Page 14 of Rival Season
“Well, I just wanted to check in. Text me if the apartment needs any more supplies or anything. And the weekly cricket delivery should be arriving in a few days for Fluffy.”
“Okay, great,” I say, my voice sounding far away to my own ears as I try to work out what she could mean by seeing Chadwick every day. “Enjoy your adventures.”
“We will. Toodaloo!” Violet hangs up before I can say another word, which is fine because I feel completely numb.
There’s a knock at the door, and my phone drops from my hand to the couch cushion with a soft bounce. Because somehow, my body already knows who it is. The way my flight or fight kicks in, the ache in my chest, the buzz of anxiety humming through my limbs…
I walk towards the door and slowly reach for the knob like the stupid heroine in every horror movie, knowing something horrible is on the other side but opening it anyway because the unanswered questions will drive me crazy.
The moment it swings open, Chadwick pushes through, and I step back because I can’t just slam the door on a man with crutches…as much as I want to.
“How did you get up here?” I ask. When someone’s at the front door of the building, I usually have to buzz them up.
“A delivery guy was leaving the building just as we arrived; he held the door for us.”
Ugh. I shoot my new headphones an accusing glare.
One of Chadwick’s teammates strides in behind him with a duffel bag on his shoulder and a roller suitcase in his hand. I recognize him but can’t remember his name—every time I made the trip to Sacramento to see Chadwick or watch one of his games, he never seemed too bothered about introducing me to his teammates or friends. Without so much as a glance at me, the teammate drops Chadwick’s gym bag with a thud and rolls the suitcase to a stop. “Okay, Weatherby, you need anything else?”
“Nope, I’m good. Thanks, man.”
“See you later. Good luck.” The man exits with a wave and closes the door behind him. Leaving me standing in the kitchen with my cheating ex.
“What are you doing here, Chadwick?” I ask, crossing my arms.
“Well, for one, the apartment belongs to my aunt and uncle, not you. They gave me permission to stay here. And two, the best PT for my injury happens to live in San Francisco, so I’m spending the next several weeks here to work with her. I figured it's the perfect opportunity for us to work on our relationship, too. I don’t like how you’ve been ignoring me. It hurts, Haze.”
He cannot be serious.“We no longer have a relationship, Chadwick. Youcheatedon me.”
He rolls his eyes, and I’ve never felt so angry. I want to kick his crutches out from under his arms and watch him fall to the floor. And then, for good measure, let Fluffy out of her cage to eat him alive.
Okay, maybe that’s going a little too far, but Chadwick’s terrified of spiders, so I hope he’d at least pee his pants and humiliate himself.
“And I said I was sorry.” His tone is defensive, and I grit my teeth to keep from lashing out. “I’ll even sleep in the spare bedroom until you come to your senses. I love you, we can fix this. Our families will be devastated if we break up.”
The reminder of how disappointed my family will be when they find out has my stomach plummeting.
Chadwick doesn’t notice he hit a nerve, his gaze moving around the room as he looks at the bouquets scattered all over the apartment. “I see you’re enjoying the flowers.”
“The smell of roses gives me a headache, which is something I’ve told you several times. I just haven’t had time to dispose of them yet.”
He purses his lips. “You’re being ungrateful. You only get to live in this apartment because ofmyfamily, need I remind you?”
Oh, now he’s pissing me off. I take a step toward him, tilting my chin up haughtily. “Are you trying to blackmail me into getting back together with you? Are you so desperate that you need to stoop that low?” I barely recognize myself at this moment, but I like this snarky version of Hazel who stands up for herself. Usually this side of me only comes out for Playboy.
His nostrils flare, and I can tell that comment got to him. He opens his mouth to speak but then closes it as his gaze lands on something behind me on the kitchen counter. “What’s that?”
Before I can answer, he clomps over on his crutches and reads the note from Penn out loud.
“You can’t be serious, Haze. I thought he was joking the other night about you two dating.” He tuts, then aims his smarmy smile at me. “You’re really lowering your standards if you’re going out with Penn Matthews.”
“Well, he hasn’t cheated on me so far, so I think he’s a huge improvement from my last relationship.” The words fly out of my mouth like venom and Chadwick’s jaw drops.
“Actually, I’m gonna go thank him for the thoughtful gift he sent.” I spin on my heel and stride toward the door, needing to get away from Chadwick. “And when I get back, you better be gone.”
I slam the door behind me, leaving my ex-boyfriend with his jaw gaping open. The satisfaction of seeing him so shocked wears off slowly as I hop on the elevator and it starts ascending to the third floor. A minute later, I’m standing in front of Penn’s door and mindlessly knocking, my bravery completely gone.
Why did I come up here? I could’ve just walked down the street to the coffee shop and waited until Chadwick hopefully got the hint and took off. But my legs brought me here…to Playboy’s door.
