Page 60 of Gridlocked on the Gridiron

He sat up slightly so his lips were against her ear, tightening his hand on her stomach as she shivered. “If you don’t block his ass, I swear to god, I will.”

Lucia elbowed him, though she ignored the call, shoving the phone into her bra.

“You’re crazy if you think I won’t go in there.”

He got a sharper, more painful elbow for that one.

The couples continued taking their turns, and as more drinks flowed, everyone struggled a bit more with the questions, except Lucia. No matter how much wine she knocked back over the two hours, she was as sharp as a tack, rarely even checking for Colton’s input before answering the questions.

Lucia leaned closer and closer to his chest with every round of laughter at Rudy or Chris answering completely incorrectly, and Colton realized how fucked he was because Jenna might not have been so far off. He knew it was wrong, but when she met his eyes before laughing at something Rudy said or smiled wide at him because she’d answered correctly, he pretended those smiles were just for him, and that they meant something.

If Lucia wanted to use him, he’d let her, even if it ripped his heart into a million little pieces that might never fit back together.

Chapter twenty-one

Lucia

Lucia didn’t want to talk to Max. She really didn’t. But she’d told herself she would allow him to apologize. Plus, if it meant never having his contact flash across her screen again, she’d be thankful, though she couldn’t be sure it was true. No matter the outcome, she could feel this would be the last time she talked to him. She wouldn’t be falling back into his trap ever again.

He’d done a surprisingly good job of not contacting her until Thanksgiving dinner at Jenna’s, but whether that was because he thought they would be getting back together during this call, she didn’t know.

Her phone buzzed.

Isa

You got this! You are so strong.

And also I love you! Remember you deserve the world :)

Lucia chuckled, though it came out shaky. She struggled with confrontation of this nature, and it was clear from her breathing and the nausea in her stomach that this wouldn’t be different. She’d memorized a script of points to hit on, but she knew Max would probably find a way to derail it.

Her laptop signaled a video call. She took a few centering breaths, touched her new lucky pearl necklace, and answered.

Max sat in the dining room of a house that used to be hers. In a chair that she’d picked out. In front of a painting she’d found at a flea market. She hadn’t even thought to take it and the other art when she’d left, only grabbing the essentials.

“Hi, Max.”

“Hi, baby. I’ve missed you.”

A year ago, those words would’ve given her butterflies and set her heart alight. Now, they were just words, ones that actually made her a little uncomfortable.

“I know you said you had something important to tell me. I wanted to give you an opportunity to do that.”

So far, so good. The script was doing her well.

“Lu, come on. It’s us. I know it looked bad, but you didn’t have to start hooking up with Beaumont to make your point. I got it, loud and clear. Just come back to me.”

And there it was. He hadn’t even attempted to start the conversation with an apology and had completely ignored the glaring fact that she’d lost her job in Richmond because of him.

“Max, I thought you might apologize. I was trying to give you the benefit of the doubt, but at this point—”

“I’m sorry, okay? I am. I’m really sorry that it happened. You were working so hard, and we hadn’t been together in a while, and I thought I’d get away with it.”

Lucia scoffed, “You’re sorry you didn’t get away with it? You can’t even apologize for cheating?”

“What does it sound like I’m trying to do? I said I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have done it. I love you so much, baby. We were a perfect fit. Do you remember our anniversary trip to Greece? We spent a week in paradise together, and it was perfect. The sex on the beach? All the sunset dinners? And remember how we talked about going there for our honeymoon? Let’s do that, baby. Let’s get married and go to Greece. Right when the season’s over.”

She remembered Greece. It had been beautiful and just what she’d needed. He’d whisked her away for their anniversary, putting in a good word with her bosses who gave her a week and a half off during offseason.

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