After another two wins in Sacramento, I come back to an empty apartment in Seattle. With Riley’s intensely long study sessions at the library and my busy playoff schedule, we barely get to see each other.
When the Blades meet the Skates during game three, I see Riley in the crowd. Her presence gives me enough energy to set up two goals, gaining me two assists and getting the Blades another win.
She’s so busy at school that I don’t even get to thank her for bringing me good luck before the Blades are back in the arena for game four.
This time, she’s not in the crowd.
This throws me off my game as I mishandle two passes and slip up on what could have been a game-tying goal. It’s the first loss for the Blades since the playoffs started, meaning we’ll have to go back to Sacramento.
Although the Blades still have the lead, the trip means less time with Riley.
We cross paths the next morning in my apartment before I head to the airport again.
She’s standing in the kitchen pouring herself a mug of coffee. She’s already dressed, looking like she’s about to head out soon.
“You weren’t at the game last night,” I say.
“I’m sorry.” She holds the mug in both hands and sips. “I had a late study group that went until two in the morning. It was brutal.”
She puts down the mug. “I saw you had a bad night too.”
“It wasn’t my best.” I walk over to her and pull her into my arms as I push a strand of hair behind her ear. “I missed you.”
She smiles. “I missed you too.”
I kiss her neck, smelling the vanilla perfume on her jawline.
“I can’t stay.” She pushes me away. “I have to get to campus.”
“So soon?” My stomach sinks. “I won’t be back for another few days.”
“Win the next one and you’ll be here sooner.” She smirks.
“You know how to motivate me.” I pull her back close to me and kiss her lips slowly, enjoying each second.
She kisses me back before slowly pulling away. “I have to go.”
“Is everything alright?” I hold her dainty hand in mine.
“Yeah, I’m just really busy. I’m sorry.” She pulls back.
“I’ll see you in a few days.”
She smiles. “I’ll see you on TV.”
Grabbing her bag, she makes her way to the elevator. As she disappears inside and the doors slide shut, I’m left alone in my kitchen.
There was something strange about her behavior.
I pick up her mug and take a sip. She didn’t even finish her coffee.
Walking back to my room, I pass the dining room table which is littered with papers. A letter is sitting on top. It’s from a place in New York City.
I pick it up and read it.
“They’re sending her a plane ticket to go in for an interview?” I mumble to myself. “Why didn’t she tell me about this?”
Is this why she’s acting so strange? Is she taking a job in New York City and she’s afraid to tell me?
I find myself staring at the letter long enough for the coffee to start going cold. I’m lost in my thoughts as I entertain every possibility.
Is Riley being distant because she knows she’ll have to leave soon? Is this her way of avoiding becoming attached?
I look around my apartment: the notebooks and pens on the coffee table, the shoes by the entrance, the hair clips everywhere.
My gut wrenches.
I don’t want Riley to leave. I like having her presence around. If she moves, this will be the same lifeless apartment it’s been since the beginning. The thought of it sends chills through me.
I can’t even imagine a life without Riley.
The alarm on my watch goes off.
Shit.
I spend two minutes throwing clean clothes into a bag before driving myself to the airport.
I spend the plane ride with my headphones on and the rose pendant in my hands. I want to fight to be with Riley, but how? I can’t force her to stay in Seattle if she gets a job in New York City.
Coach walks down the airplane aisle, heading to the washroom.
“Drake!” He speaks forcefully enough for me to hear it through my headphones. I pull them off.
“Yes, Coach?”
“You getting your head in the game this time?”
“Of course, Coach.”
“Good. I was just talking to Balder and he’s worried about you.”
I’m staring at Coach but I’m thinking about Riley.
“Balder?” I ask absently.
“Good god, kid. Take a nap if you’re tired. We don’t need more mistakes.”
“Yes, sir.”
Coach continues down the aisle as I stare at the seat-back in front of me.
Looking down, I inspect the rose pendant necklace in my hand. Suddenly, an idea pops into my head. I know exactly what I need to do.
***
After a win on the road to secure the team’s advancement to the third round, the Blades head back home. Depending on the winner of the other matchup, the Blades might be playing against the Crushers in the semi-finals.
As the team takes their much-deserved break, everyone looks forward to celebrating Coach’s birthday. Meanwhile, I look forward to seeing Riley.
With all these road trips and games, I’ve barely spent ten minutes with Riley in the past week. Text messages between us have been few and far between making us feel even further apart. I don’t like it.
When I’m finally home, I shower and change into a crisp dark blue suit. After adjusting my black skinny tie in the mirror, I reach into my bag and pull out a small box. Opening it, I admire the diamond ring, custom made with the same rose design as Riley’s grandmother’s pendant. I had enough time in San Francisco to get it custom made.
Closing the box, I place it in my pocket. Looking in the mirror, I make sure the bulge doesn’t stick out too much. I’ll have to keep it secret until I find the perfect moment, sometime when we’re alone and the mood is just right. This way she’ll know I’ll follow her wherever she goes, that I’m committed to her.
The door bursts open and Riley pushes her way in. I instinctively touch my pocket before crossing my arms, trying to look casual.
“I’m sorry I’m late,” she says. Her messy bun is completely disheveled and she’s carrying more books than she looks comfortable carrying. She drops them onto the bed before pulling her hair-tie off, shaking out her wild hair. “I’ll be ready in fifteen.”
She gives me a quick kiss before rushing into the master bathroom and shutting the door. I don’t even have a chance to say hello.
I know she’s been busy and a part of me wants to tell her to take the night off and study but I can’t wait any longer. I miss her. I miss the way she smells. I miss the way she feels in my arms, especially when she rests her head against my chest and I get to smell the intoxicating scent of her apple shampoo and vanilla perfume. I want those moments for the rest of my life.
The sound of the shower is followed by the sound of a hairdryer. Ten minutes later, Riley walks out in a white cocktail dress that hugs all her curves just right. Her hair is styled into waves and she’s all glammed up.
I smile goofily as I stare at her.
“You look beautiful,” I say.
She smirks as she walks up to me. “You clean up pretty nicely yourself, Mr. Drake.”
She places her hands on my chest. The green apple aroma fills the space between us and I instantly feel like jelly in her hands.
“I missed you,” I say with a low growl.
Her gray sea-glass eyes look up into mine. “I missed you too.”
Pushing in, I press my lips against hers. It’s a kiss that I’ve been dreaming about for days and it rattles my bones just like I thought it would.
“Are you ready for a night of debauchery?” I ask as I press my forehead against hers.
“Ooh, is that what tonight is?”
“It could be.” I kiss her again.
“In that case, yes,” she says in a low, seductive voice. “I’m totally ready.”
“There’s nothing sexier than the word yes,” I say in a low growl as I place my hands on her curves. “Can’t we just stay here?” I moan.
She smiles. “We can do whatever we want.”
Her hands caress the back of my neck.
“Riley Jamieson, don’t tease me like that.” I kiss her again.
“But it’s so fun,” she whispers. Her breath feels warm against my neck.
Her hands get adventurous and move down my belly. She’s just about to touch my pants and feel what’s in my pocket when I pull back.
“Come on,” I say, trying to hide how abrupt I just acted. “We should go if we want the good appetizers.”
I have no interest in pulling away from her, especially when she smells and looks like that, but I can’t spoil the secret. Not yet. Tonight is going to be a night to remember and I have to keep my cool.
During the car ride, I share stories about the game in Sacramento. Riley stays awfully quiet and I think I know why.
When we arrive at the restaurant, the clouds are rolling in. We make our way inside where the celebration dinner is taking place.
As usual, Blades management has spared no expense. The party has delicious appetizers, tall glasses of champagne, and live jazz. The media is there asking questions with oversized microphones as flashbulbs go off all around us.
I look around at the hundreds of blurry faces. My forehead feels heated. I can feel the ring box in my pocket pressing against my thigh.
Riley looks at me with big gray eyes.
I take her dainty hand in mine.
“Are you okay?” She squeezes my hand.
Wanting to keep her from becoming suspicious, I give her an abrupt nod. “There’s a lot of people here tonight… including the voting committee for the Corazon.”
Her smile disappears. My palms are getting damp.
“Where’s the bar?” She asks, looking around. “I need a drink.”
“Hey.” I pull her back. “Let’s dance first.”
Riley looks around uncomfortably. “Okay.”
I pull her onto the dance floor and place my hand on her waist as we dance to slow jazz.
“I missed you,” I say.
She smiles. “I’m right here.”
I hold her close and take a deep breath.
“Yes,” I whisper. “I’ve got you.”
She smirks. “What are you gonna do about it?”
I take a deep breath. “I want you to know that no matter what happens over the next few weeks, I’ll be there to support you. And I’ll be by your side every step of the way.”
“Logan—” Riley looks away.
Her tone feels like a cold hand gripping my heart.
“I think I know what you’re about to say,” I say.
“No,” she says. She takes a deep breath and looks into my eyes. “I need to know if this is real.”
I furrow my brow. “What do you mean?”
“You said something the other night, and again tonight, that makes me think the contract isn’t over—”
“Oh.”
Confusion reigns as other couples dance around us.
“What did I say?”
She swallows. “That it would look good for your Corazon award campaign if I was here with you.”
“Did I say that?”
“Yes!”
“Riley, I didn’t mean it that way. I just meant that—” I can’t find an explanation in time and it’s enough to incriminate me. Her eyebrows knit together.
“Is this all for show?” Tears start welling up in her eyes. “Am I just a piece of PR jewelry for you?”
“No, of course not.” This night is going south fast. “I didn’t bring you here for that.”
She pulls away from me and walks off the dance floor. I follow her to a quiet corner of the restaurant.
When she turns around, her face is red and her arms are crossed.
“Do you know how much it hurts?” She asks. “To commit yourself to someone only to hear that you’re only there for show?”
“Riley, I wasn’t thinking. We both know I’m not the smart one in this relationship.”
She doesn’t smile. Instead, she exhales sharply and looks away, her jaw clenched.
“This relationship,” she repeats. “What exactly is this relationship?”
“It’s real.” I take her hands in mine. “And I want to be with you. No matter what happens in our future, I want to be with you.” I look into her eyes. “This is real, I swear.”
“Then why doesn’t it feel that way?” Her big gray eyes look up at me as her chin wrinkles. Tears begin crawling down her face. She turns away.
“Riley—” My phone buzzes in my pocket. I ignore it. “Riley, please—’
I reach for her but she pulls away.
“I just need a moment to breathe.” She walks to the exit and out into the parking lot.
I exhale in exasperation. As I follow her, my phone continues buzzing. I pull it out and check the screen. There’s a text from an unknown number.
UNKNOWN NUMBER: Send me one million dollars or this pic goes viral.
“What the—’
I check the attached picture. My body goes cold when I see a snapshot of the contract, completely intact as if it had never been ripped.
“What the fuck?”
My heart is racing and heat rises to my face. I look up and run outside and across the parking lot after Riley.
“Riley!” I call out as I catch up to her.
She looks up, her eyes are red and her makeup is smeared from crying.
“What?” She asks.
“What is this?” I ask.
She instantly looks confused.
My hands are shaking as I hold the phone up, showing her the message.
She looks at the screen as her eyes grow wide. “What the hell?”
She looks up at me. I shake my head.
“You really think I’d do this?” She asks.
“Well, you had the contract the whole time. It was in your possession. You’re the only person who could have taken this picture.”
Riley is staring at me in a way I’ve never seen before. “Do you really think I’d sabotage my reputation to destroy yours? Do you really think I’d want to destroy yours at all?”
“You’re telling me you didn’t tell a single soul about this contract?”
“Of course not!”
“Not even Jane?”
She opens her mouth but closes it without saying anything. The guilt in her eyes tells me everything I need to know.
My heart sinks. “You did, didn’t you?”
“Jane wouldn’t tell anyone,” she says. “I swear. She was the one who told me about the app to begin with! If it weren’t for her, I would have never met you. There’s no reason she’d blackmail us. I had to speak to her about this because I didn’t know—”
“Didn’t know what?” I keep my gaze locked on her. Rage is starting to bubble up inside me.
“I didn’t know if this was real.” She looks at me. “Is it real? You’re still talking about impressing everybody so that you can win the Corazon. Behind closed doors, everything makes sense, but out here nothing makes sense. So please tell me because it’s driving me crazy. Is this real?”
I stare into those big sad eyes.
My first instinct is to tell her this is real, that I’d marry her if it meant keeping her hand in mine. But the annoyance of betrayal bubbles through me.
My silence lasts a little too long. I pull my gaze away.
“Look at me, Logan.” Her voice is shaking.
My gaze darts everywhere but her. Finally, I force myself to look at her. My heart is buzzing in my chest. Riley is clenching her jaw tight. Tears glisten in her eyes.
“Real couples are supposed to trust each other,” I say.
“I didn’t do it. And neither did Jane. I promise you.”
“You had one secret to keep for me. One. And you couldn’t even do that.” My voice is shaking. “I can’t believe this is happening.”
“There’s no way she would have done this!”
“How can you be so sure?” I ask scathingly. I can hear how angry I’m getting. I look away and force myself to breathe.
Music is pouring out of the restaurant as the door is propped open by bystanders. People are starting to gather and watch us as we argue in the parking lot. Some of them even have their phones out. Crap.
“We’re making a scene,” I say.
Riley shakes her head. “That’s all you ever care about, isn’t it? You just want people to think you’re some amazing guy. But in reality, you’re such a fucking coward.”
“Riley—’
“You’re too afraid of real relationships so you push everyone away. You lost Harrison Cooper, you lost the Crushers, and now you’ve lost me.” Tears roll down her cheeks. “I’m stupid for believing this was real, and for believing that a guy like you could have loved someone like me.”
She pulls away. Feeling defeated, I let her leave.
Looking back, I see the crowd is still standing near the door. Allowing some time for my nerves to calm, I stay outside. The cool breeze relieves my heated skin.
My life unraveled in five short minutes. I can’t go back inside. Being at a party alone after a public breakup is not a good look. And there’s a text on my phone threatening to end my career.
Why did she tell Jane?
Who else would it be? They were the only people who knew about the contract. Was this a long-con? A way to get money for the two of them?
Riley couldn’t be the one to do this to me, right? Or maybe I was wrong this whole time. Maybe she’s just like the other women who’ve screwed me over in the past.
I sigh as I start walking to my car.
I told myself not to trust anyone. I told myself not to put down my defenses. And this is where it led me.
As I walk, I feel my phone buzzing against the ring box in my pocket.
