Page 77 of Blinding Lights

Is Beckett Myers in a new relationship?

Beckett Myers ditches his girlfriend and her kid for the private lounge.

The last one might be a stretch, but I have no doubt some variation or another will hit the media within a few hours.

My jaw locks tight and I almost turn back. I could probably buy the photos to save myself the heartache. But there’s no point. If it’s not today, it’ll be tomorrow, or the next. I can’t escape it.

And it’s not even Lily and Ava it will be affecting.

When I’m through the doors to the lounge, I make my way to the back corner and disappear out of view, sliding into a seat behind a pillar.

Nausea rolls through me, and emotion lodges in the back of my throat. What if it had been Lily and Ava? What if the photo was then splashed all over the media for the world to see? What if the photographer followed Lily home and…

Fuuck. I sink my head into my hands. Why can’t I focus on anything other than the what-ifs? Why is it so hard to see the color through the gray?

Atlas’s face comes to mind, and I quietly curse him for not sharing my concerns. Why the hell isn’t he sharing my concerns? If Henley was the one being followed… My thoughts trail off, making way for Mom’s voice to play through my mind. “Is this really about Henley and Atlas?”

Goddammit. I curse myself this time and I wish I could say yes. But I can’t.

It’s about me and the deep-seated pain I’m still holding on to. I overreacted. Atlas didn’t deserve my wrath. At least not the full extent of it. He still married my sister on a drunken night out, so he’s not completely guilt free. But…

Grabbing my phone from my pocket, I pull up Atlas’s contact and open our message chain. We haven’t texted since we played against each other last season. And before that, it had been years.

ME: Hey, man. I overreacted during our talk this morning. I could have been more understanding.

I press send and let my head fall back against the wall, closing my eyes. It’s not an apology, because I’m not sure he deserves one. But he deserves something.

A few minutes pass before my phone buzzes, and it’s another few minutes before I get the courage to pick it up and read the message, and leave it to Atlas to make me laugh.

ATLAS: I thought it went pretty damn well… You didn’t knock me out.

He makes a good point, but God, I wanted to.

ME: I should’ve known you and Henley were inevitable. Mom was right. Yet again. Don’t tell her I said that.

ATLAS: Your secret is safe. What did she say?

ME: It was years ago. I think we were seniors in high school. Henley was a freshman. She was always doing little things to get your attention and you never got annoyed with her like I did.

ME: I remember we were outside, and she threw a bucket of ice water on top of your head before running away through the field. I told Mom I didn’t know how you dealt with her constant pestering and I’ll never forget what she said. Though at the time, I laughed it off.

ATLAS: Well don’t keep me in suspense.

ME: She told me the two of you had a special connection and even though you didn’t realize it at the time, one day you’d want her attention all to yourself and there would be no better man for the job.

ME: I remember hating the idea. But she was right. And I’m sorry I was the reason you held back all those years ago.

Dammit, I wasn’t going to apologize.

ATLAS: You were protecting her.

ME: Maybe so. But I should have trusted you to do that.

ATLAS: I’d never let anything happen to her. I hope you know that.

ME: How can you be so sure? And I don’t mean that as an attack.

I could use the advice.