Page 24 of False Start
Even if it cost me everything.
Gia
After breakfast,Weston headed to the gym while I went home to prepare for a night of socializing. I ignored another call from my mother, and at six-thirty, my alarm went off to remind me it was time to head to Weston’s house. The trouble was that I’d decided to repaint my bedroom wall. The plum color was beautiful against the cream trimmings, and I had finished cutting in the final corner when the alarm blared from beneath the pile of my bedroom furnishings I’d made in the middle of the room.
I cursed, wiping my hands on a scrap of fabric as I hunted through clothing and knickknacks to find the device. Silencing it with a jab, I caught my reflection in the mirror above my bureau. My face and neck streaked in paint.
Why was I like this?
I rushed through a shower and reapplied my makeup, acutely aware of time ticking away. Weston had offered to host a celebration for me, and I couldn’t even have my shit together enough to be on time. With a final spritz of my favorite perfume, I rushed down to my car and keyed his address intomy navigation system. The upside of him living in the suburbs was parking would be easy and traffic light. I used Ubers when I had to get around the city because the cost was worth avoiding driving and parking anxiety.
As I was putting the car in reverse, a text from Weston popped up on my phone.
Weston: We’re all set up. Looking forward to seeing you soon.
I responded with a heart and focused on getting myself there in one piece.
When I arrived at the address, I was surprised to find a row of townhouses. Beautiful two-storied homes that looked like they cost more than my car for a week’s rent. Never mind how much they must cost to own.
As I locked up and stepped onto the curb, the reality of the gap between where Weston belonged and where I was felt insurmountable. I’d known I was using him to further my career, but this all made me wonder why he was playing along. Whatever feelings I’d been growing toward the man who had so thoughtfully decided to help me celebrate my milestone had to be put down. He was well out of my league.
“Hey, did you just get here?” Marina stepped out of the house next door with a friendly smile.
“Ah…” I looked back at my car, then at the house. “Yeah. I lost track of time.” The smile I gave her felt plastic, but she returned it with genuine warmth as she stepped in and gave me a brief hug. “Congratulations. West let slip that you got the role. You must be so excited.”
“It’s a dream come true.”
“It sounds like you earned it,” she said, ushering me up the walk and through the front door. The open concept layout wasgorgeous, from the comfortable looking lounge area at the front, to the giant kitchen that looked like something Martha Stewart would have been happy preparing food in.
“This is…wow.”
Marina snorted, retrieving a bottle of white wine from the fridge. “I know. One hell of a bachelor pad, right?”
“There you are.” Weston stepped through the back door wearing a grin and a black apron.
“Help yourself to anythingin the kitchen and come outside. Everyone’s excited to see you.”
I hesitated at the word everyone. When he said he’d invite a few friends, I hadn’t clarified. It could have just been the people I knew, or the entire football team. I didn’t feel like I had the right to decide who Weston invited into his house.
Marina offered me a glass of wine, and I accepted it eagerly before trailing after her onto the back patio where an outdoor dining area was decorated with strings of fairy lights, giving it a magical vibe. The only other man present was Christian, and the seats around the table were taken up by Cami and Ridley as Marina made space for me to sit with them.
“The woman of the hour!” Ridley crowed.
Heat crept up my throat at their attention, but I managed a small bow before I sat.
It turned out that Ridley had been a fan ofShifting Sandswhen she was younger, but she still kept up with the storylines from time to time. They all seemed impressed that a strong female character was being introduced, and even more so when they found out I would be training to do my own stunts.
“That’s amazing! You should come to the gym with me some time,” Cami said, waving off the others as they shouted warnings.
Cami was a pitcher in a women’s baseball league and held just about every record a female pitcher could. Her next career move was to go into coaching.
“That sounds really cool. Do you have a team planned?” I asked, happy to share the limelight.
“Not yet. I’m talking with a couple of teams, but it’d be nice to stay in Chicago.” Around the table, everyone made sounds of agreement, and I took a deep breath as that feeling of belonging hit me again.
The smells of cooking meat and caramelized sugar made my mouth water, and I glanced toward Weston who stood by the grill chatting with Christian.
Like he could sense my eyes on him, he glanced my way and smiled.
