Page 55 of Finally Home

Grinning at her, I start to paint my lemon mug. “Excellent. Friends it is, then. Why don’t you grab that cherry mug I saw you staring at and join me if you don’t have anything else to do. My treat.”

She checks the time on her phone just as a door opens to the back of the shop. “My shift just ended, actually, so let me clock out, and I’ll be right back.”

As she walks away, I decide right then I’ll do whatever I can to bring some happiness to Lyla’s life.

Maybe finding a hobby was a good idea for more than just therapy after all.

CHAPTER 34

RHODES

We have our first away series of the season this week, and ironically it’s against the Sirens. We’re staying in a hotel near the stadium, but we got here a day early, so a lot of the guys are going out tonight since tomorrow is a night game and we can sleep in.

I’m on the hotel bed, scrolling through pictures of Wren, when a knock on the door pulls me out of an inevitable anxiety spiral. I haven’t talked to her beyond a few texts and not being able to see her before our first game of the season has me in a worse headspace than I’d like to admit.

I open the door to my room and stop short when I see a petite blonde with a notebook and a bright smile. “Um, hi?” I don’t mean to sound rude, but nobody should be able to get on this floor but the team and their guests.

“Hi!” She says in a cheery voice. “My name is Ella Barnes. I’m here from the Sirens PR team to do some pregame interviews. I thought maybe we could go down to the hotel bar and grab a drink while we chat?” The last part is said in a flirty question, but neither my agent nor coach said anything about interviews. And all I want to do is lock myself in my room and work up the nerve to call Wren.

“Oh, uh. Andrews and Ryan are just a few doors down if you want to interview them. I don’t mean to be rude, but I was just about to call my girlfriend, so…” Something clicks in my brain, and I look at her again with fresh eyes. “Oh, hey! You said your name is Ella? You worked with Wren Reid, right?”

A scowl takes over her heart shaped face. “She was fired last week for leaking a sex tape. Honestly, though, Derrick could do so much better anyway.” She flips her hair, scanning my body in a way that makes me feel gross. “I’m the new head of PR, so trust me, I’m more than qualified to take care of you. Your interview, that is.” She says this with a smirk that I’m sure she thinks is alluring as she trails her finger down my hand, which is still gripping the door handle.

Ripping my hand away from her, I cradle it to my chest like I’ve been burned. “That’s great, but like I said, I think Andrews or Ryan will be your best bet. They’re just down there,” I say, pointing to their shared room. "It’s Ryan’s first game in the majors, so that would make for a great interview, I bet.”

Anger flashes across her face, but just as quickly as it came, the emotion disappears, leaving a bright smile. “You got it, Mr. Gray. I’ll come back later to see if you’ve changed your mind. And trust me when I say you wouldn’t ask for Wren after you worked with me.” She winks and saunters off down the hall.

I shiver. I wonder if telling her Wren is my girlfriend would’ve helped. Based on the way she reacted when I brought Wren up the first time, I don’t think it would have. Didn’t Wren say she and Ella are friends? That seems like a weird way to talk about your friend.

Another knock startles me, but this time it’s just Aidan and Copeland. Cope has a six-pack of beer, so I invite them in to hang out. We don’t like going out if we don’t have to, especially because we’ve seen how some of the team likes to party. It’s easier to stay in and chill, just the three of us.

“Did you guys see the blonde chick with a notebook out there?” I ask them, wondering if the weird vibe I got was just me.

They both nod, but Copeland shoots me a look. “You and Wren are still together right? You wouldn’t think about doing anything?”

I rear back, hurt by his suggestion. “What the fuck, Cope? Of course I wouldn’t. You know we’re just taking a step back right now. I would never fuck around on Wren.”

He nods with his hands up in apology. “You’re right, sorry. I got a text from Carly today, and it messed with my head. I know you’d never do anything to jeopardize your relationship or hurt Wren.”

I look at Aidan and grimace, reaching out to clap Copeland on the shoulder. “Sorry man. Is there anything you need from us?”

He scrubs his heavily tattooed hands down his face with a sigh. “No, but thanks for the offer. I blocked her again, but she seems to get a new number every year just to bother me. It’s been five goddamned years; why can’t she just move the fuck on and leave me alone?” He groans, pinches the bridge of his nose, and takes a deep breath. “Whatever. Enough about my shit. Who was the blonde chick? She had crazy eyes.”

“Like, legit crazy eyes? Are you sure?” I ask him worriedly. Cope has an uncanny ability to spot problematic people before they say a word and had suspected Carly of cheating on him long before he caught them in the act.

Nodding, he and Aid glance at me with concern. “Why do you look freaked out?” Aidan asks. “Do you know her or something?”

I shake my head slowly. “No…but Wren does.”

They glance at each other. “Tell us everything.”

“Let me do some digging, and I’ll talk to you if I find anything, okay?” Copeland says. I nod in agreement, and they head back to their rooms, leaving me alone with my thoughts.

I told the guys everything Wren said about Ella, and then about the way Ella reacted when I mentioned Wren. And then I brought up my suspicions about the sex tape and how I wasn’t sure Derrick had actually leaked it. The guy just doesn’t seem smart enough to successfully cover his tracks.

I strip off my shirt and get comfortable in the bed. I’m dying to see my girl, so I grab my laptop and hit the button to video-chat and wait as it rings. Just when I think she won’t answer, the call connects and I get an eyeful of long, tan legs.

“Sorry! Sorry, I was just getting out of the shower when I heard the call come through and I didn’t want to miss you,” she says in a rush, setting the phone on her nightstand while she moves to grab clothes from the dresser.

---