Page 32 of Married As Puck
It’s hard but I take a deep breath and try again in a calmer tone.
“I’m talking to you, Brie,” I chide.
She scoffs and says, “If you want us to be friends or civil at least, you have to use the magic word and your manners.”
My nostrils flare at her request. I clench and unclench my fists. If there’s one thing I hate, it’s being told what to do. “What the hell, Brie?!”
She doesn’t even flinch at my tone. “Yeah, being polite will not kill you, Cameron. You should try it sometime, especially if you want anything to do with me.”
She stands up to leave, taking the magazine with her. I grab her hand before she walks by. “You can’t just walk away in the middle of a conversation.”
An image of my father talking to my mother in the same way flashes in my mind. I recoil and let go of Brie immediately. The proper thing to do is to apologize for that behavior as is clear from her creased brows but I keep my lips sealed.
“Look, Cameron. I don’t know what’s up with you, but I’ve had a long day and I’m sure the same goes for you, so if you don’t mind, I’ll go to bed now and we can talk about whatever this is in the morning.” She heads to her room, and I don’t stop her this time.
With a huff, I drag my hands down my face and head to my room to grab a lighter. A good puff will get me back in line and help me blow off this steam.
A few minutes later, I’m outside on the balcony, relishing in the feel of the wind on my face. I notice then that the windows in Brie’s room are wide open, and the lights are on. “She’s probably scared of the dark,” I muse. All that sassiness and no guts? I chuckle darkly under my breath.
I don’t know how long I’m standing out there, craving the stillness in the night air for my mind. The sound of my ringtone pierces through, drawing my focus back to the chaos that I’m currently wading through.
I stare at the name on the screen for what feels like hours, but the clock only ticks a few minutes. I finally pick up and hold it to my ear without saying a word, choosing that time to take a long drag of my cigarette.
“It’s bad manners to pick up the phone and stay quiet, Gray. I can hear your breathing loud and clear so don’t act as though I woke you from sleep. As a matter of fact, I know you arrived at your house half an hour ago.”
I sigh as Collins’ voice seems to weigh me down with every utterance. “At this point, you should be my personal bodyguard too cause what the hell? Say your thing and be on your way.”
“Just the attitude I called to tackle. Welcome onboard Gray’s anger.” He says in a sarcastic tone. “You seem to be a regular these days.”
“What do you want, Collins? If this is about the marriage with Brie then I’m working on it, but she’s stubborn as hell. I think we hire a stand in.”
“Well she’s the reason you’re back in the league so you better control that temper that keeps bringing you bad luck and do all you can to keep her eating out of your palm until after the big game. You don’t want to watch that from the sidelines, trust me. I know how big your ego is and not even the best doctor will be able to tend to it.” There’s a rustling sound and then he continues. By this time, I’m halfway through the first pack of cigarettes.
“Stay away from that Jack dude. I heard he’s out of the hospital.” An image of him staring at me in the locker room earlier forms in my mind and I grit my teeth.
“I can feel the heat of your anger from all the way here, Gray. Don’t let me end up on the streets because of your bad decisions.”
“You should stay in your lane, Collins. You’re breathing down my neck like Coach when you’re supposed to be my PR or have the roles been reversed? Take it down a notch!”
He’s about to retort but I hang up on him. “Go to hell, Collins. I don’t need you going all papa bear on me.”
I toss the last cigarette down, half-finished and decide to turn in for the night. I toss and turn before I eventually fall asleep. Hiring a new wife would be ideal if Brie and I don’t have those photos together.
I raise my head with a scowl as I hear someone barge into the music room. I know it’s no other person than Brie.
The next morning, she’s fucking singing in the kitchen. I can smell the food burning through the wall. In reality, I could never be married to this woman.
“Howdy, babe,” she chirps the moment I step in the kitchen.
I’m not wearing a shirt, but it doesn’t bother her. “What’s burning?”
She twirls, the off-shoulder sundress flaring around her. “What do you think about my outfit?”
I scoff. “Nothing. It looks like my grandma’s tablecloth.”
She scowls at me. “When are you going to start packing your stuff to move out? There have been no boxes. Do you even have a new place?”
“About that…” I sigh. “Did you talk to Nelly Kane yet?”
