Page 112 of Play With Me
The only things that matter are that Colton is safe, that what’s happened to him all these years is finally being exposed, and that he still has a chance of keeping his dream of going pro.
I don’t know what’s going on with him, though. I have no clue because each time I ask, I’m met with simple, placating responses.
I’ll be back soon.
Don’t worry, I’m safe.
Just wait for me.
I promise I’ll explain it all when I see you.
But while I appreciate the attempt at communication, it’s not enough. And as the week passes, my anger and resentment slowly start to build. I gave him everything, and he left me alone.At the same time, I realize that he’s dealing with something that he can’t talk about right now. Perhaps it’s even legally binding.
I’m lying in bed, flipping through the news on my phone, when I see him on TV walking into a lawyer’s office with Samuel Manning by his side. I assume it has something to do with the ownership of his company. The media seems as clueless about it as I am.
But they speculate it has to do with him moving his shares, perhaps even meeting with the board to sell them.
Hell, he could be stepping up and taking control of the company. I don’t know, and I wish I did.
I text him, asking him to give me a crumb, a hint of what’s going on. I want to be a part of this. It hurts to be left out, even though I know I’m important to him. He told me he wanted this. He wanted me. But his actions aren’t showing it. Not at all.
But he never responds. There’s nothing left to tell me that we’re going to be okay, that this relationship can and will continue.
I’ve put it all on the line, and he’s giving me nothing.
Absolutely nothing.
Everything about his actions has left me bruised, and my heart, which was slowly starting to mend, is starting to unravel. It’s a painful, sticky mess.
And by the end of the week, I’m nothing more than a shell of who I was.
Chapter Eighteen
“I’m just checking in on you,” I hear Maya say over the phone. She sounds like she’s rushing somewhere, so I appreciate her taking the time. “How are you? I should have called earlier, but I’ve been so busy working on all of this…”
“You off to another interview now?”
“Yeah, this blew open a can of worms, Myles. I mean, my god, the corruption. This is more than just Colton being manipulated and threatened at this point. This involves the whole goddamn legal system. I mean, even the chief of police is involved. There was never any autopsy ordered on Colton’s father, for fuck’s sake. It all looks so bad.”
I knew some of that from what I’ve seen on the news, but hearing it from her confirms it.
“Shit.”
“Yeah, so I think you fucking Colton or vice versa isn’t a big deal anymore. At least to the public, anyway. If anything, they have your back. They know you’re both victims in all of this. Releasing those images and videos of you just made those assholes look like, well, assholes.”
“Thanks, have you, um…have you heard from him?”
She hesitates, and I hear a rustling in the background, as if she’s searching for something.
“Shit, no. He just called me to tell me to publish what I had, and I did. And now this. I mean, damn, who knew it would blow everything wide open? Has he not contacted you?”
“Not really. Just some texts that don’t say anything.”
“Well, fuck. I mean, he has to have a good reason, you know? He adores you.”
I don’t really believe that, but I let her go because I can tell she’s busy. When I hang up, I try to work on some homework, but it’s hard to concentrate, my mind filtering back to Colton every few minutes. Mostly because I know he has a home game tonight, which means he’ll be on campus. He’ll be here, and he still hasn’t come by to see me, to kiss me, to explain.
So I stew, fiddling with my phone until after dinner when it finally lights up with a message.
