42. Kieran
42
KIERAN
“ A nd how are you feeling for the upcoming season after the way the last one ended?”
I stare at the woman interviewing me.
It’s meant to be about the summer camps, but as always, they manage to spin things around.
Forcing a smile on my face, I tell her what she expects to hear, what Kat will expect me to say—not that I owe her anything right now.
“I’m excited. We achieved so much last season, and with that, plus some fresh blood on our roster, I think we’re going to have a fantastic season.”
“There have been rumors about some big signings this year. Are you able to shed any light on that?”
I smirk. She knows full well I can’t. Assuming I knew, of course.
I haven’t exactly been fully focused on everything in the last few months.
“All I can say is that we have an exciting season ahead of us. We’re all relaxing and recuperating, ready to hit it hard once training camp starts.”
“And of course, we have the Chiefs Summer Ball approaching,” she says excitedly.
“Of course,” I agree. Our annual fundraiser marks the end of the off-season and celebrates a summer full of successful camps.
Usually, I look forward to our events. They’re always a good night, and I always have a very beautiful woman—or two—on my arm.
This year, though, despite it still being a few weeks away, I can’t think of anything worse.
There’s only one woman I can picture attending the ball with me, and she barely responds to a message right now.
“Any clue to who your lucky lady will be this year?”
She leans forward in her seat and looks at me from beneath her lashes.
It’s not the first time she’s attempted to flirt with me.
I get it. She’s hot, and I do have a bit of a reputation.
But not today. And certainly not with her.
She might as well be a guy, for all the interest my body shows in her.
It’s been that way since I first laid a finger on Effie.
No other woman exists.
“No,” I state, and thankfully, for the first time this afternoon, she takes my cue and winds up the interview.
I’m not usually so ill-tempered during these things, but my patience is getting shorter and shorter these days.
As fast as I can, I make my way out of the building, putting any thoughts of the interview and her blatant come-on behind me.
The sun burns my eyes and I take my cap off before twisting it around and putting it back on, lowering the bill so I can hide.
Crossing the road, I walk into the coffee shop and order myself a drink and something to eat.
My legs bounce the entire time I sit in the back corner.
I’m restless, and I don’t know how to stop it.
I spent almost three hours in the gym this morning, pushing myself until my limbs were trembling and I was covered in sweat.
But it wasn’t enough.
Nothing is.
Pulling my cell from my pocket, I hit call on Effie’s number as I leave the coffee shop and walk down the street toward my car.
“Hi, you’ve reached Effie Campbell. Sorry, I can’t take your call right now. Please leave a message and I’ll get back to you as soon as possible.”
It doesn’t matter how many times I hear that same message; it still sends goosebumps racing over my skin.
I miss her.
I really fucking miss her.
Unable to go home and do nothing, I head toward somewhere that’ll help take my mind off things. Or at least, I hope it will.
“Good afternoon, Kieran,” Melissa, Kingston’s assistant, says with a smile the moment I step foot on the top floor of the Callahan Enterprises building.
“Hey. Are they being nice to you today?”
“When aren’t we nice?” a deep voice growls from behind me.
“Like, every single day,” I tease as I spin around to face my eldest brother.
He smirks at me. “Sucks to be the youngest, huh?” he mocks. “I’m heading out. Kian and Lori are in his office. Just…make sure you knock. I’ve seen more of that man’s ass than I ever should recently.”
“Kingston,” Melissa groans.
“What? They should not be enjoying work that much.”
“Because you and Tate are any better?”I counter.
“We are professional.”
“My ass,” I scoff. I know for a fact that his desk has seen just as much action as I’m sure Kian’s has.
“How’s Effie?” he asks with genuine concern.
I shrug. “Okay, I think.”
“Still won’t answer her phone?”
I shake my head.
“Just give her time.”
“I am. I just need?—”
“I hate to break it to you, but this isn’t about you. It’s about her.”
“I know. I know,” I confess, feeling like a selfish asshole.
She’s lost a hell of a lot more than I have recently. I should be respecting her need for space. I mean, I am. But I’m not entirely dealing with it all that well.
“It’ll all work out,” he promises with a supportive shoulder squeeze before he lets Melissa know when to expect him back and disappears into the elevator.
“He’s right, you know,” Melissa says softly, confirming that she’s fully aware of everything happening in my life right now.
Of course, a lot of it has been public knowledge recently. But something tells me she’s aware of almost as much as my brothers are.
“Yeah,” I agree, rubbing the back of my neck.
The problem is though, they all mean that Effie will heal enough to speak to me again. They all think that the only thing I’m worried about is my friendship with her.
That is a huge concern of mine, but it’s more than that. It’s bigger than that.
It has been since the very first moment I kissed her.
She sparked something inside me. Something I don’t need or want or have time for.
But despite all those things, it’s there and it’s growing.
What’s the saying? Distance makes the heart grow fonder.
Fuck. I need her.
Melissa smiles softly at me.
“If you need anything?—”
“Thank you, Melissa,” I say sincerely before taking off toward Kian’s office.
“Kingston is right,” she calls after a couple of seconds. “Make sure you knock.”
I chuckle, more than aware of what kind of business my brothers get up to inside their offices.
Lifting my hand, I rap my knuckles on the door.
The windows have been tinted, not allowing me to see inside, and the last thing I need right now is to see a couple getting hot and heavy while I’m getting absolutely fucking nothing.
“Well, well, well, look what the cat dragged in,” Kian says when I poke my head inside.
Thankfully, he’s sitting behind his desk pretending to be king of the world, while Lori sits opposite him with a notebook and pen in hand.
“Kieran,” she says softly, before abandoning everything on Kian’s desk and coming over to hug me. “How are you?”
“Good.”
“Liar.” Kian snorts.
“Whatever,” I say, releasing his girl and moving toward one of his fancy couches.
They share a look that instantly has my hackles rising.
“What?” I bark.
“Do you know what?” Kian says, pushing his chair back. “We should call it a day and go for a drink.”
Okay, now I really am concerned.
Kian Callahan never actively chooses to go out day drinking over work.
“What’s going on?”
They share another look.
“Stop that. Speak with actual words.”
Fuck me, couples are annoying.
“Nothing is wrong. It’s just been a long day and?—”
“It’s three in the afternoon,” I point out, interrupting Lori.
“Kieran, you look like a fucking mess. We’re going for a drink,” Kian states, pulling big brother rank.
My mouth opens to argue, but I quickly discover that I don’t have anything to say.
I may not have risked glancing in a mirror for a few hours, but I have a very good idea of how I look.
My fingers have run through my hair one too many times already today, and I know my eyes are dark from lack of sleep.
No matter what I do, every time I fall asleep, she’s there, and I wake up thinking it’s real and searching for her.
It’s fucking pathetic, and it needs to stop.
I’m supposed to be doing exactly what I told that reporter this morning.
I should be relaxing and getting ready for the upcoming season.
I need to be ready. I need to be in peak condition before the rigorous schedule hits.
“Don’t you have work to do?” I finally mutter, knowing I’m not going to get out of this. Once Kian has made up his mind about something, it happens.
“Nothing that can’t wait a few hours,” Lori says softly before she disappears down the hallway, leaving me alone with my brother.
“She’s really got you tied up in knots, huh?”
“W-what?” I stutter, pretending not to know what he’s talking about.
With a smirk playing on his lips, he shakes his head.
“Pretend all you want, but I've been there. I know exactly what you’re going through right now.”
I narrow my eyes at him, my jaw popping.
“As if. No one ever wanted to be your friend,” I quip before spinning on my heels, ready to march toward whichever bar he has in mind.
Maybe a couple of glasses of scotch will help settle me.
“Missing your best friend barely scratches the surface of what you’re going through right now,” Kian says, making my steps falter. “You’re in denial. That’s cool. But eventually, you’ll figure it out. So will she.”
“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” I shoot over my shoulder.
All he does is chuckle.
Asshole.
“Ready?” Lori asks, stepping out from behind her desk with her jacket on and purse over her shoulder.
“Does he have to come?” I ask, thumbing over my shoulder to indicate Kian.
“Sadly,” she laughs.
“I heard that,” Kian snaps.
“You were meant to.”
Thankfully, I’m no longer the focus of their conversation as we make our way to a bar a few blocks over.
Lori and I find a seat while Kian goes to the bar to order.
“How are you really doing?” Lori asks, her voice serious all of a sudden.
Why did I think coming to see them would take my mind off all of this?
“I’m fine,” I state, as if she’ll believe me this time.
She tries digging a little deeper, but she doesn’t get very far before Kian arrives with drinks.
My scotch glass doesn’t even hit the table. I take it from his hand, lift it to my lips, and swallow it down in one go.
“Should I get you another?” Kian quips.
“That would be fantastic,” I say, smiling up at him.
He rolls his eyes but spins around to order another without complaint.
The side of my face burns with Lori’s attention.
“How are your brothers?” I ask, changing the subject.
Both of them recently finished high school and are planning their move to South Carolina for college.
Wilder is a kickass football player who I suspect is going to go far. He did well securing a place with the Trinity Royal Titans. They’re a fantastic team. Their head coach is a hardass who will push him in all the best ways.
“Yeah, they’re good. Wilder is…well, Wilder. He’s ready to embark on college life. Hendrix is a little more skeptical.”
“He’ll be fine once he gets there.”
“That’s what I keep saying. I know it’s not as easy for him academically, but he’ll find his place. Plus, he has Noelle by his side.”
“They together yet?” I ask, happy to focus on them. Hendrix is totally in love with Noelle, and the feeling is most definitely reciprocated. Not that either of them will do anything about it.
“Nope. Still fighting the inevitable. Just like two other people I know,” she says, quirking a brow at me.
“Whatever,” I mutter as Kian returns—with two drinks for me this time.
“Just promise me you won’t drive home,” he says before sliding them in front of me.
“You got it, Dad,” I mock.
T he scotch helps. I relax more than I have in a few days, and finally, my knees stop bouncing.
It doesn’t stop me from checking my cell every ten minutes to see if she’s messaged me.
But as usual, it remains silent. Well, silent from her, at least.
When I got back to Chicago, I turned most of my notifications off.
Every time my watch buzzed, my heart would jump into my throat thinking it was her.
Now, I only have messages and calls with notifications, which has slowed it down somewhat. I still can’t get rid of the little bit of hope that it’ll be her making the first move.
Kian is busy telling me a story about why Kenzie, one of our little sisters, was suspended from school again when my cell buzzes.
I already know it won’t be from her, but I’m powerless to check.
Kian continues talking, something about Kenzie pranking some other kid and embarrassing him in front of the entire class, but his voice fades to nothing.
And it disappears completely when I read the message that just came through from a friend in the IT department at the KC Foundation.
Effie is back.