Page 102 of Keeping it Real

The contents of his stomach roiled when he sat up.Slamming his eyes shut, he counted to ten before wrestling the cap off the bottle and downing its contents in one long swallow.He leaned his head back against the couch cushion and waited for the water to take effect.His eyes slipped closed again.

“How’s Grace?”he managed to ask.

“No nightmares, thank goodness.And she’s having the best time lording it over her brother that he missed an adventure with cops and robbers.”

Alek chuckled before realizing his head wasn’t feeling all that jovial this morning.He groaned.“I should go check on Finn.”

“He’s fine.The boys came over to the arena with me.Junior is teaching them both how to play hacky sack right now.Finn seems to be a bit of a natural.”

“That tracks.His father was, too.At Dartmouth, we played as a team before every game.”

The memories came flooding back, the same as they had last night.A painful lump formed in Alek’s throat.He’d share them with Finn.Every single remembrance.

Until now, every time Finn brought up Jamie, Alek found a way to redirect the conversation.No more.In Finn, he had a piece of his best friend.And he’d make sure the boy knew his father.He’d do right by Jamie that way.

Sure, the guy had stolen his girlfriend.Married her, even.But something told him there was more to the story.Alek realized he’d been a stubborn fool by never giving his friend the chance to explain.And now, he’d never have that opportunity.

“The Fed said Sergi was the guy who tried to break into our house.He’d pinged Finn’s phone to that location.”

Alek immediately became more alert.“Are you kidding me?Jesus, man, I’m sorry.”

Gus waved his apology off.“You sound like Sheridan, apologizing for something that’s not your fault.She seems to think if she and Finn hadn’t come to Milwaukee, none of this would have happened.”

“That’s ridiculous.”His heart began to pound in his chest.“If she hadn’t come to Milwaukee, she and Finn would be sitting ducks for Sergi and his friends.God knows what would have happened.”

“But she did come to Milwaukee.And they are both safe.”Gus leaned forward in his chair, seeming to be carefully choosing his words.“Still, Claire is concerned.She said Sheridan was talking nonsense this morning about taking Finn to Spain as soon as the custody hearing is finalized.”

Alek’s head spun as he shot from the couch.He braced a hand on the armrest to steady himself.“She can’t do that.She promised she’d stay through the end of the season.Longer even.I was planning on forever, dammit.”Too late, he realized he’d said that last bit out loud.

“Does she know that?”

He’d never wanted to punch his friend so badly.But when he started to tell Gus that of course she knew it, he had to bite the words back.Had he said them to her?Had he saidallthe words to her?

Alek swore again.

He staggered in the direction of the adjoining room, where he could hear the shower running.His shoulders relaxed a bit.He knew exactly how he could make her realize she didn’t want to go anywhere.

“Don’t even think about it, man,” Gus said.

“What?”

Gus sighed.“I know exactly where your head is right now.At least the one that shouldn’t be driving today.Take it from a man who’s been in a serious relationship with the same woman for twelve years.Shower sex isn’t the answer to everything.”He shook his head.“Sheridan is in a vulnerable place right now.Your best play is to hear her out.Tell her you love her.Any other move and you’ll go down in flames.Trust me on this.”

Alek’s hand hesitated on the door handle.He was a man of action who desperately wanted to show Sheridan how he felt.Gus was right, though.Last night’s findings hurt her as much as they had him.Crashing the net was probably not the best idea.

He gave his friend an acquiescent nod.

“Ice-Berg,” Gus said when Alek reached for the door handle again.“Rehydrate while you wait.”He tossed a sports drink at Alek.“We have a game in six hours.The bus back to the arena leaves at four thirty.You need to be on it.”

Alek took a seat on the corner of the freshly made bed and waited for Sheridan to finish her shower.Soft rock music played from the television, making him both restless and sleepy.He got up and paced around the room while he sipped from the bottle of electrolytes Gus had given him.The sight of Sheridan’s luggage open and half packed didn’t do much to calm his nerves.

It reminded him of when she arrived with everything she owned in one bag.Did she still think of herself as temporary or replaceable?How could he make her believe in herself?In them.He was fingering a silk camisole inside her suitcase when he realized the shower had stopped running.

Sheridan emerged from the bathroom wearing the fluffy white robe provided by the resort.Her face was flushed from the steam, but her eyes were red-rimmed and puffy as if she’d been ugly crying while in the shower.His heart shuddered.

He hustled across the room to stand in front of her.His hands bracketed her face.“None of this is on you,” he said, trying to make her see reason.“Jamie made the choice to run off with Madison.”

His words were meant to calm her.Unfortunately, they had the opposite effect.Tears began to stream down her face.She shook her head emphatically.

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