Page 63 of Leave It On The Field (Grand Slam 3)
I fall back against the stair railing. I feel like someone just punched me in the gut. I can’t move. I try to catch my breath, but the air’s not making it in.
Jack leaps up a few stairs and puts his arm around me. “Breathe, Sophie. Don’t listen to him. Listen to me, you’re the best thing that’s ever happened to my son. Seb knows it. I know it. Everyone who matters knows it.”
I take a shaky breath and try to nod. Jack pushes me up the stairs. Mom’s waiting for me at the top. She puts her arm around my shoulders.
“Everything will be okay. I promise,” she whispers, kissing the side of my head.
When I hear the concern in her voice, the frustration tears that I’ve been holding in for days start pouring down my face.
Adie jumps up from her seat on the plane and throws her arms around both of us. “Come on, sweetie. You’re sitting with Deb and me. Just the girls.”
I let them guide me to the back of the plane. Mom pulls me down on a couch and holds my head to her chest.
“It’s okay, honey,” she says, stroking my hair. “You’ve been through so much. Let it all out. It doesn’t matter what anyone says. I’ll never leave you. No matter what. I’m always on your side.”
“Why does everyone hate me?” I get out between my gasps for air as I start to sob.
“This has nothing to do with you,” she says, pausing for second. “This is all because of who Seb is. I’m sorry, Adie, but it is.”
I lift my head. “Mom, it’s not Seb’s fault.”
I look back at Adie. She’s slumped into the couch. Her face has lost all of its color.
“I know it’s not his fault,” Mom says, pulling on my chin until I’m looking at her again, “but this all started when you met him. You’re the sweetest person I know. Everyone knew that before you became Seb Miller’s wife.”
“Adie,” I say, grabbing her hand as she starts to stand up, “she didn’t mean it like that.”
She squeezes my hand. “I’m not mad at her, Sophie. Just promise me you’ll give Seb a chance to make this right. He loves you so much.”
She kisses the top of my head, and then walks back to her seat at the front of the plane. I turn back around to Mom.
“Mom,” I say, wiping the tears that are now dripping from my chin. “That wasn’t necessary. We’re all family now.”
“I’ve been protecting you since before you were born,” she says, holding my face in her hands. “I’m not going to stop now. This has gotten out of hand. It needs to end.”
“I know, but you don’t have to protect me from Seb.” I lay my head down on the pillow she just put on her lap. “You know how much he loves me. He’ll do anything for me.”
She starts stroking my hair again as I close my eyes. “Then it’s about time for him to prove it.”
After about ten minutes, I hear the boarding door slam shut. I peek through the strands of hair that have fallen over my face to see Butch and Raine taking the seats right in front of us.
“He called her Princess Sophie and a whore. Both words from the Twitter stuff,” Butch says to Raine. “Ricky has to be posting it, right?”
“It’s not him. He’s too stupid and volatile to be the user. He might be feeding information to the person, though. There’s been some pretty detailed stuff that only Seb’s friends and family would know.”
“How about that little side piece who follows him around?” Butch asks. “The high school girlfriend. She could be posting the stuff.”
“I don’t think so,” Raine says, peeking back at me. “I think the user is probably someone we haven’t even thought of yet. I’m guessing it’s someone Seb and Sophie trust.”
Butch shakes his head. “Why would anyone close to them be posting that stuff about her?”
“That’s what we need to figure out,” Raine says.
* * *
