Page 67 of All In: The Price We Pay

Nodding, I tap her nose. “Sure. And eventually I’ll tell you everything. Right now, though, it’s all . . . complicated.”

“I know what ‘complicated’ means.” She nods sympathetically. “But it doesn’t have to be.”

For me, it is. Unfortunately. Instead of answering, I shrug. “Anyway.”

“Yeah?”

Now I grin. “But I’d love to keep Sid on his toes for a little while. It’s quite the situation. The rookie’s stealing the senior star player’s girlfriend. From his perspective. That’s a brazen move.”

Valentina purses her lips. “It isn’t. He’s practically dying of worry. The only reason he hasn’t confessed everything to you on his knees yet is because I convinced him to let me talk to you first.”

“That was the best move. But I’m itching to do something, Valentina. If I could think of anything that wouldn’t jeopardize our team or the playoffs, I’d pull off the prank of the century.”

She gives me a gentle tap. “Behave yourself.”

“Always.”

She walks around the table and hugs me. “You’re the best.”

“Nah,” I reply. “Just average. You’re the best.”

She nods thoughtfully. “Let’s agree that we’re both the best.”

We grin at each other. “I’m glad you’re my friend.”

“Always,” she says, pointing to the food. “And now, dig in. I still need to talk to my boyfriend. He had an important game today.”

“Most importantly, he made an excellent assist so I could score a goal.”

“Aww.” She gazes off into the distance dreamily.

Valentina and Sid. Why didn’t I see this coming? Probably because I’m so damn preoccupied with myself.

Despite her rush to talk to Sid, I’m allowed to finish my dinner and drive over to Parker’s, feeling strangely content.

The emotion isn’t comparable to the relief that came over me from the deal with Joaquin. But it’s the right step to end this charade with Valentina. It’s a lie that we’ve been perpetuating through our actions and our silence.

But now there’s Sid. Above all, there’s Parker. Even though he understands what’s going on between Valentina and me, since he’s the one who orchestrated the whole thing, I want no one by my side but him. Even if I can’t show that to anyone. Yet.

When I open the apartment door, I’m still lost in thought.

Parker is sitting on the sofa with a glass of wine, reading. A book he must have brought with him, because it can’t be mine.

He grins. “I saw you.”

My chest swells and warms. The joy of having him here is unlike anything else in the world. Playing games, winning trophies and prizes, that’s a feeling all of its own. It’s different. You’ve worked toward it; in a way, it’s the reward, even if fate or luck sometimes plays a part. The recognition you receive for your daily work is good, but it also comes with certain expectations.

This here is . . . magic. At least to me. A tingling sensation that excites me, calms me, and makes me feel like I’m the king of the world.

I set my bag down and walk over to him. “You watched the game?”

Parker puts his book down and takes a sip of wine. “Oh yeah. You looked amazing on screen. Hot.”

“Is that so?”

He nods and sets the glass down. “To celebrate the occasion, I opened a bottle of wine for us.”

I turn my gaze to the bottle. He hasn’t drunk much. The glass contains only what’s missing from the bottle. “You haven’t gotten very far yet.”