Total pages in book: 102
Estimated words: 105306 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 527(@200wpm)___ 421(@250wpm)___ 351(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 105306 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 527(@200wpm)___ 421(@250wpm)___ 351(@300wpm)
That doesn’t sound great either.
“When you love someone the way I love Duke, you find a way to push through it.”
I open my lips. “I don’t love Dallas.”
“Not yet,” Posey says.
“We’ve only known each other a few weeks. It’s way too soon.”
“Probably. But you’ll never find out how strong it can be until you let yourself try.”
“I did let myself try.”
“Dallas has no involvement with that girl they had on the news. He is devastated by this entire situation.”
“Devastated?” I scoff. “Pissed off, sure, but devastated?” I laugh, knowing damn well Dallas isn’t sitting at home crying about any of this.
More like he’s getting his ass chewed out by his agent for ruining the entire scheme he cooked up with one careless mistake.
“All I’m saying is give it thought. Keep an open mind. Know that there are people in this world—like that blond girl—who aren’t happy until someone else is miserable.” She pauses. “You are a strong female. That’s why he’s drawn to you and you to him. You can both protect each other. He needs someone to have his back, and he will have yours. That’s what the Colter men do.”
That’s what the Colter men do.
“I appreciate your calling me. It’s been a rough few days,” I admit to this person I’ve never met. I will also admit she sounds lovely and like she’d be easy to talk to. Such a shame that everything is a chaotic mess.
“I know. If anyone can sympathize, it’s me. I’m not trying to sway you one way or another. You do what’s best for you. All I wanted to do was add a new perspective.”
“Thank you.”
forty-two
dallas
“I’m single because I don’t need anyone ruining my life. I’m perfectly capable of doing that on my own.”
–Drake Colter
I have a problem that only my agent can help me fix.
Rather than call him or message him, I video-chat him, sitting on the edge of the couch in the living room, knee bouncing up and down as I anxiously wait for him to answer.
“What’s up, buddy?” He pops his earbuds in, then leans back in his desk chair. “How have you been holding up?”
Eli wasn’t exactly thrilled with the latest developments but understands this sort of thing happens, shitty as it is.
“I think I need your help.”
“Oh? How so?”
“You know I’ve been seen with Ryann Winters, but what you don’t know is that she’s someone I actually want to date. Like date—for real for real.”
“For real?” He smiles. “Okay. And?”
“Obviously she wants nothing to do with me because of that photograph, but I’m wondering if there’s a video of it floating around somewhere that we can get our hands on?”
Surely Eli has a connection with the tabloids. Or his agency’s publicists do?
I need to get ahold of it.
Eli steeples his fingers as he spins around in his desk chair, thinking. Taps the tips of his fingers on his chin.
“Hmm, would I know someone who could get their hands on that?” He hums. “Yes, most likely.” He inhales. “It won’t be cheap, but it’s likely.”
I perk up, sitting up straight, knee stops jiggling. “Seriously?”
“Yes, seriously.” He cocks his head, studying me through the phone. “You don’t honestly believe this is the first time I’ve had to deal with a woman trying to blackmail a player into whatever it is she wants from him, do you?”
“For real?”
“For real.” He spins again. “I once had a woman go to the press alleging one of my players got her pregnant and then dumped her. He claimed not only did he never sleep with her, they’d never even met. Turned out she wasn’t pregnant and the whole thing was a wild attempt at getting his attention.”
“That’s sick.”
He nods. “Yup, but that’s the business. Well, the dark side of it anyway. I could sit here and talk for hours about the shady shit that goes on, all the side deals. Extortion. Blackmail. And I’m not just talking about fans or women, either. Plenty of players have landed in hot water by doing illegal shit.”
Damn.
I’d love to know more about that, but not right now; now is not the time.
Eli stops moving in his desk chair and juts out his bottom lip. “Tell you what—if my sources come through as they usually do, there’s a good chance we can run a counter story during your next game.”
Which is this weekend.
“That would be great.”
“No promises, but I’ll see what I can do.”
“I appreciate it.”
“I’m sure you do,” Eli says solemnly. “Focus. Keep your head down, stay out of more trouble.”
I nod. “Of course.”
“I’ll be in touch.” His hand reaches up and he taps his earbud, his screen going blank, sound cutting out.
This entire goddamn game is turning into a goddamn nightmare.
Worst I’ve ever played.
I can’t focus my mind despite Eli having told me the world would be watching. In the wake of my “scandal”, all eyes are on me, and this is not a time to bite the green weenie.