Page 81 of The Wildest One

“With those fools? So I can hear them talk about her more? Shit no. I’m getting the hell out of here before I murder one of them.”

TWENTY-TWO

Jolie

“Before you say anything, I could really use a drink.”

Out of all the things I could have voiced to Beck when he opened his front door, those were the words that came out.

Part of that had to do with anxiety, which, at this point, was on the verge of sending me straight into a panic attack.

And part of that was because I really did need a drink or I was going to have that panic attack.

“A drink?” He gripped the side of the heavy glass door, his presence taking up the entire entryway, his hazel gaze zooming right in on me. “How about the truth? Why don’t you start there instead?”

“You’re going to get that.” I clutched the strap of my crossbody. “But I’m a bundle of nerves, and we don’t have any alcohol in our apartment since we just moved in. I could have stopped at the store, but I left work late, and I didn’t want to arrive here a minute after seven and …” My voice trailed off as he turned around and left the doorway, walking past his foyer, deeper into his home, like he was completely done listening to me.

“Okay …” I shut the door behind me and followed him into the living room.

He grabbed a glass and bottle from the bar and set them on the coffee table. “Now talk.”

With shaky hands, I unscrewed the top of the whiskey and poured some into the glass. I didn’t ask for sour mix. I wanted nothing to come between me and this alcohol. Halfway to my lips, I asked, “Aren’t you going to have one?”

“No.”

I took a drink and then another, waiting for the burn to fade before I swallowed a little more. “Why not?”

“Because every time there’s liquor involved, I can’t seem to keep my fucking hands off you.”

He was sitting in one of the chairs that was across from the couch, so I tucked myself in the corner of the large sectional, gripping a pillow with one hand and my drink with the other.

He brushed a hand over his soft hair, locks that weren’t gelled or styled. “You’re up. Let’s hear it.” And when that hand fell, he leaned back, his bare foot bouncing on the floor.

There was a coldness coming from him.

Not from his outfit—those gray sweats and T-shirt created a scorching look—but from his tone and posture.

I understood. Things were … beyond disastrous.

Even though, over the last few days, I’d played this out many times in my head, I couldn’t find a place to start. Starting should have been easy—it wasn’t.

I traced my thumb around the rim of the glass and took in a giant breath. “I found out my dad was interested in buying the Whales three weeks before you guys played in Boston last season. When he called me in for that meeting, he’d already spoken to his attorney, and the deal was in motion.” I tucked my legs off to the side. “When he dropped that news on me, that’s also when he told me that if the deal went through, I’d be the oneheading up the team’s marketing and that would require me to relocate to LA.”

He leaned forward, his elbows resting on his knees. “You’re telling me … you’ve known about this for that long?”

“Yes.”

“And you said nothing to me?”

“Said nothing to you? I’ve signed so many NDAs over the course of working for my father, the sheets of paper with my signature on it would equal a four-hundred-page book.” I huffed. “Even if I wanted to tell you, I couldn’t until the announcement was made or my father shared the news—whichever came first, but you weren’t going to hear that news from me.”

“Bullshit.” He nodded at me. “You could have fucking told me.”

I stared at him, almost dumbfounded. “Let’s say I could … why would I?”

“Because you owed me that.”

I released the pillow, the anxiety finally leaving my body, and in its place was a whole new feeling. A feeling that sent me to the edge of my seat after I untucked my legs. “I owed you nothing. Do you remember the whole Africa thing? Where it appeared that you didn’t invite me? That I went this whole time thinking you’d ghosted me after my last message to you?” I flicked my hair off my shoulder. “Because of that, I wasn’t exactly super excited to reach out even though I knew you were coming to town.” I paused. “And even though Iwasgoing to be at that game.”