Chapter Fourteen - Mirabelle
CHAPTER FOURTEEN
Mirabelle
I’VE SPENT A good portion of today stealing glances at Henry when I knew he wasn’t looking at me. On the flip side, I’ve also felt my parents’ eyes on me, but not once have they approached.
Do I want them to?
Absolutely. I miss them. But I’m not in the wrong here, so stubbornly, I refuse to make the first move. Maybe that’s a mistake, but I’m hurt by how they reacted, and they owe Henry and me an apology.
Professionally, I know it’s great that they’re here today. Their presence is great publicity for the charities, in addition to everything else the team is doing for the event.
Personally, though? I feel like crawling into a hole and never coming out.
Hunter already suggested I go talk to at least one of our parents. I guess things have not been going well with Bailey over the last few weeks, and with JJ at college and me in Charlotte, he’s feeling lonely.
I considered it, but after Henry walked away from me, I saw the look they gave him. They’re not over it. They’re punishing him for no fucking reason.
I never thought they’d treat Henry this way. I thought they’d be happy to see us together. I imagined Mom saying age is only a number, and Dad welcoming him to the family.
Apparently, that’s another fantasy I had to go with the one where Henry actually liked me instead of pretending to be in a fake fucking relationship. It’s the delusional part of my brain that thought maybe Henry wasn’t faking earlier while Dave was interviewing us.
It felt almost real, if that makes sense? It doesn’t at all, but I’m pretty sure he was smelling me too. Holy shit, when he pulled my hair, I’m glad I didn’t moan, especially when Henry told me he’d like to see me try out his name. Jokes on him, I’ve been doodling Mirabelle Price in notebooks for years.
I just keep replaying the part where he essentially dismissed Dave because he didn’t like the questions he was asking me? It’s a shame Henry didn’t take that moment alone with me. I would have happily let him do whatever he wanted to me if he called me mon c?ur again.
Since that interaction, I’ve been distracting myself with puppies so I don’t overanalyze everything about it.
I’d love to keep one, but I’ll be traveling with Stacey and the team, so it’s not a good time. Luckily, we’ve been able to find homes for so many of the dogs today.
The puppy in my arms is sleeping, and I noticed a family nearby that’s been eyeing him, but they haven’t approached. Sometimes people need a little shove in the right direction. As I get closer to them, out of the corner of my eye, I note the flashes coming from a nearby camera, making sure my smile is in place.
“Hi, I’m Mirabelle. Are you interested in adopting a dog today?” I ask warmly, trying to keep their focus on me, and not on the cameras behind me.
“Yes.” The little boy smiles brightly at me, and my heart melts at his missing front tooth. It adds to his cuteness factor.
I look to the mother for permission before crouching down next to him. “This little guy is looking for a home if you’d like to meet him?” I offer, and he reaches out, but immediately freezes before he can touch the fur.
“Can I pet him? Mommy said I have to ask first,” he asks, his face full of hope.
“She’s right, but you can absolutely pet him. I think you will get along very well. He likes for his ears to be scratched,” I whisper the last part, causing the little boy to giggle. Maybe I should have become a teacher; kids are a blast.
I set the slumbering puppy on the warm turf, as the little boy starts petting him gently.
I explain a little more about the adoption process to the parents before giving them a chance to make their decision, but I have a feeling the puppy has found its forever home.
On my way back to where Emily is chatting with another potential adopter, I spot Bailey sitting in the stands by himself. Looking around, I see my parents are with Henry’s, like they have been all day. Hunter is with Kaitlyn, and Henry is with Wilson and Quinn, playing with a group of kids.
At least in person, I know he can’t decline me like he’s been declining my phone calls. I don’t understand why he’s up there by himself, though?
I climb the stairs, half-expecting Bailey to bolt in the other direction as he immediately frowns after noticing me. “Hey, B,” I greet cheerily, trying to start the conversation off on a good note. Bailey stays silent, and I lean back in the stadium seat, opting for a different direction. “How’s soccer going?”
He scoffs quietly, crossing his arms over his chest. “Fine,” Bailey answers shortly.
“Do you know when you’re going to visit Duke? I could ask for the day off if it’s during the week.” Their head soccer coach offered Bailey a spot on their roster after watching one of his exhibition games in June. Bailey wanted to wait to commit until the team was in season so he could get a feel for the dynamics, but a few of his old teammates who have already graduated play there, so I’d be surprised if he chose to go somewhere else.
“No.”
Bailey’s temper is shorter than Mom’s, which is pretty damn short to begin with. I chew my lip hesitantly, wondering if maybe I should have gone home for a weekend regardless of where my relationship with my parents currently stands. “So—”
“Go back to your boyfriend and your perfect life here so you can continue forgetting about the rest of us. We don’t need you,” he snaps, his entire face marred with anger. My jaw unhinges in shock, completely taken aback by the harshness of his words. Is JJ getting the same treatment for moving out of the house, or is it just me?
“Bailey—”
My brother stands up, shoving his hands into his pockets. “I didn’t even want to fucking come today. Mom and Dad made me because that’s what Walkers do: we’re there for each other always,” Bailey says bitterly, and I barely recognize him. “When have you been there for me lately?”
What the hell did Hunter leave out when he said things aren’t going well with Bailey?
“I’m sorry I’m not living at home anymore. I’m sorry I haven’t visited, but I’m always here for you, Bailey. I love you,” I say, hoping the message gets through to him. “I’ve been calling and texting, but I can’t be there for you if you won’t pick up the phone.”
I stand up slowly, trying to take a step in his direction, but Bailey shies away. “Just leave me the fuck alone. You’ve gotten pretty good at it.”
“B, that’s not true,” I try to protest, and he flees. I don’t know what’s going on, but this isn’t the same kid I spent the summer fighting over waves with. I could go after him, but I think that’d only make things worse. Hunter definitely has some explaining to do, though.
I sit down again, racking my brain to piece together when Bailey decided he hated me so much. No one on the field is looking for someone in the bleachers, so it’s a safe bet that I can hide up here until I’m ready to rejoin everyone on the field. I understand now that’s exactly what Bailey was doing.
Tears blur my vision, and I sniffle, wiping my nose on the back of my hand as I spot Quinn walking up the stairs. I want to be alone, but maybe that’s the same thing Bailey wanted when he was up here. Clearly, it’s the last thing Bailey needs. His smile drops, and I can only assume my fucking feelings are plain as day all over my face.
“Are you okay?” he asks, taking the seat next to me, angling himself to face me. It looks awkward with his long legs, and I can’t help laughing, despite how broken it sounds coming out.
“I’m fine, Quinn. I need a moment.” I might need more than a moment, though.
His eyes scan my face, and I want to shrink under the attention. I should be getting my ass up and putting my big girl pants on to talk to my parents so we can get to the bottom of what’s wrong with Bailey.
“Is it Henry?” he asks, and I shake my head. The only thing wrong with Henry is he’ll never see me the same way I see him.
“No. My brother, Bailey,” I admit as Quinn reaches forward to wipe a tear I didn’t know had fallen. I shrink back from his touch, remembering where we are and why anything affectionate can’t happen. Quinn frowns, clearly not thinking about it, but that’s not a luxury I have. “There’s photographers here,” I murmur under my breath, and realization dawns on his face.
“Fuck, I forgot. Follow me,” he says, standing up.
But I stay where I’m at.
This whole event has been designed to help Henry. Yes, it’s great for the charities and the organization as a whole, but the entire thing happened with Henry at the helm to try and give people a reason to support him.
“Mirabelle?” he asks, his face twisting into an expression of confused disappointment.
“I can’t, Quinn. If anyone sees me leave with you, it’ll put everyone in an awful position,” I say, hoping he can understand where I’m coming from. I think Quinn is nice, and could some of our conversations be perceived as flirting? Maybe. But it doesn’t change the way I feel about Henry, or mean I’m going to follow him to a private area at a team event with the press everywhere.
How exactly would that look if I’m supposed to be Henry’s girlfriend, but I’m pictured walking off with his friend?
Quinn doesn’t take his seat again, which is probably a good thing. “Are you doing anything for yourself right now?” he asks, and I’m not sure why he’s even asking me this in the first place.
Does fake dating the guy I want to be dating count?
“Not really.” I decide upon, and he shakes his head. “I promise, I’m not some damsel in distress. I’ll get my shit together.” I need to get my shit figured out with my parents first, and then I’ll tackle everything with Bailey.
“Mirabelle, we’re all messes so I don’t care about that. What I care about is that you’re not doing anything for yourself. Every day not spent living is a wasted opportunity, especially when we’re only given one life to live. Maybe I’m wrong, but it seems like you’re so focused on everyone else that you’re not making any time for yourself in the process,” Quinn says, as if we’re talking about different types of cheese instead of this philosophical idea I should be doing more for myself, but I already feel like I’m too selfish to begin with. “You’re going to wear yourself thin. Tomorrow is only the first game of the season, and the higher ups haven’t said when they want you and Henry to break up.”
Which means I’m in this for a while still.
I force a smile on my face that I hope is fucking convincing because I am so emotionally drained right now. “That’s a nice way of looking at it, but I’ve already lived more in my life than most people live in a hundred years. I can sacrifice a little to help the people I love.”
Quinn’s dark eyes are swirling with emotion as he looks at me, dragging a hand over his jaw as if realizing something he didn’t see before. “You love Henry?” he asks after a moment, and I freeze, but that’s not necessarily what I said. I have time to deny it. It would make sense to deny it, considering how quickly my plan to seduce Henry is crashing and burning.
I actually thought Henry was going to kiss me again earlier. He was looking at me so intensely, and his lips parted, but then he backed away, just like last time.
“Yes,” I say, surprising myself that I admit it.
“I appreciate the honesty,” he says, before smiling faintly. “You couldn’t pick a better guy than Henry. I know there’s probably nothing I can say to change your mind, but if you do, I’d love a chance to let you see what a great guy I can be too.”
“Quinn, I—I don’t know what to say. I’m supposed to be dating your friend, and this can’t happen,” I stammer, but the only thing playing on repeat in my head is how Henry said he wouldn’t care if I dated Quinn.
He shakes his head. “I’m not asking you to say anything, Mirabelle. You’re supposed to be fake dating my friend, there’s a difference. I know how I look in the media—I like women, and I like sex. I’m not ashamed of it, and I’m not going to deny it. I like you because I think you’re funny, beautiful, and you have no problem telling me what you think. You know what this world is like and how rare it can be to find someone who honestly wants to be with you instead of wanting all the things that come from being with you. If you tell me to back off, I will, but I like what I’ve seen so far, and I hope you don’t.”
Is this real?
I look down momentarily at the pink polish on my fingernails, trying to gather my thoughts to say literally anything in response, but I don’t know how to. It’s chaos in my brain.
The sound of Quinn’s footsteps walking away causes me to look up, and a part of me wishes that he never said anything about having feelings for me. The other part of me wonders if I’m a fool for still holding out for Henry.
Nope, this is not the place or time to be making big decisions. I roll my shoulders, feeling how tight they are from stress. I’ve hidden up here long enough.
I make my way back down to the field, moving in the opposite direction from where my parents are, which also happens to lead me right back to Henry. His eyes immediately find mine, and I can’t look away, even if I wanted to.
“Hey,” I greet as I walk up to him, trying my best to act as normal as possible. Kaitlyn is grinning like a fool at the sight of us. It’s crazy how despite only biologically sharing a father, they look similar enough they could be full siblings. They share the same dark hair and hazel eyes, and Kaitlyn’s tall, her head reaching Henry’s shoulders.
I’ve never seen a picture of Henry’s biological mother, but sometimes I wonder what parts of him are from her. I don’t know why she’s not in the picture, but you’d never know Penelope wasn’t his biological mother by looking at him. I don’t know much about Chris’s divorce from Henry’s mom, but from the little comments made over the years, I’ve gathered enough to know it didn’t end amicably.
He doesn’t talk about her, but I’ve noticed he seems to get a lot of calls like the one he got this morning that he declined. I saw the screen last week while he was lifting, and the caller ID said, Maybe: Allison Price. I connected the dots, realizing it was his birth mother after watching closely as he grabbed it. I could practically see the tension rolling off his shoulders as he clenched his jaw like earlier. I wonder if she’s the one who called him today, but Henry hasn’t brought it up, so I’ve been nervous to ask.
“Hey,” Henry says, taking an intentional step to close the gap between us. My heart skips a beat when he wraps an arm around my lower back, pulling me into his side. Relax, Mirabelle. It would be weird if he didn’t do this.
I’m tempted to ask Kaitlyn what she knows about Bailey, but I don’t want to ruin her day.
“Are you having fun?” I ask Kaitlyn, relaxing my head against Henry’s side. I feel like I could melt into a puddle against him, and I wish I knew what it was about Henry that made me feel this way. At the end of the day, I know that even if it were a choice to love Henry Price, I’m sure it’s still a choice I’d make.
“It’d be more fun if Dad would let me bring a puppy home, but his excuse is that we don’t have anywhere for this hypothetical puppy to stay when we go to France to visit Mom’s family,” she says, rolling her eyes.
“Being responsible sucks,” I agree.
“It does. I’ve been meaning to text and ask, but I’m trying to find a weekend to visit. Would you be okay with that?” she asks, staring at me with wide eyes.
“Oh my goodness, it’s your room. You don’t have to ask. I’ll get a hotel room or something to let you guys have some time together,” I say without thinking, and her head tilts.
“Why would you get a hotel? Wouldn’t you stay in Henry’s room with him?” she asks, and my entire body freezes as I realize she’s right.
“Mira’s trying to preserve your innocence,” Henry interjects smoothly. “That’s fine, Kait. You know you’re always welcome.”
God, that was close. For once, Henry’s brain is the one working.
Kaitlyn relaxes some, but she shrugs. “Sorry, I’m not trying to kick you out or anything—”
“Not at all how I took it,” I say, trying to force myself to relax, but there’s been too many things thrown at me today. I’m not sure I know how to relax anymore. “I know how busy things are going to get, and how much Henry values his time with you. I wouldn’t want to intrude or anything, so I’ll probably still get a hotel room, and pamper myself with a massage. Just let me know when you plan on coming.”
Kaitlyn fidgets with the charm on her necklace. “I was actually kind of hoping you would be there too, if that’s okay? We usually play board games and hang out, but you don’t have to if you don’t want to.”
Henry runs his fingers back and forth over my hip, distracting me. I know Kaitlyn because she’s best friends with the twins, but I can’t say I’ve spent too much time with her when they aren’t around. It’d be nice to get to know her better.
“That sounds perfect, Kaitlyn. Thanks,” I say, smiling reassuringly at her while trying not to focus on the fact Henry is touching me.
“Great, I’ll start looking at my weekends,” she says, and I wish I had half the energy she does right now. Kaitlyn pulls out her phone, groaning at whoever’s name is on the screen. “What, Hunter?” she asks, giving me a look as if to say, Can you believe this?
She’s funny.
“Fine, I’m coming. Just so you know, I’m officially picking your sister as my new best friend. You’ve been replaced,” Kaitlyn says, huffing.
I turn my head into Henry’s chest to hide my laughter, but I can feel him silently laugh, clearly finding her amusing as well. I smile, breathing in the crisp scent of laundry detergent and sandalwood. It’s fucking intoxicating.
“You guys are so sickeningly cute, I could vomit,” Kaitlyn says, gagging dramatically behind me.
I reluctantly move back, but Henry doesn’t let go of me, keeping me at his side.
“If you’re going to vomit, at least do it somewhere I don’t have to see it,” Henry teases, pressing a gentle kiss to the top of my head. “Besides, she can’t be your best friend because Mira’s mine. I don’t share.”
My heart stutters in my chest, and I’m not sure if I’m breathing. He’s full of shit, but damn, if that isn’t confusing as hell for my poor, smitten heart.
Kaitlyn’s eyes widen in surprise, clearly not expecting that either.
What the fuck is going on today?
I think I’ve ended up in some alternate reality, because yes, Henry and I are fake dating, but that seemed . . . I don’t know. I think I need to sit down.
“Okay, caveman. She’s yours. Please don’t forget our conversation: wrap it before you tap it,” she says, putting her hands up in self-defense, and my face feels like it’s literally on fire.
“For fuck’s sake, Kaitlyn.” Henry groans, and I cover my face with my hands. I don’t have words.
“What? I’m not ready to be the cool aunt, but—okay, okay, I’m going . Don’t kill me,” Kaitlyn says, her laughter growing softer the further away she gets.
Oh my god.
I can’t look at him. My hands are literally never leaving my face ever again. This has been the absolute worst day. What might be the worst part is that I think I liked it too much to be told I was his. Just kidding—it was pretty awful hearing what Bailey said to me.
Too many things have happened today. It might be better for me to drown myself in Henry’s pool later.
“Mirabelle,” Henry says, the proximity of his voice sending shivers through my entire body. It’s not fair.
“No.”
He has the nerve to fucking laugh. “No, what?”
“Just . . . no,” I say, absolutely mortified by this.
“Look at me,” he instructs, but I shake my head. “Mirabelle, look at me please.”
“Why?”
“Because I want you to see how serious I am when I say this.”
It’s enough to get me to reluctantly spread my fingers to peek at Henry through them.
“All the way,” he says, gently curling his fingers around mine, to pull them down. “I wasn’t lying when I told Kaitlyn I don’t share, but I did lie when I said I was okay with you going out with Quinn. I’m a selfish motherfucker when I’m in a relationship, even if ours is fake.”
I think I’m going to have a heart attack before this day is over. My throat grows dry, and I force myself not to look away under the scrutiny of his stare. “Why are you telling me this?”
His gaze drops to my mouth, then makes its way back up to meet mine. “Because I don’t share what’s mine, and right now, you fall under that category.”
Well, shit. I guess I can’t drown myself after that declaration. I’d hate to miss when things get interesting.