Page 14 of False Play
I shot him aseriously, dude?expression. “Yeah,” I squeaked and quickly cleared my throat to cover it up. Was I being cool?Probably not. But this conversation had taken a bizarre turn. “I was a goner. So, I adopted him.”
“But the idiot forgot he travels most of the time, and now needs someone to take care of him when he isn’t home,” Hayes said.
Your days are numbered, Wesley Hayes. Sleep with one eye open, I thought.
“There are automatic cat feeders,” Kennedy replied dryly. “Cats are pretty self-sufficient.” Her eyes ping-ponged between me and Hayes. She stared at us like we were two clueless idiots.
To be fair, she wasn’t wrong.
“Didn’t you say he had some pretty bad separation anxiety, Anderson?” Parker chimed in.
I shot Parker a disbelieving glare. I wasn’t sure if this was agang-up-on-Andersonday or if it was payback for getting ejected, but I was about done with these clowns. “Not sure what?—”
Hayes cut me offagain. “Right.” He snapped his fingers with a firm nod. “He can’t be alone for more than a day.”
“Aw, poor little guy,” Val said with a wistful sigh.
I couldn’t believe what was happening. Theybelievedhim.
“Yeah, man. It’s so sad,” Hayes added solemnly.
Well, shit. My best friend was in the wrong field. I swear I didn’t know how he managed to keep his shit together as he continued to dig a deeper hole for me. A-list actor. I wanted to give the man a damn Oscar.
Donovan added, “Sounds like you need some serious help, man.”
I gave Donovan a look of pure shock and betrayal, and he simply shrugged with a cheeky grin.Assholes. Every single one of them.
“Ha,” I laughed weakly. The place started to feel ridiculously small and hot with every second that passed. Droplets ofsweat traveled down my back as I tried to figure out how to get out of the situation. “I do,” I blurted.
I could have sworn there was a spirit version of myself who was looking over me like I was the biggest idiot to ever exist. Just pointing and laughing at me like I was losing my mind.
“So, what do you say, Kenny?” Hayes asked as he dropped an arm around my shoulders. “Fancy a roommate?”
Oh, for the love of God.
I didn’t want a roommate. Shewouldkill me in my sleep. But I knew I was lying to myself, because I held my breath with eagerness as I waited for her answer.
“No, thank you,” Kennedy replied as she shifted in her seat uncomfortably. “I travel with you guys sometimes, so I wouldn’t be a good fit anyway.”
A pang of unexpected disappointment hit me right in the chest at her answer.Jeez. What the hell was the matter with me? I was having a hard time making up my mind. But when it came to Kennedy, that seemed to be the norm.
“The cat can stay with Aurora the times you’re traveling with us. Right, Donovan?” Hayes asked.
Donovan shot Hayes a withering glare.
I smirked.Not so funny now that your wife is involved, is it?
Aurora was the sweetest and the biggest animal lover you could ever meet, and she’d love nothing more than to hang out with pets all day, but that was besides the fucking point, because Ididn’thave a damn cat.
“So you don’t need a roommate, then,” Kennedy said.
My shoulders deflated slightly. The emotional whiplash my emotions were putting me through was exhausting. I couldn’t make up my mind even if my life depended on it.
“My wife can’t do it full time, unfortunately,” Donovan said.
“It’s a good idea,” Val pointed out. “You love cats. You never got to have one because of Joe.”
Kennedy’s eyes settled on me, and my heart wanted to leap out of my chest at her intense stare. Call me crazy, but I could almost guarantee she could see through my fucking soul. I was ashamed—ish—to admit I was equally terrifiedandturned on.
