Page 73 of The Sacrifice
I open my eyes. My brother might be a slob, but he’s a good guy. He loves his friends. When I wasn’t looking, he grew up. “I called Jackson’s mom. She came and got Hadley from the stadium. He was supposed to be home at six.”Home. God, I’m going to be sick.
Chapter Thirty-Nine
Jackson
After I tuck Hadley into her playpen, I dial Truman’s number. Staying at work had been out of the question. Coach Slater took one look at me carting a three-month-old into the gym and sent me home, but I didn’t leave until I’d signed the petition for Spencer. I have too much spinning in my head to focus on weightlifting. I’ve got to get everything in order so I can concentrate tomorrow. If I don’t, I’m prime for getting hurt in the game.
“Yes?”
“Where do we stand?”
“Two of my agents, Cade and Lola, are planning to head to Vegas. They’re a married couple and good at their job. Mark my words, the paperwork will be signed and delivered before the weekend ends.”
“You’d better be right.” My jaw tightens as I crack my neck. Today has been the worst day of my life. I thought getting benched sucked. Having the woman I love dump me in front of my attorney was a punch in the gut and a kick in the dick.
And totally unfucking necessary. He said getting married was an option. But at the mention of making things permanent, she bolted. Was that where things were always going to end? I was good enough to screw, but that’s it. Was I blinded by seeing her with Hadley?
“I am. Don’t worry about a thing. We do this for a living.”
“Thanks, man.” I bite back the hostility coursing through my veins. I hang up and toss the phone onto the sofa.
My mom’s extolling of Mia’s virtues on the front steps of the stadium didn’t help matters. I didn’t need half the team to hear my sob story or my mom telling me what to do. Damn it, I’m twenty-three years old, and if I want to throw a fit or go into the corner to pout, then I will.
I inhale. Flowers and vanilla. Everything smells like her. I snatch up the vase of roses and wildflowers she’d placed on the end table and toss them into the trashcan. The white plastic bag slips off the edge and hugs the dried stems. I know how they feel. Cut down at the knees. Starving for light and substance, they’re stuck in a cold trashcan headed for the dump, instead of getting what they need.
Hadley fusses in her sleep as if she feels my negative energy. Or misses Mia. I rub my forehead.
You’ve got to get ahold of yourself. You don’t go off the rails for a woman. They’re more where she came from.
Where? The Nannies ‘R’ Us or my best friend’s house? Andrew doesn’t have any other sisters, and I’m never hiring another nanny in my life.
My cellphone vibrates on the sofa cushion. I don’t want to talk to anyone, but if it’s Truman, I need to hear what he’s got to say.
Andrew.Like I need another lecture. Mia is the one that broke up with me. “Yes.”
“Hey, I’m outside. I didn’t want to wake up Hadley if she was asleep.”
“Thanks. I appreciate that. I’ll get the door.”
Seconds later, he’s inside and eyeing me up and down. He pops his neck and rakes a hand through his hair. I brace my shoulders, preparing for a fight or a hug. I can’t tell which way this is going.
He swallows hard and pops his neck from the other direction. “Are you okay?”
“Yeah, I’m fine.” He arches his eyebrows. “Fine. I’m not okay. Your sister left me high and dry.”
“She told me.” He clears his throat. “What’re you going to do?”
“What I was already going to do. Get full custody of Hadley and take care of my daughter. Only, I guess, I’m doing it on my own.”
“She’s doing what she thinks is right.”
“What?” I cross my arms over my chest. “Deciding I’m too immature to make a big boy decision on my own and live with the consequences?”
“That’s a bit of a stretch.”
“Is it?” Anger swells in my chest. “Roxanne dropped off a kid after threatening to abandon her on the social services doorstep. She put me down on the birth certificate because I had a birthmark, but I’m sure there were plenty of other candidates to choose from. I could get her for abandonment.”
“Why haven’t you?”