Page 17 of Endurance
“No, listen. Camden and Tanner are twins. Their connection is strong. They shared a womb. They grew up together and now live together. They played football together up until very recently. He’s just adjusting.”
“Shagging half of London is how he adjusts to spending less time with his brother?”
She exhales. “The Harrises are a different type of family. They are very close. Codependent almost. You and I didn’t grow up that way. Every day that I’m with Camden, I learn more and more how reliant he is on his family. Bloody hell, he can hardly wipe his arse without letting one of his siblings know.”
My lip curls. “Gross.”
“Very. But besides all of that, what about your contract at the hospital? This could be an issue for them. You haven’t been there long and you said you’ve been struggling to keep up with Dr. Miller. What if they catch wind of this? You need good press as much as Tanner and your parents do.”
“I hate you,” I moan and drop down onto the sofa beside her, hunched over and pathetic. She’s being reasonable. I hate reasonable. “I’d like to punch you, but your bloody face looks like an angel and I’m afraid it would secure my seat in hell.”
She laughs and shuffles closer to me. “I’m going to say another thing that will make you want to punch me.”
“What?” I side-eye the shit out of her.
“Doing this fake dating thing with Tanner seems like a very Tequila Sunrise sort of opportunity.”
My jaw drops as I flop back to rest my head on the sofa. “Don’t throw Tequila Sunrise in my face, Indie. That’s our thing. Yours and mine. I thought it was sacred.”
“It is sacred!” she exclaims and tucks up beside me, resting her head on my shoulder. “It was only a few months ago that you pushed me into Camden’s arms claiming Tequila Sunrise propaganda. Remember?”
“And you screwed up everything by falling in love with him,” I mumble, missing the friendship we had when we were both single. I’m happy for Indie. I am. But I can slightly sympathise with what Tanner the Slut is going through.
Indie smiles and I can practically feel the twinkle in her eyes. God, she’s so damn happy all the time.
“I’m not telling you to fall in love with him. I’m just telling you to play the part, have some fun, and keep your bloody job.”
I groan in submission, annoyed that I’m going to be helping my family and Testicle Tanner get ahead. I liked living in the dark and openly hating everyone so much better.
“And you know what else I think you should do?” Indie sits up and looks at me with a conspiratorial slant to her gaze. “Figure out a way to mess with Tanner until his balls feel like they’re going to shrivel up and die.”
My brows lift at my scarily vindictive friend, but it’s not a bad idea. If I’m being forced to date London’s sluttiest footballer—a man I loathe—then I’m going to make it my mission in life to torture him while I do.
IWANTED TO GO STRAIGHTback to Belle’s flat after we finished up at Vi’s, but Indie said she was working and Santino said she had already discussed everything with her father. Dread washed over me at that realisation. Belle already hates me for reasons I probably deserve, but being forced to be seen with me for the next month…Now she’ll want me dead, and it sounds like her family is the type to know exactly where to hide a body.
All because she tried to help me out.God, I’m such a prat.
So, instead of trying to smooth things over with Belle, I was forced to have brunch with Santino and brainstorm some of the events we can attend together.Fucking brunch.It’s such a girlie-sounding meal but, bloody hell, it was the only decent thing that’s happened to me in days.
While I ate and listened to Santino go on and on about how I should behave with her in public, I kept thinking about the fact that I wasn’t at the team meeting with Dad and Booker. It was the first time I realised how different my day-to-day life will be for the next month while I’m suspended. It’s going to be even more unusual since I’m required to have some semblance of a girlfriend the entire time.
I’ve never had a girlfriend in my life. Truthfully, the only woman I’ve ever really cared for is my sister. Camden and I were three when our mum died from cancer, so Vi practically raised us. The only real memory I have of our mum is her lying in bed a lot. But Vi did everything she could to replace that loss, and I’ve put her on a pedestal for it. She’s kind, compassionate, strong, and has an uncanny way of helping us find our own answers. No other woman I’ve ever met comes close to Vi’s greatness.
Therefore, rather than having a girlfriend, I use women to fulfil my needs, content to live life as a bachelor. There’s never been a woman whom I’ve wanted for more than one night, and I don’t see that changing with Belle Ryan. I’ll just have to find a way to make the most of our situation.
Santino drops me at my flat and says he’ll email me the list of the sightings and events after he works out the particulars with the Ryan family.
I’m grateful Camden isn’t back from his match in Liverpool yet because I can’t stomach facing anymore disappointing looks today. Plus, I have to get ready to fulfil my first marching order.
I’m to take Belle out tonight so that last night doesn’t look like a one-night stand. Santino secured us a reservation at The Barbary in Neal’s Yard, Covent Garden and said there will be plenty of paparazzi there to get a photo of us together.
Together.
I’ve spent the last few months running from commitment, from women, and from the paparazzi. Now I’m dating a girl who hates me and am begging to have my picture taken with her. If I make it through all of this with my balls still intact, I’ll be shocked.
I arrive at Belle and Indie’s flat by seven like Santino instructed. I’ll need to actually get Belle’s mobile number if we’re going to make this a regular thing for the next few weeks. But for now, I’m just grateful she agreed at all.
Indie answers the door all bright-eyed and bushy-tailed wearing a pair of teal glasses. “Tanner! Hey! I was hoping you were Cam. He’s going to be here any minute.”
