Page 82 of Wild Card

My sister sniffed, and a part of my chest broke open.

Her blonde hair looked dull under the soft recessed lighting in the room, and I just now realized she was in sweats and an oversized hoodie. Taylor never wore oversized clothing, which made me wonder if something else was going on.

“You know how it is.” She shrugged, finally standing and pacing the room. “They’re from old money, old values…old everything…” Using the sleeve of her black hoodie, she wiped her nose, and then she came closer to the bed. “You should know I had no idea the card game was fixed, or that Elias was on the other end of it. I didn’t fake any of that. I had filled out an interest form to be a part of the games my sophomore year, and I was genuinely excited about getting that card.” She looked off to the side, almost wistfully.

I stayed quiet so she’d keep going.

“After his meeting with the shareholders, Dad approached me.” She let out a sigh, gathering her breath. “They agreed to me taking over the New York office, as long as I got married. By this point, the card game had come and gone, and I was oblivious to Dad’s involvement.”

She crossed her arms over her chest. It looked like she was trying to protect her heart, but I worried it was too late.

“Tonight was the first I heard that Dad had somehow set it up to look as though Elias and I were together. Dad had told me he wasn’t going to follow through with it, said he was going to find a way around it, but at that party after you disappeared, one of the shareholders approached me, informing me that they hoped to snag an invite to my wedding.” She finally perched on the edge of my bed, her arms still crossed, her cheeks mascara-stained, and her eyes watery.

“So Dad set up the game with Elias to make it look like you were already taken.” I was piecing it together, knowing my father was likely trying to buy time, make it seem like she was in a serious relationship—but why would that matter to the shareholders? “Is that why Dad made it so awkward in his office when he said we both needed dates?”

She ducked her head, swiping at her face again. “Yeah, everything kind of blew up once he realized I never showed up to that card game. It was awkward, because I had no idea he even knew about it. What girl wants her dad to know she planned on accepting a hookup card at some college party?”

“But he didn’t tell you who was in that room?” I toyed with the comforter, still trying to put it all together.

“Nope, he never said. He saw me come to the house that night because I was sick and asked why I wasn’t at the party. When it became obvious he knew more than he should, he let it slip that he’d set something up for me so I wouldn’t have to worry about the transition to New York. He left it at that. So, when we met in his office and he mentioned that we needed dates, that was the awkward vibe you picked up on. I screwed up. He tried to set it up for me, but I messed up.” She shrugged, her sweater nearly swallowing her whole.

I supposed that made sense, but… “Why Elias?” I asked, still confused by the turn of events.

“My only guess? And this comes from dating players on different sports teams—there’s this rule that if they’re being scouted or they think they might be recruited then they don’t risk anything by fucking.”

She looked so solemn. I couldn’t help but laugh.

“I’m serious.” She stared at me, her blonde brow arching to her hairline.

“Sure, so they get scouted and suddenly they don’t have sex anymore? Forgive me, but I have a hard time believing that.”

“It’s true! At least for most. They won’t risk the girl messing with the condom and them getting stuck with a jersey chaser. They may mess around, get off…usually sucked off.” She tilted her head, looking up like she was considering something. “But they won’t actually go all the way until after they’re signed.”

“Let’s ignore the fact that they can still go pro and be a parent, but go on.” I waved my hand toward her.

She rolled her eyes and pulled her knees up to her chest. “Word has it Elias Matthews is the poster child for this rule and hasn’t been with a girl since he received an endorsement for all of his fancy electronics last year. He made a big deal of it with his team, talking about how it was going to be a long year until he essentially started next season. There were scouts already asking about him, and one even asked about him starting in Double-A ball this year, but I guess his parents made a big deal about him getting his degree.”

My stepsister searched the floor before explaining another thought.

“Elias’s father serves on the board with Dad…anyway, my assumption is that somehow he talked to Dad, and Mr. Matthews brought up the game, said if there was a payout available then his son would essentially make it look as though we were dating and serious. I think originally it was to score him as a date, so the shareholders backed off, knowing I was in a serious relationship with someone. That’s my guess at least.” She rolled her eyes, letting out a heavy sigh.

From what Decker’s uncle had gathered, the Matthews had reason to believe it was a more permanent arrangement than that.

I looked away as more and more started to connect in my head. That was why Elias had come sniffing around me. He didn’t actually care about me, or the fact that Decker had nailed me against the library door. He was just worried about losing out on being plan B for this New York deal. He’d sabotaged my chances to get accepted into the internship all so he could marry into my family.

My heart sank as I began processing how much I’d been burned.

“That’s why Dad said to have a date…in case Mr. Matthews came sniffing around, trying to convince everyone you were still available?” I toyed with the accent pillows Jackie insisted on having on my bed at all times. There had to be at least twenty.

Taylor crawled toward me, getting under the covers. “That’s what I was thinking.”

My mind circled back to the invites to have Decker hang with her and how foolish this entire thing had been from the start.

“So you decided to invite Decker to the party?” Since we were telling our truths tonight, I wanted this one as well. “Are you guys…?” I tried to seem aloof, like I didn’t care what she responded with, but my heart was pounding behind my breastbone.

Taylor rolled her eyes, folding her arms behind her head. “I was trying to call your bluff by saying I wanted to invite him when we were at that brunch. I knew you liked him, but you wouldn’t admit it. You just kept inviting him over and leaving, like you were trying to push the two of us together…I knew from that first night that you liked him.”

“So why did you end up taking him then?”

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