Page 7 of Rushing Her: Seattle, Westerners (Gridiron Warriors #2)

As soon as Betty moves away, Brea starts in on me. “Why not? There is no reason why two consenting adults can’t be together.” She knows I broke up with him; she doesn’t know why.

“We can’t. I can’t do that to either of our careers. It has to be this way. It was for the best back then and still is. I won’t ruin us.”

“Bullshit,” T.K. says from his table. My eyes shoot to him.

“I can’t. They said that it had to be done for him to become a more focused player. Look at everything he’s accomplished now.”

“Murray still would have done all that, but as a better man and player.” T.K.

moves toward our table, bringing his water along.

My sister scoots in next to him, and he throws an arm over her to pull her even closer.

I watch as he leans down to kiss the top of her head.

The tears continue to run down my face, and Betty walks over with napkins, patting my shoulder.

“I can never go there. I did it for us. I had to.”

“Whoever convinced you that it would be better for you to break up with Murray was lying to you. He was a much better player with you than he’s been without you.

I played with him before and against him after; I would know.

He’s become all machine. He used to enjoy the game, but now it’s only about money and winning.

He gets easily upset and would rather walk away than shake another player’s hand.

He would tell an opposing player good catch or some shit like that.

Now he just tells them to fuck off. He doesn’t play as well as he did before.

He has no heart now.” T.K. thumps his chest, and I recall Coach Winters’ words that Brayden lost his heart.

I stop crying, and my eyes flare wide. “What? I wasn’t his heart. He played before me.”

“He did play before you, and he was good. But when you broke up with him, it destroyed both of you. You may not have been his heart, but you certainly broke it. Murray could have the best season of his life if you’d just give him a chance.

A man with his woman is better than a man regretting the decisions he made about his woman.

” T.K. looks down at my sister, and the love he has for her is crystal clear.

“I can’t. I just can’t. I won’t ruin us.”

“You do what you need to, but you’d be better together. I hate to admit it, but I’d like to see him go out with a ring, and the only way he can do that is if he plays with his whole self.” T.K. kisses my sister deeply before he stands up and returns to his table.

Brea reaches across the booth again and grips my hands in hers, encouraging me to look at her. “You’d be better off if you stopped living in fear. You can do this. Just let it happen. Live your life, and don’t listen to whoever did this to you.”

I shake my head as I consider those words. Coach apologized, but the proof is still out there. I can’t do that to either of us. “I’m an excellent agent and provide the best for my clients.”

“You do, but what about you? What about what you need, sis? Alex, you haven’t been the same since you ended it with Brayden.” Brea squeezes my hands again, and I look over at T.K., who just nods.

We eat our desserts, and I sip my tea as we change the subject to her pregnancy, and I decide to share with her a little bit about what I’m doing. “Don’t get your hopes up, but I had my IUD removed a couple of months ago. I’m seeing Dr. Jarvis to have some of my eggs harvested.”

Brea’s sky-blue eyes go wide. “Really? That’s good, but you still have time. Dang, if you didn’t use protection last night, you could be pregnant now.”

Instantly, my mind flashes back to the fact that we didn’t use anything, so it’s a real possibility. Extra hormones already course through my system, but Dr. Jarvis said I’d need the trigger shot for ovulation.

To cover up the awkward silence, I ask how her best friend is doing. She and Adeline have been close since they were little. Brea shares with me that Adeline is starting to plan her baby shower and will get in touch with me to discuss what date works best.

We continue visiting before I hug her and T.K. goodbye.

“Remember to think about what we said,” Brea says in parting, and I stand motionless on the sidewalk as they drive off, wondering if I’m crazy for even considering it.

Thirteen years have passed, and I’ve followed the rules, but in one night, everything might have changed, and I’m left adrift in distress. I can’t face Brayden right now, so leaving Portland is the best choice, even though I won’t be able to stop at the doctor’s office to get my other shots.

Boarding the private jet, I head home, sure that I’ll have to face my behavior in a few weeks, but right now, I need my safe space. And my organized planned out life.

Brayden

T he moment I roll over, I know she’s gone.

It pisses me off enough to chase her ass down, but there’s not enough time.

I haven’t overslept in years, so I rush through my shower and dress in a pair of slacks with a V-neck pullover.

I’m packed, checked out, and ready to head to Coach Winters’ house within an hour.

Pulling my black G-Wagon to the curb, I shoot off a quick text to my security team to locate Alexandra.

She doesn’t know it, but I’ve kept an eye on her for years.

At any given moment, her whereabouts can be known to me.

I have even planted people as her neighbors to keep a careful eye on her in case she brings someone home or needs help.

Her last date gave up with only an autographed football from me.

It’s a low blow, but it shows that these men aren’t worthy of her.

I’m curious why she’s going to a women’s reproductive health clinic, though. I know that Dr. Jarvis has been her gynecologist for many years, but the fact that she’s had so many appointments with her recently concerns me.

I’ve tried to hack into her medical records, but have been unsuccessful. I even asked a couple of good hackers I know, but they won’t do it. They said they have rules, and that’s one they won’t break.

Stepping out of the SUV, I stand at the curb, setting my phone to silent before slipping it into my pocket along with my key fob and walking to the front door.

Many times, in college, I’d find myself here eating dinner or spending time with Coach and Mildred.

They never had kids, and he was like an adopted father or uncle to me.

My own parents never came to Seattle or Portland to see me; my brother would, but not my parents. Not because they didn’t love me; they just felt that continuing to work would help me along more. To make ends meet through the rough years, I also worked part-time.

Mildred opens the door before I even rap my knuckles against it. She looks tired, and I lean down to kiss her cheek.

“He’s in the back on the deck. Don’t be mad at him, Brayden,” she says softly, and I raise an eyebrow, unsure of her meaning.

Walking through the house, I step out the back door, where Coach Winters is rocking in a chair, a cup of water beside him. He remains silent as I round the other chair and take a seat. His fingers thump against a manila folder on his lap.

“I’m here, old man. What’s up?”

He finally turns to look at me, and in the bright sunlight, I see what I couldn’t last night. He’s not only thinner, but his face looks gaunt. “Son.” He drops his head, breaking eye contact. “I have to apologize.”

“No, you don’t. What’s going on, Coach?” I reach across the chairs to pat his arm, but when he looks at me this time, I see not only hurt, but regret.

He takes a deep breath. “It’s all my fault. I changed everything when I talked to her. I didn’t realize how bad you’d take it. I should have because if she meant anything to you like Mildred means to me, that’s everything.”

I shake my head as I lean away from him. What could he possibly mean?

“I blackmailed her.”

“Who? What are you talking about?” I lean forward in the chair, unsure if what he’s about to say is something I want to hear. I drop my head into my hands and rest my elbows on my knees. “No.” My head shakes. It can’t be.

“Alexandra.”

I spring from my chair at the sound of her name.

“No,” I shout, and Mildred joins us. She stands next to her man with a hand on his shoulder. “No, she wouldn’t have done that. I don’t believe you.” Where is the quickest exit? I need out of here.

“Brayden, he’s dying.” Mildred’s words stop me cold. My chest aches, but I hold my head high. “It’s stage four pancreatic cancer.”

“That’s no excuse. What did you do?” My voice cracks with despair. I don’t want to lose him, but it must be awful if he’s this torn up about it, and part of me doesn’t want to know. It’ll change everything. How can it not?

“Here.” He hands me the folder. “I told her if she wanted to be not only a good agent but a great one, she’d learn to sacrifice for her clients. I threatened to expose you both. Ruin both your careers if she didn’t break up with you.”

The look of torment on Lexi’s face flashes by. Her anger with him at the party. “That’s what you were arguing about last night.”

I begin to pace in front of him, leaving the folder unopened because it doesn’t change anything. She took his word over mine. She didn’t trust me.

“Yes.”

“She stayed away from me for all this time because of whatever this is?”

“Look, son.”

“Don’t fucking call me that,” I bite out. “My father wouldn’t have made me choose between football and Alexandra. He’d have known my choice.”

“That’s why I did that. Football needed to be your focus, not a girl. Football. I protected your career, so you’d have one. I buried that, and no one ever spoke of it again. Look.”