Page 12 of Hot Shot
“It’s not too bad. Although I am looking forward to spending a lot more time inside the training facility and arena. Both are at temps more to my liking.”
“I remember you voting against the trip to Hawaii the year your brothers and I graduated high school and they got to pick the family holiday destination.”
“I remember someone else being just as vocal about their choice.” I glance around. “And it’s not like you found yourself a tropical island to hide out on.”
“Who said I’m hiding?”
I bring my gaze back to Bran. Stare at him with disbelief and disappointment because we never used to lie or twist the truth with each other. “Lie to yourself if you have to but we both know you’re in hiding.”
He has the grace to blush and drop his gaze. “Sorry. I’ve gotten used to deflecting—lying—to those closest to me. Not that there are many people left in my inner circle.”
“No one but yourself to blame for that. You shoved us all out of it, Bran.”
“I did. I know I did.” He looks away, out into the darkness and says, “But I had to. I couldn’t lie to you all every damn day and if we’d stayed close, if I had let you all stay in my life, I would have had to.”
“Why? Why would you have to lie to anyone?”
His gaze moves back to lock with mine, his eyes blazing with anger and resentment—regret. “Because it was all a lie.”
“What was?”
“Mymarriage.” He spits the second word out like it burns his tongue. “A marriage that should never have happened!”
He shoves his chair back, toppling it over when he surges to his feet. I don’t have time to get a word out or rise from my own seat before he’s storming into the house. I’m sure if the door to inside was a normal one, he would have slammed it behind him, but the glass slider is too heavy, and it slips quietly into the frame.
I don’t know what the hell he’s talking about. He married Celeste because of the baby—his child.
My gaze stays glued to the spot I last saw him, my mind spinning with questions.
“Because it was all a lie.”
Out of everything he said, those six words run on repeat in my head and the only conclusion I can come to after his outburst is Celeste lied about being pregnant…but the baby was born seven months after the news of their marriage…unless the baby wasn’t his.
Oh my god.
Could she have lied about the baby being Bran’s?
Why did he stay if that was the case?
And who was the father if not Bran?
Celeste had a reputation for jumping from player to player. It was one of the shocking parts of Bran marrying her. She wasn’t his type. At all. He wasn’t hers either. She went for the cocky players, the ones who used their celebrity status and partied all the time.
I still don’t understand how they got together in the first place. I hadn’t been aware of them dating. They hadn’t been spotted together before the photo of a stern looking Bran and a grinning Celeste was splashed on thePuck Bunny Productionsblog, every media outlet in the country picking the story up within hours.
I’m getting ahead of myself. I don’t know what he means. It could be Celeste lied about being pregnant then got pregnant after they were married. It could be any number of possibilities.
Shaking my head, I slowly stand and gather our dishes. There’s no point trying to figure it out when I don’t have all the facts. And I’m not about to go find Bran and ask all the questions burning a path from my brain to my tongue.
Instead I’ll clean up after our meal, then call it a night even though it’s early. I should check in with Oakley and Nat. Although, if I speak to either of them, they’ll know something is bothering me and I don’t want to answer their questions right now just as I know Bran doesn’t want to answer mine.
Not yet anyway.
Earlier I thought I wasn’t prepared for the emotions being around Bran delivered. Now I don’t think I’m ready for the revelations he’s going to reveal.
He seemed so angry and hurt and all I wanted to do was soothe him the way I did when his mother died.
Everyone thought I was upset and angry at Bran, that he’d betrayed me, but the biggest sorrow I have is that I couldn’t be there for him in his darkest days. That I couldn’t help him navigate the turmoil of losing his wife and child.
