Chapter 30
Chapter Thirty
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“What does Houston have to do with this?” Mia’s skeptical expression holds a glimmer of humor.
I shrug. “I’m a Texas gal, so it seemed appropriate.”
“Not for long. We’re going to make a Sarabella beach gal out of you yet,” Sophie quips.
When I sent out my text for help, I didn’t expect to arrive at my apartment and find the whole gang there already.
Sophie, Mia, and Lily literally dropped everything to come over, and they don’t even know the details yet.
These women take this stuff seriously, and witnessing it heals something deep inside me.
I feel like they’ve claimed me and that maybe, just maybe, I’ve found a place to call home again.
Yes, I had—have—great parents. They were there for me whenever I needed them growing up. But since they divorced and sold the ranch, it’s like they started a whole new chapter of their lives that doesn’t include me.
I get it, though. I’m an adult, responsible for my own choices and decisions, but sometimes, a girl really needs her peeps. I haven’t known Mia, Sophie, Lily, and Harper that long, but in some ways, I feel like I’ve known them forever.
And they’re my posse. They have my back. And boy howdy, do I need that right now.
We’re squeezed around the small coffee table, sitting on the floor in the living room of Harper’s and my apartment.
Mia sets five small glasses on the glass top and opens the bottle of wine she brought with her—red this time.
It seems that Mia chooses her wine according to the seriousness of the situation.
When she asked how bad it was, I said really bad, which, according to Mia, required a meaty red aged in bourbon barrels—her words.
I can’t think of a worse-case scenario more treacherous than what’s headed my way. Chase never does anything without having multiple motives. I’ve no doubt his change of position is as much about Wade as it is about his long-running desire to be a goaltender.
As Mia pours, I fill them in on the details of the latest Chase Files, earning gasps from all of them when I show them the spreadsheet on my phone.
Sophie growls, sounding like her fiancé, Luke. “He hinted at some kind of exciting change in his hockey career, but he wouldn’t tell me the details when I interviewed him.”
Harper chews on her thumbnail. “Can’t you just delete it and claim there was a technical glitch?”
“I thought about it, but then I’d have to notify Chase that his application wasn’t accepted, and knowing him, he wouldn’t believe me and still show up.
Besides, I’ve sacrificed enough of myself for that slime ball.
I refuse to compromise my values, too.” Hot tears burn behind my eyes as bitter regret sours my stomach.
“Nor should you!” Sophie rushes over and hugs me from behind as Mia and Harper each hold one of my hands.
“How could I have been so stupid? And now I’ll never get rid of him.” Months of bottled-up fear, worry, and stress stream down my cheeks as the dam breaks.
Lily looks so angry, I swear I can see steam rising from her head like some cartoon character. Her expression stern, she leans across the coffee table. “I know people. Want me to put a hit on him?”
Just when I think she might be serious, one side of her mouth ticks up. We all burst out laughing, and it feels good. So good.
I take the tissues Harper so thoughtfully went into the bathroom to fetch for me and blow my nose like the blubbering fool I am. “Is it awful that I kind of wish you were serious?”
Lily lifts a single brow, her eyes penetrating. “I could still have someone rough him up for you.”
She cracks a smile, but a tiny shiver runs through me. Who is this woman?
Sophie tugs her hand free. “Or, we take him down with words.”
Mia nods. “I’ve read the first draft. It’s epic.”
“But I thought the article wasn’t planned to be published for another month?”
Sophie taps her chin in thought. “That’s for print, but not the digital edition. I might be able to pull some strings and see if they can do an early feature.” She picks up her phone and taps out a message. “Can’t hurt to try. I’ll ask the editor if they can run it like an exposé.”
Her words are like a lifeline of hope. “Before the event?”
No way would Chase still come to the All Goalies game in the midst of that embarrassment.
She holds her hands up. “I don’t know. Maybe.”
Sophie glances at her phone and frantically waves us over. “Oh, he’s already replying!”
We all scoot around to watch those magical three dots pulse and turn into a reply. At seeing his affirmation that he could pull some strings, we all cheer as if we just watched one of our guys score a goal.
One of our guys…is Wade my guy? He’s kind of been my person for years, but nothing more. Not really. Yet today in my office, how he looked so disappointed when I asked if we could go back to how things were before I kissed him, I think part of me wanted him to say no.
But things are better this way, really —for both of us.
Just as we return to our places around the coffee table, Sophie’s phone pings again. “But the best he can do is the weekend of the event.”
I feel a fresh wave of tears piling up behind my eyes. “There has to be some way to keep Chase from coming.”
They all exchange glances, appearing as much at a loss as I feel. I need a miracle at this point.
Mia pushes up on her knees, lifting a finger up like a politician making a point. “At the very least, we’ll make sure people know the truth. Bree, if you had a link to the article, could you put it somewhere on the event page on the website for people to find?”
I nod like a banshee. “Yes! We’re doing bio features on each of the players. I could include the link there as a feature interview along with his stats. And it will be in the fans’ newsletter, as well.”
Lily nods her approval. “I think we have a plan, ladies. Operation Take Chase Down.”
Mia snorts. “You are so official.”
Without saying a word to confirm or deny, Lily gives her an evil grin before taking a sip of her wine.
But there’s still one more thing to figure out. “How do I tell Wade?”
Mia’s eyes widen at this. “I didn’t think of that. What if you don’t tell him?”
Sophie tilts her head. “How did this rivalry between them start?”
I take a deep breath. “They were actually friends when they played junior league. When it became obvious that Wade was meant to be a goalie, Chase tried to be one, too. But he couldn’t cut it.”
Lily groans. “And now he is. He’ll rub it in Wade’s face.”
I nod. “Without a doubt. And knowing Chase, he’ll try to demean Wade or instigate something to get him suspended.”
“What if you didn’t tell him?” Mia stares at me over the rim of her glass.
“If he knows, he can prepare for it.” Elbows on the table, I cover my face with my hands. “He’s going to hate me when I tell him.”
Sophie pulls one of my hands down. “Why would he hate you?”
I drop both hands into my lap. “Because it’s all my fault. If I’d seen Chase for what he was, none of this would be happening.”
“No, that’s not on you.” Lily’s fierce tone and expression take us all by surprise. “You did nothing wrong, Bree. He’s a liar, a cheat, and the worst example of how a man should treat a woman. He didn’t appreciate you, nor did he deserve you.”
Tears fill my eyes, but I can still see the agreement on Sophie, Mia, and Harper’s faces. “Thank you. Maybe one day I’ll believe it.”
Harper grabs my hand. “You know the saying, fake it until you make it?”
I’m not sure where she’s going with this, but I nod as I grab for another tissue.
“Sometimes we have to pretend it’s true until it is.
” She gives us each an awkward glance at our silence.
“When I was working for my father, he pretty much told me every day that I was his biggest disappointment in life. But then Rebecca took over and told me the opposite, that I was talented and capable. Did I believe her at first? No, but I decided I would pretend I did until it became my truth.”
“And now?” Lily’s voice holds an element of wonder, as if she’s seeking something similar. Maybe we all are.
Harper’s lips spread into a slow smile. “Now I believe it. No, I know it.”
I’m not the only one in tears now. Mia tries to say something but winds up throwing her arms around Harper, which sets off a chain reaction in the rest of us until we’re one big blubbering pile.
After a few minutes of this, we abandoned the floor for the couch and an overstuffed chair that Harper and I found at a yard sale. Our faces are blotchy from tears and rimmed with runny mascara. Harper makes another trip to the bathroom to fetch more tissues, returning with two boxes, just in case.
Sophie swipes under her eyes, catching most of the inky black smear. “And here I thought we’d be solving world hunger tonight.”
This garners additional giggles from the rest of us, but the thought of telling Wade still feels like a boulder sitting on my chest.
“I have to tell him.” I exhale with a loud sigh.
Sophie nods. “I agree. What if you tell Rebecca and Zach, too?”
“No, I can’t do that.” My words sound panicked, even to me.
Donning her school teacher’s voice, Mia turns to face me on the couch. “Let’s think this through for a moment. What’s the worst thing that could happen if you told them about Chase and what he really is?”
“They fire me.” I hiccup, then push my wine glass away—no more wine for me.
“Not likely,” Harper chimes in. “I thought for sure after she fired my father, I’d be next. But Rebecca told me my actions spoke for me, not my father’s.”
Sophie taps my hand. “Rebecca knows better than anyone what it’s like to be mistreated by misogynistic men in this industry. She and Zach could be your greatest allies.”
I take a deep breath. They’re right, but that means I’d have to show them that awful picture. But what other choice do I have?
Mia squeezes my hand. “If we could do it for you, we would.“
“I know.” I give her a watery smile. “I’ll let them know I need to talk to them about an issue with the event and that it’s urgent.”
Sophie sits forward. “Here’s a thought. What if you asked Wade to come with you to the meeting? That way you don’t have to do this twice.”
“Wouldn’t that be weird to include him?” I try to picture myself telling them all the sordid details and imagine their reactions.
Lily shakes her head. “Considering the history between Wade and Chase, not at all. Makes perfect sense, actually. They’ll probably help temper Wade’s reaction, too.”
“Okay, I’ll put on my big-girl pants and handle it.” I blow my nose with a noisy snort.
But I’m dreading it already. Wade didn’t react well at all when he first found out my ex was Chase Langston. I still can’t completely shake his expression when he confronted me about it—like I’d disappointed him somehow.
I know that’s not me in that picture, but that doesn’t really make it less embarrassing. Telling Rebecca and Zach won’t be easy, but I’m more concerned about Wade’s reaction.
Lily’s probably right about Rebecca and Zach’s presence helping Wade not go completely off the rails. But my biggest fear lies in what’s to come, when the article comes out. What will people think of me?
More importantly, what will Wade think?