Page 22

Chapter twenty-two

Rhett

Waking up to an empty bed was not how I expected to start the day. I frown as I lift my head and feel the cool pillow that should instead have a beautiful naked woman resting her head on it.

Ruthie has started sleeping in her crate all night without needing to go out, but maybe last night she needed to pee and I slept through it somehow? Still doesn’t explain why Evie didn’t come back to my bed.

I get up and go down the short hall to her room, only to find the door closed.

Weird, but I can respect if she needs some privacy. I move into the kitchen and get the coffee going.

But a short while later, there’s still no sign of life from Evie’s room, and I’m guessing the pup is gonna be getting desperate. I crack the door open, and sure enough, the room is still dark and there’s a lump on the bed.

The dog crate is right beside the door, so it’s easy to quietly open it and let the pup out. Ruthie darts between my legs, and I gently close the door, all with no sign of movement from the bed .

I take the puppy out and feed her breakfast, waiting for Evie to emerge. When she still doesn’t, I start to get worried.

I shower, get dressed, and by the time I have to leave for the stadium, it’s been over an hour with no sign of Evie.

Deciding I can’t leave without at least making sure she’s okay, I slowly open her door again. I pitch my voice low. “Evie? Honey, I’m sorry to wake you up, but I gotta leave for the stadium. You okay in there?”

There’s a shift on the bed, and then a quiet reply. “Yeah, I’m fine, just tired. See you later?”

Her voice is muffled and sounds pained. I briefly debate going in there and getting a closer look at her, but I’m conflicted. Just because we’re having great sex, does that give me the right to be nosy when she so clearly is dismissing me? I suppose it’s none of my business if she’s having a day in bed.

Even if I’ve never seen her act quite like this…

“Okay. I dealt with Ruthie already, but I’m gonna leave your door open so she can get in. Alright?”

“Mm-hmm. Thanks, Rhett.”

“I’ll see you later, honey.”

I pull the door halfway shut, hesitating, still wondering if I’m making the right call leaving her like this.

But in the end, I gotta get to work, and she’s not my girl. If she says she’s okay, then I gotta believe her.

Still, when I get to the stadium, I go straight to Yami. “Hey man, your sister’s normally up pretty early, right?”

He laughs. “Fuck, yeah, she doesn’t know how to sleep in. I hated it as a kid because she was always so damn loud and I just wanted to not be up before eight during summer break, you know?”

“Okay, yeah. So is there ever a time she stays in bed?”

Yami gives me a funny look, and I realize how weird that question might sound, so I hurry to explain. “Today. She didn’t get up to let Ruthie out, and by the time I was leaving to come here, she was still lying in the dark. She said she’s fine, but” — I lift my cap off my head and put it back down — “I dunno.”

“Ah, shit. I bet she’s got her period.”

My eyebrows shoot up. “What?”

“You obviously don’t have sisters.” He rolls his eyes, then his face sobers. “Evie gets wicked bad cramps and migraines sometimes. It’s brutal on her. If she was still in the dark when you left this morning, I’m guessing that’s it.”

“Fuck. Does she need anything? Should she have someone with her right now?”

Again, Yami looks at me strangely. "Dude, she’s been dealing with this for years. She’s fine.”

I don’t say anything more. The last thing I need is Yami wondering why I care so much that his sister’s suffering.

But I hate knowing that she’s at home, alone, in pain.

I head out of the locker room and straight to the gym to do some warm-up on an exercise bike. It’s the safest option right now with how distracted I am, thinking about Evie. Should I text her? Have some food delivered? Fuck. No. She’s my roommate and fuck buddy, not my girlfriend.

Except, somewhere along the line, she became more than a fuck buddy. I care about her. She’s my friend, of course I do. Only, is this level of caring…more than what a friend would feel?

God-fucking-damn it .

“Rhett Darlington, just the man I need.”

I keep my legs pedaling as I turn my head to see Willow strutting toward me. She’s got her brown hair up in a slicked-back ponytail, and a take-no-shit energy that’s clear as day.

“What kind of shit does a woman need if she’s got real bad cramps and migraines?”

Willow’s head actually moves back, that’s how stunned she is by my question.

“Shit. I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to dump that on you. Can we forget I said anything?” I ask, cursing myself out inside my head. Why the hell did I say that? Fuck.

“Ah, no, we absolutely cannot forget that. Why are you asking?” Willow says, folding her arms across her chest. “Wait. Kai’s sister is living with you.” Her face softens, and I know I’m fucked.

“Rhett, is something going on with you and Evie Yamaki?”

“Hush your mouth, will ya?” I hiss, glancing around. But the gym is, fortunately for me, empty right now.

“That’s all the confirmation I need.” She smirks. “But Rhett. Does Kai know?”

I think about how to respond. “No. And there’s nothing to tell. Not really. We’re just friends.” The words feel like sawdust in my mouth.

“Mm-hmm, sure,” she says, arching a brow at me.

“Listen, I know, it’s complicated. But right now, I need your help.”

Willow moves closer. “Fine, fine. We’ll discuss your choices later.”

Great, can’t wait for that conversation…

“She’s at home, still in bed with the lights off. She wouldn’t tell me why, but then Yami said she gets real bad cramps and migraines. I hate that she’s there alone. What kinda stuff might she need?”

“You’re such a softie.” Willow smiles as she pulls out her phone. “Okay, I’d assume she has the basics covered, but she could probably use some electrolytes, maybe a sweet treat of some kind, or a bath bomb to help her relax. Oh, an eye mask. You could get one that you can either cool or heat up so she can choose what she likes. Cozy sweaters and blankets. Hmm. I don’t know what else, just comfort items.”

Willow’s typing away on her phone, and after a couple of minutes, she turns the screen to face me. Thankfully, it’s got pictures, so I can see it’s a cart for a local store that offers same-day delivery, and it’s filled with all the stuff she just mentioned.

“That’s perfect.” I take the phone and type out my address and payment info without too much trouble, and hand it back. “Thanks, Wills.”

She smiles, pocketing her phone. “You know, any woman would be lucky to have a guy like you. And I would think any woman’s brother would be able to see that.”

I run my hand over my head, not meeting her gaze. I don’t want to think about whether or not she’s right. That’s too much right now.

“Okay, well. Movin’ on. You came here for a reason, what can I do for ya?”

“Oh, right. You’re up for schmooze duty after the game. We’ve got some VIPs coming from the children’s hospital, and Sadie wants you, Monty, Yami, and Wilson.”

“Not Mav?” I smirk, and Willow scoffs.

“Yeah, no. As much as Sadie loves him, even she knows better than to make him be social after a game.”

“You mean anytime.”

“Good point.” We both chuckle. My legs start to slow down.

“Thanks, Wills. I appreciate you doing this. And…” — I swallow — “and keeping things to yourself.”

“I’ve got you, Rhett. Just take it from me, secrets don’t last forever around here. And it’s always better if you’re in control of how they come out.” She gives me a knowing look, and I nod in understanding.

Willow leaves, and I climb off the bike, toweling it down before going to get changed for pregame.

And my head is feeling a hell of a lot less fucked-up. I’ve got a game plan now. Even though I can’t be with Evie until later, at least I feel like I can relax, believing she’ll have whatever she needs.

Somehow, luck is on my side. We win the game and I manage to get away from the meet and greet before Yami.

The drive home feels annoyingly long, but eventually, I’m parking my truck in my spot and getting on the elevator. My keys rattle in my hand as I wait impatiently for it to reach my floor.

As soon as the doors open, I’m squeezing through and hurrying down the hall to my apartment. I unlock the door and open it to find the lights on but dimmed. Ruthie comes racing over, and I stoop to give her some love.

When I straighten, I realize there’s someone on the couch.

“Um, hi.”

It’s Carlee, Evie’s old roommate, and she’s got her hands clasped in front of her.

“Hi. Carlee, right?” I say, keeping my voice low. “Is Evie okay?”

Her friend nods quickly. “Oh yeah, I was actually just about to go. She called me a while ago asking if I could drop off some soup. She, um —”

“Her brother filled me in,” I add quickly, saving Carlee from having to decide whether or not to share Evie’s current situation.

Carlee’s face brightens. “Oh, she must have told Kai. That explains the delivery earlier. Hope it’s okay I signed for it, he sent over a bunch of stuff.” She points to the kitchen counter, where several of the items Willow and I ordered have been opened.

“Ah, no, he didn’t, actually.” I grasp the back of my neck.

“Then who…” Carlee trails off, biting her lip. It looks like she’s trying hard not to smile. “Oh. I see.”

I turn away so she can’t see me blush. “Anyway. Thanks for being here for her.”

“She’s my best friend.”

The sound of her gathering her things is in the background as I busy myself getting a drink of water. I turn back when I hear her slide her feet into shoes. “I just took Ruthie out, so she’s good. And Evie will be fine soon, the migraines don’t last long. And when it eases, I think she’ll love that bath bomb. For now, just make sure she has something to drink, and keep the lights off as much as you can.”

I nod. “Will do.”

Carlee opens my front door and pauses. “And Rhett? Don’t fuck this up, and don’t play games. She won’t know how to handle it.”

She closes the door before I can object and try to defend myself, but her words stay with me anyway.

I move to lock the front door. Ruthie is contentedly playing with a toy, so I quietly walk over to Evie’s bedroom and crack the door open.

It’s still dark, and in case she’s asleep, I speak softly. “Hey. Just wanted to let you know I’m home. You need anything?”

“Rhett?” comes her quiet reply.

I step into her room, pulling the door mostly closed behind me to keep out the light. Going around to the side of the bed she’s on, I crouch down. The light is dim, but I can see enough to stroke back some long dark hair from her face.

“Hey there.”

“Hi.” She licks her lips. “Sorry about this.”

I lean in and press the lightest of kisses to her forehead. “You’ve got nothing to apologize for. Your brother told me you get hit hard some months. Why didn’t you tell me what was going on?”

“It didn’t seem like the kind of thing to tell your hookup,” she replies, her voice raspy. “But I’m feeling better. The headache is easing.”

It shouldn’t feel like an arrow to the chest hearing her call me a hookup, but damn, it does. Then again, I said it was nothing serious earlier, too, so maybe it’s good we’re on the same page.

I clear my throat before I reply. “Good. Next time, tell me. Okay? I can make sure you got what you need.”

“Thanks, but I’m okay. I had stuff, and Kai sent some things over. Not sure how he knew.”

“I sent that stuff, not Yami.”

Silence follows my statement. Maybe I should have let her believe it was her brother, but for some reason, it mattered to me that she knew I was thinking about her.

“You want me to run you a bath?” I ask, picking up her hand and holding it in mine. “Or just let you rest.”

“A bath would be great later. Could you…” — she pauses, and I hear her breathe in and out slowly — “could you just hold me for a while?”

Oh damn.

“You bet I can, honey.” I stand up and whip off my shirt before pulling down my jeans. Then, carefully, I slide into bed behind her and gather her in my arms. She moves willingly, tucking her little body back against mine. My hand lands on her stomach, and she covers it with hers, letting out a sigh.

“Thank you, Rhett.”