Page 58 of Caught Looking

I didn’t tell Seth any of this. In my mind there was nothing to tell. Nothing had changed.

So why did I feel like I was lying to him?

Jeri bumped my shoulder with hers as we returned to the locker room to grab our stuff. “Still up for a sleepover tonight?”

“If I’m alone in that house another night there might be violence.” Ihatedbeing in Rhett’s house. I felt like an interloper. Especially when I had a perfectly nice home a few miles from here. But with Jeri there we could turn it into an old-fashioned sleepover at a friend’s house. She was even bringing pizza.

“Nan has another date with another loser. How does she pick so many losers? It’s an incredible skill, really. But Phoebe is coming. I think I convinced Charley to join us too.”

“You think she’s going to retire at the end of this season?” Charley loved the changes to the team, but she seemed to love the game less and less. She was the oldest member of the Tangerines but it wasn’t like she was ancient. Thirty-four wasn’t old. She’d won gold twice and helped build this team to where it was now, on the cusp of greatness.

But her eyes were tired and more and more often she complained about the grind.

I never wanted to feel that way. I wanted to retire and still yearn to coach orsomething. I had no idea what the future beyond soccer held and honestly it was only in moments like this that I pondered it at all.

Jeri slung her bag over her shoulder. “I think she has one more season in her.”

The moment we exited the locker room doors there was a camera in our faces. Owen stood to the side, Mercedes glaring daggers at him. “Ah, our great captain and Anna. A moment of your time.”

“Why?” Jeri asked.

I kept my gaze on Mercedes. The glare remained in place.

“Seeing as my access has been limited, I’m having to increase the number of interviews taking place. I far prefer to keep these staged portions to a minimum but your interference this week has made that impossible.”

I saw red. “Myinterference? You’re the one who peeped on my lunch without my permission!”

“You didn’t seem to mind the five other cameras waiting for you.” He cocked an eyebrow in challenge.

The asshole. “And they weren’t actively filming my date.” I made fists but kept them at my side. “Look, I get that our relationship is public. That people are watching. That’s a far cry from you crafting a documentary about our lives. If you want the real story then get it from us.” Why was I saying this? “We already agreed to sit for your interview. It was completely unnecessary for you to follow us in our private lives without our permission. You werefilmingus. Our private conversation. In a fucking bush!”

I was angry and I was glad I let it show, but I hated the smirk on Owen’s stupid face. “Which is why our candid footage will now be limited. But you do seem overly upset about me seeing more of yoursupposedrelationship.”

Supposed.That’s what this came back to. Owen’s hope it was fake, his incomprehension that I would want someone else. Joke was on him. I relaxed, pouring on the sympathy. “That’s what happens when you care about someone, Owen. You fight for them. For you both. You defend your privacy and your relationship. I am upset. I am very, very upset. And that’s directly proportional to how veryrealthis relationship is. I’m sorry if you don’t know how that feels.”

Owen blanched, jerking back—ever so slightly—like I’d slapped him. Which I had. Verbally, anyway.

“We need to secure Ms. Ryan.” Mercedes reached between us, taking my bicep in her hand as she physically separated us. “Ms. MacNeil, are you coming with us?”

“Hell yeah. And have I mentioned how hot it is that Seth is so protective of you, Annalise? He spares no expense to make sure Annalise has everything she needs.” She grinned at Owen as we passed.

It was weird to hear my first name from her mouth. But it was all Seth called me in front of her. “Pouring it on thick?” I whispered.

She shrugged as Mercedes hurried us to the waiting sedan. “That man needs to know his place.”

“Yes he does,” Mercedes muttered. “I’m glad you didn’t take any longer. I might have killed him while waiting for you.”

She opened the rear door while I hugged Jeri. “See you in an hour?”

“We’ll be there.”

I slid inside. “Hey Jackson.”

“Good practice?” The giant man grinned back at me from the rearview mirror.

“No complaints until the end.”

“You’ve got a real prick of an ex.” His deep voice rumbled the air. “Mercedes was afraid I’d strangle him so she sent me to get the car.”

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