Page 93 of Replay

“Berkley went to her father’s, I'm sure of it.”

“Alright, I’ll get her stuff.”

“Perfect, I'll meet you back here in five minutes,” I say, handing her the spare keycard so she can get back in.

Opening the hotel door, I startle at the sight of Nola sitting in the hallway. I wasn’t expecting anyone to be there.

“Is she okay?” he asks as he stands.

“Yeah, she’ll be okay. Thanks for bringing her up here for me. I appreciate it, man,” I say, slapping his hand and bringing him in for a quick hug.

Willow steps out of the room a moment later and stops short at the sight of the two of us. Her red swollen eyes go wide. “Oh uh, hi,” she says to Nola. “I never said thank you earlier…”

“Listen, I’ll be right back… I need to go tell Coach I have family shit going on and will need to drive back separate from the team.”

Nola looks at me, assessing my mental state, then his gaze flicks to Willow. “Hey, man, let me drive you guys. I don’t think either of you should be driving right now.”

“You sure? I would hate to put you out like that.” Even though I’d hate to admit it, he’s right.

“Of course, brother. Would you mind telling Coach I'm going with you?”

“Sure thing. Thanks again, for everything,” I nod in appreciation and then head to the elevators, my chest swelling with gratitude.

After receiving Berkley’s text, we bypassed her father’s house and headed straight to the water. Pulling up to the marina, we spot her car and pull up next to it. A nervous energy picks up when I notice her driver’s seat is empty.Where are you, BB?

I get out of the car in record time, not even bothering to tell them where I’m going. Making my way down the beach, my heart stops when I spot her wild ponytail blowing in the wind. I jog the short distance and plop down on the sand beside her.

Not even bothering to look my way, she leans her head onto my shoulder, and I wrap my arms around her.

“You okay, baby?” I ask, breaking the silence while I rub her shoulder gently.

She nods slowly but continues to stare out at the waves lapping at the shore.

“Did you see him?”

Berkley lets out a long sigh.

“Yeah, didn’t deny anything either,” she scoffs. “Didn’t even go inside to talk. I wound up unleashing everything on him on his front porch.”

“Did you not want to go inside the house?” I ask, because I find it odd that he would want anyone to hear what Berkley was claiming.

She shakes her head. “Angela was inside… My guess was, he didn’t want her to find out what a piece of garbage he truly is.” Berkley sits up and turns slightly to face me. My thumb brushes along her cheek, trying to wipe away the streaks of mascara.

“He was surprised when I mentioned Willow. Almost shocked that I even knew that piece of information.”

“I wish you would have told me where you were going. You didn’t have to do that alone,” I say, cupping her cheek. Her beautiful eyes drink me in, and I get lost in them. She’s the most precious thing in the world to me, and I hate that she had to face him on her own. I would give anything to take on the hurt he’s caused her, to relieve some of the pain in her heart.

“I needed to do it. I’ve had so much pent up inside of me, I had to face him alone. It felt good, letting it all out.” A sad smile graces her gorgeous face as she leans into my hand.

A cold gust of wind hits us, and Berkley shivers. “Come on, let’s go to my dad’s. I called him on my way here, so he knows we’re coming.”

When we approach the parking lot, Berkley peeks at Willow’s Jeep, spotting Willow and Nola inside. She turns to me with a raised eyebrow.

“He insisted on driving. Said I wasn’t in the right mindset to drive.”

“Well, he’s not wrong,” Berkley huffs, and I chuckle.

“I'm not sure what that is.” I jut my chin toward the white Jeep. “Or why Willow had his number, but I'm thankful he was there for her. He was really worried.”

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