.

“She’s gone. Come back up. They just brought more beer. We can eat and drink in peace now. The big guy has calmed,” Dylan said, pointing to the door as the two club guards removed a woman.

Regret filled me as I looked over my shoulder and saw Scarlett, still dancing, but now smiling and laughing at whatever the guy she was with said. I was such an ass. I’d jumped to the conclusion it had been her who’d come after Colton.

I shoved my phone into my pocket, turned, and followed Dylan and Knox back upstairs, where I grabbed a beer, sat down on the couch, and decided tonight was going to be the one and only night I’d allow myself to sink deep into all the feelings of regret for letting Scarlett slip away.

It felt like someone was taking a hot poker to my brain as Mia let out another loud scream.

“Mia, can you please stop crying?” I moaned.

This was what I got for a night of heavy drinking.

One hell of a horrendous headache, and one sick, crying, and very cranky child.

I grabbed my mug of cold coffee and took a sip, then took a bite of my bagel, which wasn’t sitting very well, and tried to give Mia another spoonful of her oatmeal.

She shoved my hand away, causing me to drop the spoon onto the floor.

I let out a loud, frustrated sigh and closed my eyes for a moment while rubbing my temples, only to hear her dish smash as it hit the floor.

Oatmeal covered the tile floor, mixed in with pieces of broken glass. I looked at Mia who sat there, her eyes red and full of tears. I lifted her down off the chair and placed her on the floor, clear from the broken bowl.

“Just go into the living room and lie down,” I muttered, grabbing the roll of paper towels and the garbage.

“But…. I’m…. I’m hunnnnngrrrrrrrryy,” she cried again, stomping her feet on the floor.

I pinched the bridge of my nose and took a deep breath.

“Mia…go lay on the couch and I’ll bring you in something when I’m done cleaning up this mess here,” I said, my patience wearing thin.

I knew I should have crashed at Colton’s last night.

He’d offered, but instead of taking him up on that offer because I’d felt bad asking Mrs. Fletcher to stay, I’d come home.

When she left, I stupidly told her she could have today off, that I would be fine without her.

Normally, she came and stayed with Mia on Sunday while I went out to get groceries and run any other errands I had, but I figured I’d give her the day off since we were travelling later this week, but now that Mia woke with a tiny fever, I was regretting my decision.

Finished cleaning up the mess of oatmeal and glass, I pulled out a pan to make some scrambled eggs for us to share. I was just about to dump the eggs into the pan when my phone went off. Grabbing it, I looked down to see a message from Scottie.

SCOTTIE: What the fuck do you think you are doing? Accusing Scarlett the way you did? What the fuck is the matter with you?

Yep, here it was. This damn day couldn’t get much worse, could it? I dumped the eggs into the pan, debating whether to answer him, when my phone went off again.

SCOTTIE: Don’t think I’ll let you off the hook without an answer.

LEVI: Look, it wasn’t my brightest moment, okay. Let’s just say I overreacted.

SCOTTIE: Overreacted? You think? Come on, man….I know things haven’t exactly gone the way you planned….

LEVI: It was a mistake, Scottie.

SCOTTIE: You owe her an apology. She called me in fucking tears last night when she got home.

LEVI: What about her apology for dumping coffee all over me and Mia yesterday afternoon?

SCOTTIE: That was an accident, and you know it.

LEVI: Fine. Whenever I see her next, I’ll apologize.

SCOTTIE: No, you’ll make time today to apologize.

I rolled my eyes and threw my phone down on the counter, took my frustration out on the pan of eggs, and poured them onto the plate as I heard my phone go off again. I grabbed it and looked at the message Scottie left.

SCOTTIE: Well?

LEVI: Noted.

Instead of waiting for a response, I shut my phone off, leaving it on the counter, grabbed the eggs and a fork and made my way into the living room where I found Mia sound asleep on the couch.

I covered her with the blanket that lay over the back and sat down in the chair across from her, turning the television off cartoons to the sports channel, sat back, and dug the fork into the plate of eggs, taking my mind off everything else.