I smile before cutting in and finishing her sentence.
“And you thought you could get an exclusive from the new and possibly na?ve-to-your-tricks wifey?”
“Something like that.” She grins, and I don’t fault her.
But that doesn’t mean I’m stupid enough to answer. “Pass.”
“Look,” she presses. “You don’t have to tell me anything about your wedding. How about you tell me what you think about today? It’s a pretty cool thing he does here. A quote from you could get it on the front page.”
“Bullshit.” I chuckle.
She shrugs. “It was worth a shot. One quote, come on, for the sisterhood.”
I scoff, grinning. “Wow, you are good.”
My eyes are on him, watching as he smiles, noticing I follow suit. And when he laughs, my shoulders shake quietly. I open my mouth, even though I know I shouldn’t, but a piece of me wants us tied somewhere tangible. Like the paper.
I’ll buy a hundred copies and keep them, just so I can tell my kids that I was once married to Crew Matthews until I fell madly in love with their father and he stole me away.
It’ll only be a little white lie, but my time here will live on.
“I think today is just another example of how life will surprise you when you least expect it. Everyone knows him as their favorite QB or maybe as that jock who does those commercials. But he has so much more to offer outside of that. Crew really is the guy everyone should want to grow up and be like. He was meant to be that dude on the Wheaties box.” I glance at her and smile. “Do they even make that cereal anymore?”
She nods, holding her little recorder toward me.
My eyes fall back to him as my thoughts get quiet.
“He’s everything I never wanted.”
Rosanna’s voice slaps me back into reality.
“Sorry, you mean he’s everything you’ve always wanted?”
I frown, looking confused before the realization sets in. Shit. I said that out loud.
She clarifies, still staring at me. “Because you said never, but you meant always. Right?”
I nod vigorously, laughing nervously.
“Yeah. Absolutely, yeah, yep. He’s everything I’ve always wanted.” I fan myself. “I think the heat’s starting to get to me. Whooo, it really is hot in Vegas.”
Suspicious doesn’t even cut the look she’s giving, but I don’t care because I stand, desperate to find an exit.
“I’m gonna go grab some water and maybe get into some cool air. It was…nice?…talking to you.”
She smiles as I walk away, not really knowing where I’m going but still chasing distance before I let out a heavy breath and take the stairs down toward the field.
I’m not looking where I’m going, though, because as I turn the corner off the stairs, I run smack into the last person I expected to see.
Josh, Crew’s lawyer, and I guess mine too, grabs my shoulders, steadying me.
“Hey, it’s my favorite comedian.”
“Oh my gosh. What are you doing here? How’s the law treating you?”
He smirks and gives me a wink.
“Actually, it’s treating me pretty damn good. That’s why I’m here today. I was hoping I could catch Crew and let him know that I got that fucking judge recused.” He waves an envelope in front of me. “Papers are inside. All you two have to do is sign them, and this nightmare is over.”
Well, fuck.
crew
She bailed during field day, but I’m thinking it’s to get ready for tonight since I texted her that I was making good on her request.
I almost got down to business the moment she whispered it in my ear. But delayed gratification will be worth it.
The sound of my duffel hitting the floor echoes through the penthouse as I toe off my shoes and head for the bedroom. I fling the door open, my voice teasing, “You better be fucking naked in here.”
But the room’s empty. I look around, walking into the bathroom before retracing my steps back out to the main room.
What the fuck?
My eyes search the space, not necessarily looking for her but because it feels like she hasn’t been home. I reach into my pocket to grab my phone, about to call her, when I glance up as I head toward the couch, doing a double take because there are legal papers on the coffee table.
A feeling in the pit of my stomach starts to grow as I get closer. I don’t need to look at them because I already know what they are, but I stare at them anyway, plopping down on the couch before I wipe my hand over my mouth.
I’m holding my phone, turning it over and over in my hand, and staring at her signature slashed across the bottom.
Her cheap dice wedding ring sitting next to it.
A deep exhale whooshes from my lungs as I bend forward to swipe the papers. But as I do, I see what’s underneath.
Fuck.
It’s the goddamn bar napkin from the first time she wrote me a note and snuck out. That thing’s been in my nightstand since she left it, and I’d shown it to her the other night, joking about how I was going to frame it.
I drop the papers, swiping up the note and flipping it over.
Here’s to chasing dreams not heartbreak.
Thanks for being part of my trip around the sun.
You’ll always be epic.
xx Wild Card
I toss the napkin on the table and lie back against the couch, running my hand through my hair before I open up the group text with Millie and her sister.
Me: Technically our girl forfeited by bouncing early. I’m sure you already know that. But I’m a man of my word, and we all know she wasn’t caving. So 30k it is.
DJ Mills: Keep your money. It was just for fun.
DJ Mills: *Picture of her Instagram with a Crew Matthews jersey as her profile pic.
Wild Card’s sister: Agreed, we don’t want it.
Wild Card’s sister: *Picture of a sticker on her computer with my new number, 22, next to the words “We love the Niners.”
I don’t answer because there’s nothing to say. I knew this day was coming. We fucking counted down, for fuck’s sake. We were always ending, even if it’s a few days early. But what really fucking sucks is that it feels like such a goddamn loss.
thirty-one
“I just got sacked by the tiniest defensive end I’ve ever met.”
crew
I’ve shaken more hands today than I can remember shaking all year. Not that I’m complaining because the Niners organization has welcomed me with open arms.
It’s everything I ever wanted. Except why does that sound sarcastic in my head?
TJ walks by and pats my shoulder as Nate nods his head at me. We’ve been separated for most of the week with different press obligations. So, I’m happy to finally see them.
“You good, man?” TJ greets, slapping my hand and giving me a dude hug.
The commotion from the press still settling into their seats draws my attention before I look back with an answer.
“Yeah, you know.” I run my hands through my hair. “I just hate these things. Especially since the news slow-leaked about the divorce. So it’s a matter of time before someone asks. Even when they’re not supposed to.”
Nate looks at TJ and then back to me. Goddammit, I hate it when they do this. I’d forgotten that this was the perk of not seeing them this week. Because that look was all too familiar.