Page 109 of Fake Shot

“What the fuck?” I whisper.

“I guess he got a copy of it just in case it was necessary to...I don’t know. Anyway, AJ talked to Frank Hartmann, you know, the owner of the team, and they agreed to rescind Jerome’s sponsorship of the team.”

“What does that have to do with Jasmine?”

“I’m guessing that Daddy losing access to the team—his luxury box, the special events for sponsors, that type of thing—really pissed her off. And given that I’ve turned her down repeatedly, I’m guessing that when she found out, this is the little revenge plan she hatched.”

Colt’s walking down a long hallway with beige wallpaper and fancy lights, then he’s heading through the door to his dark hotel room. And still, I’m silent, because I’m busy processing all of this.

And the question I asked myself that night at the Neon Cactus rattles around in my brain, trying to cast as much doubt as possible:Am I going to have to worry about this with every woman he knows? Has he slept with them all? Are others going to come out of the woodwork, for whatever reason, trying to cause drama?

I’m not cut out for this. I like peace. I like stability. And in the wake of this situation, I worry about whether Colt can give me either of those things.

His eyes flick to the top of his screen, then back at me. I rest my elbows on the table and lean forward, holding my head in my hands, forcing myself to breathe in slowly through my nose, and exhale through my mouth, like I’m training myself to do when these feelings come on.

“Your brother will be there in about five minutes.”

That has me looking back up at him, as a new wave of anxiety spikes, crashing over me until I feel like it’s holding me under water. “What? Why?” I can barely speak.

“Because I was worried about how you’d react to this, and I didn’t want you to be alone.”

“I don’t need a fucking babysitter.” I barely get the words out because my lungs feel like they can’t expand, and I fold forward, resting my head on the table.

“Jules!” Colt’s voice is a bark, and in my surprise, I sit up and look at him. “Eyes on me. You’re going to be okay.We’regoing to be okay. Just breathe.”

I want to breathe, I really do, but I’m finding it hard to make my lungs function.

And then I take a moment to take stock of my body, realizing that perhaps I can’t breathe because every single part of me is tense. I need to release some of this. I start by focusing on my shoulders, letting them fall so they no longer feel like they’re by my ears.

“Good girl,” Colt encourages me from the phone. I close my eyes and focus on letting my abdomen relax. And then I take a breath. It’s shallow, but knowing I can get oxygenhelps calm me just a little more, and I’m able to repeat the action. “You’re doing so well.”

Once I’m breathing normally, I look up at him, my eyes full of tears. “Thank you.”

“You did that,” he says, right as Morgan walks through the basement door. “You’re the one doing the work to get things under control. I’m not even there.”

“Yeah, and yet you arestillhere for me, even from several states away.”

I’m about to tell him how much that means to me when Jameson bursts through the side door. He takes one look at my tear-stained face, and then he’s yelling at Colt through my phone.

“You don’t get to burst in here and start yelling at people,” I say, interrupting his mini-tirade. “You caused this. You and Colt, deciding you were going to handle something that I already asked you guys not to get involved in—that’s why we’re in this situation. I’m not the scared nineteen year old who got drunk-married in Vegas and needs you to discreetly handle my divorce so no one finds out. I’m a grown-ass woman and I can take care of myself,especiallywhere my business is concerned. You two getting involved in this only fucked things up. And right now, I’m done talking to both of you about this. I’m going to bed.”

And then I head for the stairs, leaving my phone sitting on the table so they can finish their conversation.

Chapter Forty-One

COLT

AJ

Please explain to me why Wilcott just told me you won’t be at practice tomorrow?

Colt

Jules needs me.

AJ

Your team needs you. What the hell is wrong with your priorities?

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