Page 94 of Exes Don't

My mom crosses her arms over her chest, her forehead creasing in grave offense. “I don’t appreciate your tone.”

“You weaponized a woman who I loved against me. How do you expect me to sound, Mother? Like I’m happy about that?”

“Oh, Anton, get over yourself.” My mom flicks her wrist as if I’m being dramatic. “You never loved her. Not really. She was acting. You fell in love with a façade. I did you a favor the first time, demanding that she get pulled from your detail when I did. I could see it was headed for a train wreck. This time, the girl cooked her own goose. She never should have been allowed to work with you again if she couldn’t have been trusted to keep confidential information confidential.”

I turn my back and chug my drink. Discussing Rose like this feels like someone is cutting into my skin and peeling it back in sheets. I thought she was on my side, but she was working for my mother this whole time.

And yet…

Was she really that good of an actress?

The memory of Rose’s pleas at the restaurant mingles with the perspective of my teammates.

Is it possible that she got herself stuck between a rock and a hard place and couldn’t figure out a way out? And hadn’t she triedto get out when she told me the truth? Against all the rules and stipulations that had been put on her?

My heart starts to hammer, but I need to put a pin in these thoughts, at least for now. Because there’s something I have to get off my chest. Ironically, it’s Rose’s voice I hear in my head, reminding me I can be brave.

The door to my apartment opens. Charles must’ve stepped out for the food when I wasn’t paying attention. He’s returned now, and he places two large takeout bags on the counter before resuming his position in the corner.

I suck in a deep breath and face my mom. “I’m stepping away.”

She claps her hands. “Finally. Good. You’ve come to your senses. I’ll help with your transition, of course, in any way I can. Let’s set up a press conference. You can let your fans know you’re taking your rightful place back in Penwick.”

I hold up my hand. “You misunderstand. I’m not stepping away from football. I’m stepping away from Penwick. I’m abdicating.”

My mom stares blankly at me. “No, you’re not.”

“I’ve made my decision.”

“Don’t be ridiculous. You can’t abdicate.”

“I can. It’s in the bylaws. I’ve already spoken to Duke about it. I wanted to give him fair warning that the royal duties will fall to him.”

Granted, our meeting got interrupted by Rose and her admission, but he got the gist of things.

“I don’t believe this.” My mom’s voice is low with an undercurrent of fury building at the edges. “How could you?”

“I can’t live within the confines of Penwick. I’m sorry if that hurts you, but it’s the truth, and I need to be true to myself. I’ve got to go my own way.”

Her mouth opens and shuts like a fish, and she sways on her feet like she might pass out. I take a step toward her, but she holds up her hands in the universalstopsign. “So what? You’re staying here, in America? With your silly ball team?”

I nod. “This team is my family.”

My mother pulls herself up to her full height. “How dare you insult me like that? Family is blood.”

I shake my head. “Not always, Mother.”

She swallows, and I can practically see the way the wheels in her head turn as she adjusts her argument. “What about when your career is over? Then what? You won’t be on this team forever.”

I blow out a full breath. “Honestly, I don’t know.” I don’t like to think about football ending. I know my time in the league is finite, but that’s a bridge to cross another day.

“This is a big mistake.” My mother grabs her bag. “You’ll be sorry. Mark my words. Football is temporary. But your family…your country…that’s who you are. This is not the end of this conversation.” She collects her things and storms out of my condo. Charles gives me a brisk nod and follows her out.

I stare into space for who knows how long, trying to come to terms with everything that’s happened in the past few days.

To recap, there’s a threat on my life, which means I need to coordinate a security detail and figure out what the heck is going on. I just made that way more challenging when I told my mom I’m abdicating. I don’t really want to deal with her or tap into my usual Penwick resources at the moment. So I’m on my own.

On top of that minor (read: major) issue, I’ve got a football team counting on me to lead us on a deep playoff run. I refuse to let the guys down, so I need to keep my focus.

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