Page 87 of Play For Keeps

EVERLY

The dizzy feeling in my head has finally eased up. Jake unexpectedly showed up at my house, and while I was thrilled to find him at my door, the reason for his surprise visit made me sick to my stomach. The news he shared about the real reason Grant came back to Brookmont left me in absolute shock. Grant being unfaithful in our marriage is one thing, but sexually assaulting someone is something I just can’t wrap my head around.

Once the shock started to wear off, my emotions shifted to anger. How could he ever do such a thing? This was bad. It made me feel physically ill. We share a daughter, and Grant’s actions not only affect me, they also affect Birdie. What would happen if she were to ever find out? My skin crawls at the thought.

Jake and I talked about it for over an hour, trying to decide the best way to handle this. In the end, I decided that I needed to confront Grant about it. I needed to know the whole truth—and I wanted to hear it from him.

The car ride to his house seemed to take forever, the minutes ticking by slowly. My adrenaline pumps hard through my veins as Jake and I walk to Grant’s front door.

This is it. I square my shoulders and look Grant in his familiar icy blue eyes when he opens the door.

He looks surprised. “What are you doing here?”

“We need to talk,” I say, Jake’s big hand resting on the base of my spine, giving me courage.

I expected to have the conversation on his doorstep, thinking he wouldn’t let us in. Instead, he huffs and gestures for us to come inside. We follow him into the living room where we each take a seat, my hands trembling in my lap. I open my mouth to speak, but he goes first.

“I want to see Birdie this weekend. I’ll pick her up on Saturday morning.”

I shake my head. “We won’t be here. We’re going to Reed Point. It’s my dad’s birthday. I sent you a message about this weeks ago.”

“Evy, why is everything always so difficult with you?”

I blink. Difficult with me? Is he joking? My shaking hands ball into fists as I explain to him that I can’t always drop everything when he feels like seeing his daughter—which is basically never.

“For fuck’s sake, Everly. I have a life, okay? A job. Responsibilities. You wouldn’t know—"

“A job, right,” I seethe, cutting him off. “Speaking of that, why did you really come back from North Carolina so early, Grant?” He pales—it’s only for a moment, but it’s all I need to know the truth. “Because I heard that it’s because you forced yourself on a woman.” I stare at him, waiting for his response.

He blinks. “What the fuck are you talking about?”

“You know exactly what I’m talking about.” I glare. “It’s the real reason you left North Carolina early. Admit it, Grant. You know what, never mind. It’s too vile to even hear. I know you, and I can tell just by looking at you that it’s true. You are damn lucky your parents own the company and are covering for you.”

A vein in Grant’s neck looks like it’s going to burst as his posture stiffens. “Is this what you came here to talk about? Because if it is, the two of you can get out.”

“No.” Jake’s voice bounces off the walls, a muscle firing in his jaw. The way he’s looking at Grant— it’s scary and hot all at the same time. “We’re going to talk about this now.” I’ve never seen Jake this mad. Grant is in trouble. “First, you cheat on your wife the entire time you are married. Then, you assault a female co-worker?” Jake glares. “You may have been able to silence that poor woman, but you will not be able to silence me. You won’t speak to Everly the way you do ever again. You won’t tell her how to live her life. Or you will have me to deal with, and believe me, I would like nothing more than to put my fist to your face.”

I look at Jake next to me then at Grant, who just got his ass handed to him. I love Jake for this.

“You don’t deserve a kid like Birdie,” Jake continues, his voice low and steady. “And if I were you, I wouldn’t be fighting Everly for sole custody. I wouldn’t be fighting Everly on anything she feels is best for Birdie, including where she wants to live. Unless you’d like to have your name dragged through the mud. And trust me, we will take what you did to that girl public.”

The anger on Grant’s face is palpable. He opens his mouth, probably to tell Jake where to go, but Jake pushes to standing from the couch before he does, reaching for my hand.

We ignore him, walking towards the door. Then we walk out of Grant’s house—the house I used to live in—and we get into my car.

My jaw hits the floor for the second time in 20 minutes. Jake left Grant Billings speechless. That must be a first.

A wave of intense relief washes over me as the reality of this sinks in. There is nothing else Grant can do to me. I will never allow him to make me feel small and unimportant again. I’m done playing his games. Jake has shown me how I deserve to be treated, he’s given me my self-confidence back, and with him by my side I am stronger.

“Are you okay, baby?”

I nod. “I’m okay, but did that just really happen?”

“He isn’t going to bother you, Ev. Never again.”

With a smile, I lean over the console, and he meets me halfway. “I love you,” I say, my hand on his jaw, my eyes locked on his.

“I love you too.”

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