Chapter 7
Chapter Seven
West
“ C alled it on the elevator,” Dane grumbles. “I said it’d be a shitshow, and it was certainly that.”
This is the most any of us have said to one another since leaving the team facility.
Sterling sips his beer. “Technically, you said it would be a clusterfuck. So…”
The bartender slides a dark bottle across the bar and into Dane’s hand. “Either way you look at it, the entire thing was a fucking nightmare.”
No one can argue with that.
The door to the bar swings open, and without turning to see who’s just walked in, I already know it’s Ricky. Like damn-near everyone else, he tuned in to watch this morning’s press conference and saw how shit went down. Hence the reason we barely made it to the parking lot before he shot us a text, telling us to meet him here this afternoon.
So, here we are.
I look around. I’ve been here before, but it looks much different than it did years ago. As one of the few Southside bars I’ve frequented, it’s the site of one of my most significant memories. Glancing over my shoulder toward a booth, I recall a pivotal conversation that took place there. It was the first time I said out loud that I was thinking about proposing to Blue, and it was Ricky who told me to get my head out of my ass and just go for it.
Best damn advice I’ve ever been given.
Since then, Ricky added this bar to the long list of local spots he’s bought and given a facelift. It’s like he’s on a personal mission to clean up our city. In more ways than one.
Knowing the owner comes with perks, though. Like this—him shutting the place down for the afternoon, just so we can vent in private after having a monumentally shitty day.
Ricky walks up and places a hand on my shoulder as he passes. “Good to see you gentlemen on this fine afternoon,” he says with a laugh, pretending to be proper, knowing his ass is anything but that.
“Thanks for clearing the place out.” Before I can even finish, He’s already waving me off.
“Save that shit. There were only a handful of guys I had to kick out, and I’m sure their wives will forgive me for sending them home. Eventually”
When I laugh, it’s halfhearted because my thoughts are still on motherfucking Ira Woods. The guy has it out for me and, of course, Pandora ate that shit up.
Ricky makes his way behind the bar and whispers something to the bartender. Then, he slips him some cash before dismissing him. I assume the amount covers whatever his day’s wage would’ve been if the place were filled with patrons, like usual.
“Drinks are on me, fellas. I’m serving,” Ricky says. “What else can I get you?”
“I’ll take another beer.” Sterling pauses to pour the last drop of his current bottle into his mouth.
“Same,” Dane says, running a hand down his chin.
They look about as stressed as I feel , so it’s no wonder they’re trying to wash that shit out of their heads with alcohol. I’m guessing this was the plan, though, which accounts for why both opted to be driven here instead of driving themselves.
“What about you, Rich Boy?” Ricky nods my way with the question.
“Just water for me.”
Smirking, he arches a brow, and I’m guessing he expected me to ask for something a whole hell of a lot stronger. God knows I wanted to.
He pops the caps off my brothers’ bottles and hands them over before giving me shit about my order. “You going soft on me? Or are you watching your figure?” he teases.
I laugh and it hits me that I’m tempted to keep my answer to his question vague. But then I remember who I’m with. Three of the most trustworthy people I know.
Definitely three of the most trustworthy in this city.
“We don’t drink anymore.”
My words have Ricky doing that thing with his eyebrow again. “We?”
I nod. “Yeah, Blue and I gave up alcohol when we started trying for a kid. I’m sure you can guess why she has some pretty strong feelings about it.”
“Say no more,” Ricky cuts in. As one of Blue’s closest friends growing up, he saw firsthand how addiction messed up her parents.
“I haven’t touched anything stronger than soda in more than a year,” I admit with a laugh, and there’s a distant look in Ricky’s eyes. Like he’s gone back in time, reliving the memory of what Blue’s life was like back in the day.
“I support it. One-hundred percent,” he adds, confirming exactly why he’s a permanent fixture in mine and Blue’s lives.
Even if—him being my wife’s ex—I wanted to kill him back in the day.
He places a lemon wedge in my glass, then hands it over before pouring himself something from the top shelf.
“Does this mean there are changes with the baby situation?” he asks.
It doesn’t surprise me that he knows he’s one of the few people who can ask a question like that and actually get an answer.
“The subject came up last week, and… we decided to give it another try.”
Ricky smiles. “I hoped you’d say that. I know shit got hard while you two were out there in Cali by yourselves, but you’ve got all of us now.”
“I appreciate that.”
“I mean it. Whatever you guys need, whatever might make this easier, just say the word, man.”
“You already know Joss and I are here,” Dane says.
Sterling nods next. “Me and Tiff, too.”
Already, this time feels different, and I’m grateful for that. It gives me hope.
We all sip our drinks, but when we lower them and silence creeps in, it’s hard to ignore the elephant in the room.
“So, who wants to start,” Ricky speaks up, glancing at my brothers and me, waiting to see who intends to start griping first. I’m in no rush to rehash any of it, so I take another drink.
“Where the fuck should I even begin?” Dane asks. “The part where our teammates looked like they wanted our heads on spikes, or the part where we realized we’ll never outrun the bullshit our dad did here?”
“Start wherever. Let all that shit out,” Ricky says, unshaken by my brother’s outburst. “That’s why I brought you guys here, to get it all out in the open now, so you’re not carrying it around. That’s the type of shit that’ll kill a man if he’s not careful. This is a safe space.”
Dane sighs and it’s like we’re all just now taking a breath. A breath we’ve held in for over a week now, since first touching down in Cypress Pointe.
“It’s fucked up,” Sterling chimes in, “knowing that no matter how talented we are, no matter how different we are from our asshole sperm donor, all anyone will ever see when we walk into a room is Vin- fucking- Golden.”
“I get it. It’s not exactly popular to be a Ruiz here either, but I own that shit,” Ricky says. “It’s my fucking name, regardless of who else claims it, regardless of the past. I live in the now, and whoever has an issue with that can go fuck themselves.”
He smirks and takes another drink.
If anyone knows what we’re going through, it’s him. Hell, our father’s criminal activity was directly connected to the Ruizes, so it’s all kind of come full circle, I guess. The men of the previous generation fucking things up, then there’s us, present day, working to right their wrongs.
“Is it bad I’m already wondering if this was a mistake?” Sterling’s question lingers in the air a moment.
“Not at all,” Dane says. “Not unless it’s bad that I’ve asked myself that exact question every single morning since we’ve been back. Joss and I had peace in Texas. We had the comfort of knowing we could walk outside and live our lives without any drama.”
It’s like he’s reading my mind, although I’d never say it outside this space. I get why Ricky brought us here. Blue is always ready and willing to listen when I vent, but she doesn’t need the added stress. Not with what we sacrificed to move home. Not with our decision to try another round of treatment.
But honestly, I have bigger problems than my father’s fuck-ups, bigger problems than feeling like a fish out of water in a city I used to call mine.
“Talk to me, Rich Boy. What’s on your mind?”
I’m caught off guard when Ricky calls me out, so it takes me a few seconds to find the words. But again, I remember I can speak freely here.
“Honestly? The last part of Pandora’s post has me reeling a bit.”
I leave it at that, knowing I don’t need to go into more detail. The secret Pandora spoke of was supposed to have been buried—my father’s final gift to me before my entire world fell apart years ago. A far younger, far more reckless, and far stupider, version of myself is to blame, but something tells me that wouldn’t matter a whole lot to Coach. There are some sharp edges that can’t be dulled with time, and I have a feeling this is one of them.
“Do you think Pandora would actually out you?”
I shoot a look toward Sterling when he asks, then stare at the ice floating in my glass as I shrug. “Who fucking knows?”
“I don’t get it. Why hold onto that for all these years, only to blast that shit now? ”
I have a quick answer to Dane’s question.
“Because she’s a bitch, and she’s always gotten off on the pain and misery of others.”
“Yeah, but not like this,” Sterling cuts in. “I mean, sure, she’s always been a pain in the ass, but there was a time she actually helped us. No way in hell I’d expect that from her now.”
“Maybe because it’s not the same Pandora.” Those words casually leave Ricky’s mouth as he pours himself a second glass. “I mean, think about it. I put the fear of God in that cunt back in the day. She’d have to be a fucking idiot to come out of the woodwork now, thinking she’s safe just because a little time has passed. Doesn’t add up.”
I’ve been tempted to think this, too, but there are a lot of holes in that theory. For starters, how the hell would someone pull this off, and why would they even want to?
“Just something I’ve been tossing around. I could be wrong,” he adds, but then seems to dismiss the thought when he leans on the bar. “Anyway, why was it so easy to get all three of you here today without any pushback from the ladies? They getting tired of your sorry asses already?”
“Probably,” Dane laughs. “But they’re hooking up for an early dinner, so it worked out. Then, they have their first Empress Circle meeting afterward.”
“Shit, that’s right. Dez mentioned the part about dinner, but what the hell is the Empress Circle?”
Dane rolls his eyes as he thinks about it. We all know from past experience that it’ll likely just be one big gossip session.
“It’s what the football wives and girlfriends call themselves,” he says. “They put on events and fundraisers. Shit like that. Sometimes they just hang out and bond, but they said today’s about giving Joss, Blue, and Tiffany a proper welcome.”
Ricky nods after Dane explains, but I feel Sterling’s eyes burning a hole into the side of my head before I even turn to look at him.
“What the fuck are you looking at?”
He sighs. “They’re meeting for dinner. Without Tiffany.”
When he adds that part, it hits me that I maybe should’ve seen this coming.
I take a breath, and Sterling scoffs. I’m not comfortable speaking for my wife, expressing her feelings, but I don’t really have much choice here.
“I don’t think they intentionally excluded her, Sterling, but…”
“Un-fucking-believable,” he grumbles, cutting me off.
His frustration is palpable, but I’m not sure why he didn’t expect it to be like this.
“You know how tight the girls’ circle is,” Ricky says, casually taking another sip. “And like it or not, that circle includes Lexi. And by simple deductive reasoning, that’s gonna mean Tiffany’s left out more often than not. It is what it is, man.”
That answer is far more matter-of-fact than what I planned to say, but the message is the same.
“It’s bullshit. They’re not even giving her a fucking chance.” Sterling pauses to gather himself as his face reddens. “The wedding’s next year, which means Tiff will be part of the family soon. I know they care about Lex, but it didn’t work out. I’ve moved on, Lexi’s moved on, and it’d be nice if everyone else did too.”
Ricky, Dane, and I share a look. The room’s ten times more tense than it was a moment ago. The tremor in Sterling’s hand as he sips from his bottle is telling, too.
Now would be a terrible time to explain that the girls feel like they’ve tried connecting with Tiffany, but the chemistry simply isn’t there. Could part of the reason be that there’s limited room in their hearts because Lexi’s taking up so much space there? Yeah, but I’m not gonna be the one to say it.
“She’s having a hard time adjusting?”
Sterling peers up to meet Ricky’s gaze, and he seems calmer when he nods. “Harder than either of us expected, I think. She left her friends, her family, uprooted her entire life to come here. That might not matter much to everyone else, but it matters a whole hell of a lot to me. Especially when…”
His voice trails off there, and I think I know what thought just ran through his head. Because it’s something he’s said before, usually with the aid of liquid courage.
Weeks before he left to play for Miami, Sterling and Lexi got the news about Jaxon. Their break-up was still incredibly fresh, but Sterling put his heart on the line, pleading with Lexi to relocate to Florida. He had it all planned out—he’d move her into his three-bedroom penthouse overlooking the ocean, where she’d live for the duration of the pregnancy under his care. Then, a few months after delivery, Sterling promised she’d have her pick of homes in Miami. He also gave his word that he’d shoulder all that comes with parenthood right alongside her, but still, as good as the offer sounded, it wasn’t enough to convince her to leave Cypress Pointe.
I remember it like it was yesterday. I’d never seen my brother more desperate—desperate to be close to his son, desperate not to miss anything, but… Lexi turned him down. While the rest of us understood why she opted to stay close to home and family, my brother didn’t get it. Sterling—tough as he pretends to be—took it to heart, seeing Lexi’s refusal to leave as an obstacle she created that put distance between him and Jaxson.
But… I’ve always thought it’s possible that’s not the only part that upset him. I think her rejection of his offer also forced him to accept what he wasn’t ready to accept.
That things between him and Lex were really over.
So, I think I get it now. Tiffany followed him here, and it’s reminding him of how heartbroken he was when Lexi refused to follow him years ago.
“You’re right,” I sigh. “Tiff will be your wife soon, so… we’ll do better.”
I shoot Dane a look, hoping he chimes in to show that he’s on board, too.
“I’ll talk to Joss tonight,” he says, lacking even an ounce of enthusiasm. At least I faked it.
Sterling doesn’t meet either of our gazes as he nods. Maybe he knows we’re just saying what we think he wants to hear, versus what he needs to hear. Because if any of us were being honest right now, nothing about this feels natural. Our circle has been closed for years, but it sounds like that’s about to change.
“When’s the wedding anyway?” Here’s hoping my question lightens the mood a bit.
“Well, if Tiff had it her way, we’d be walking down the aisle before the season kicks off. But that felt rushed to me, plus I thought having it this year might fuck up Dane and Joss’s plans. So, we’re aiming for next year instead.”
“Thank God,” Dane says with a laugh. “Joss has been pretty chill with all the wedding stuff, but she’s put in a shit-ton of work, and that might’ve been just the thing to push her over the edge.”
Sterling smiles faintly, but the silence is uncomfortable. Mostly because I’m holding my tongue, which I never have to do with these two.
Fuck it.
I’m gonna speak my mind.
“You’re sure about this, right? I mean, she’s really the one?”
Sterling’s brow quirks when his gaze locks with mine, but I need to look into his eyes when he answers. We can lie to the rest of the world, but we’ve never been able to lie to one another.
“What the hell?” He laughs, but I get the feeling it’s meant to mask that I’ve gotten under his skin. “Did you give Dane the third-degree like this about Joss?”
Is he fucking kidding me right now?
“Didn’t have to,” I shoot back, taking a sip of water, being intentionally casual to keep things from getting too intense. “Dane’s loved Joss since they were twelve. She’s been with us all our lives, Sterling. It’s always been Joss.”
Sterling eyes me again, but it’s a harsher look this time. The faint smile he wore half a second ago begins to fade, too. And as sure as I’m standing here, this motherfucker proceeds to do exactly what I expect him to do.
He lies right through his damn teeth.
“Yeah, West, I’m fucking sure.”
His stare stays trained on mine, and my heart’s beating a mile a minute. With that confident look on his face, it’s clear he’s trying his damnedest to convince us both that he’s just told the truth. It’s eating me alive not calling him out on that shit, but Blue’s taught me the art of restraint. And part of that practice means I don’t say the first thing that pops into my head. So, instead of calling him out, I smile and play along.
“Good. As long as you’re sure.”
Shaking his head, Sterling tips the bottle to his lips again. More than ever, I wish I had a drink right now, because… fucking hell. I’m pretty sure my brother’s about to ruin his life.
“Mind if I ask another question?”
Sterling shoots me a warning with his eyes. “What is it now?”
I’m well aware of the fact that I should probably leave him alone, but the part of me that will always want what’s best for him won’t let me.
“When were you planning to tell everyone about the engagement? It’s not like us to keep big news like this from each other.”
I hold in the rest of what I want to say. The part about how keeping it a secret only makes it seem that much sketchier.
He pauses with his lips to the bottle, then lowers it. The heavy sigh and tension in his jaw serve as signs that I’m tapdancing on his patience.
“Considering Jaxon is in the picture, and that I like to keep my life as peaceful as possible, it seemed smart to make sure Rodriguez…” Sterling pauses, and it’s like the sound gets sucked out of the room.
He hasn’t referred to Lexi that way—by her last name—in years. Back in the day, it was somewhat of a term of endearment between the two. So, once things went bad between them, all the friendly shit went out the window.
“The plan was to fill Lexi in first,” he says, correcting himself. “Then, once she had time to process, Tiffany suggested that we take everyone out to dinner and share our news. It was supposed to be a memorable moment, but… it didn’t quite play out like that.”
Understatement.
“Damn.” Ricky shakes his head when that one word leaves his mouth, likely thinking of how badly it all got screwed up.
“Now, Lexi hasn’t said two words to me since everything went down,” Sterling shares, and I note that his mood has taken another nosedive. “When I call, she doesn’t even say hello. She just puts Jaxon right on. And when I pick him up, I’m not even allowed at her house. I have to get him from her mom and Benny. Shit’s ridiculous. We’re supposed to be fucking adults.”
The vein in the side of his neck throbs as he breathes deep. He’s pissed.
At Pandora.
At Lexi.
At himself.
“Alright, well, since we’re asking the hard questions, there’s one that’s been rolling around in my head, too,” Dane cuts in.
That stern look Sterling leveled at me not too long ago is now aimed at Dane, but he doesn’t say a word.
“Are you… sure you don’t still feel something for Lex?”
Shaking his head, Ricky lets out a quiet laugh. “I’m not nearly drunk enough for this shit.”
Sterling crosses both arms over his chest, but he doesn’t speak right away.
“Think about it,” Dane says. “You’re living back home for the first time in years, and you two already have Jaxon together. It’s at least crossed your mind.”
“Un-fucking-believable. I can’t believe I’m getting this shit from you, too . It’s bad enough I have to hear it from Tiffany.”
Frustrated, Sterling gets to his feet, but I’m still processing. With the drinks starting to hit his system, I don’t even think he realizes what he’s just done, exposing a crack in the otherwise perfect facade of his relationship.
Apparently, Tiffany’s not convinced Lexi’s old news either.
Dane puts his hands up in surrender, but when he speaks again, his words don’t quite line up with someone who’s decided to call a truce. “Not sure when we stopped being able to talk shit out like men, but it’s cool. Just forget I asked.”
“Don’t pull that shit,” Sterling snaps. “Fine, you want to stick your nose where it doesn’t fucking belong? Let’s lay it all out there then. Lexi and I fell apart because life—more specifically, our asshole fathers—had already fucked us both up so much that we self-destructed. We got sick of being each other’s verbal punching bags, got sick of all the toxic bullshit, and eventually got smart enough to fucking bail! On the relationship. On each other. Because it was the only way for either of us to keep our fucking sanity intact!”
He falls silent, but keeps pacing, staring at the floor as his jaw flexes with rage. Only, I can’t tell whether he’s just angry the subject came up, or if it’s something else.
“Know what? Fuck you,” he says, glaring at Dane. “And as far as I’m fucking concerned, neither of you have to be at the wedding next year. Thanks for letting me know where we stand.”
Sterling storms toward the exit, and Dane stands to follow him out to the parking lot. My stare lingers on the door a few seconds, wondering whether they’ll need me to mediate, but then I decide against it. When I spin on my stool, facing the bar again, Ricky stares as I sip my water.
“Do we need to get out there?”
“Nope, they’ll work it out. We know better than to swing on each other, so the worst they’ll do is say some shit they’ll have to apologize for in the morning.”
Ricky chuffs a laugh, then rests both elbows on the bar. “I’ll take your word for it.”
I imagine myself knocking back a cold beer, feeling it settle the tension as it slides down my throat, floods my bloodstream.
“Damn. Not quite how I saw things going today,” Ricky says, cutting into my thoughts. “Meeting up was supposed to make things better, but I guess things don’t always go as planned.”
Like him, I’m sensing a trend, how things always seem to go from bad to worse here in Cypress Pointe.
They say what goes up must come down, and I get that. Things can’t always be on the upswing. But at this point, it feels like all we’ve done since getting here is have our lives hurled straight toward the ground at full speed.
I suppose there’s an upside, though.
The only place to go from here… is up.
Hopefully.