Chapter 28
Faye
Unlike the first series at Fenway, I got to attend all four games this time. Still, it passed too quickly for my liking, and soon the Crushers’ bus would be pulling out. The Red Sox wouldn’t be far behind, as they had to leave for a road trip as well.
I watched from my seat along the third baseline, with Agent Pederson beside me. When the final out was recorded, the Red Sox had won, and my gaze flicked between Jase, celebrating with his team, and Dylan, who looked dejected.
Once the crowd had cleared a bit, Agent Pederson stood. “Do you want me to call the car around, or are you meeting Jase and Dylan first?”
Technically, I hadn’t told my Secret Service detail that I was dating both guys, but since they saw both of them come to my hotel rooms on several occasions, it was safe to assume they knew exactly what was going on.
“I told them I’d meet them at the exit so I could say goodbye before they each boarded their buses.” Jase was headed to Texas, while Dylan had a stretch of games in Cincinnati.
For security purposes, the Secret Service and the Red Sox had worked out a deal that allowed me to use the players’ entrance and exit. It also provided a little more crowd control, and the press usually stayed out of that area.
Agent Pederson nodded, and we began walking in that direction.
The corridor was mostly empty by the time we reached it. I knew from the text Jase had sent that he needed to do a media interview before he could leave, and that Dylan was likely still in the shower.
Agent Pederson stopped a few steps back, positioning himself so he could see both ends of the hallway without hovering. He always gave me space whenever he could, and I appreciated it more than he probably knew.
I leaned against the wall and waited.
Eventually, Dylan came out first, his backpack slung over his shoulder, his Crushers hoodie unzipped, and his hair still damp from the shower.
When his eyes lifted and met mine, he smiled at me, but he couldn’t hide the sadness behind it.
“Hey,” he said quietly.
“Hey,” I replied, pushing off the wall and stepping toward him.
For a second, neither of us moved. We just stood there, looking at each other, wishing I could find a way to keep him with me.
“I hate this part,” he admitted.
“I know,” I sighed. “Me too.”
He ran a hand over his face. “I keep thinking I’ll get used to it, but it hasn’t gotten any easier so far.”
I swallowed. “We have Vegas in a few weeks.”
It was my attempt to remain positive, but it still meant it would be a while before we were together again.
“I’ll be counting down the days.”
I stepped closer to him, not thinking twice, since no one else was nearby. My arms slid around him, and I pressed my head against his chest. He stiffened for a second, probably because we were always careful to avoid PDA, but I needed that hug. Especially if I couldn’t have anything else right now.
“I love you.”
“I love you too.” He hugged me back for a second, then pulled away. He lifted a hand and brushed a loose strand of hair back from my face, his thumb lingering at my temple as if he couldn’t bear to stop touching me. “I’ll miss you.”
I smiled, even though my throat felt tight. “Me too.”
Footsteps echoed from farther down the corridor, and we both turned just as Jase emerged.
“Hey,” he said, walking toward us, then leaning in to press a quick kiss to my temple before pulling Dylan into a hug.
“Text when you land,” Jase told him.
Dylan nodded. “Already planning on it.”
They pulled apart, and for a moment, the three of us stood together, trying to soak up every last second we had.
Someone opened the exit door. “Statler, let’s go before Skip kicks your ass.”
Dylan glanced over his shoulder, then back at us. “I’ll see you two soon.”
“Soon,” I echoed.
He took one last look at us before spinning on his heel and heading for the door from which his team had called him.
Jase slipped an arm around my waist. “You okay?”
I shook my head. “Not really.”
“Me neither, but that will just make the next time we’re all together even more special.”
I leaned into him as we headed toward where the Red Sox buses were parked. Loving two people made the goodbyes that much harder, but maybe Jase was right. The hellos would be worth the wait.
A couple of days later, I was sprawled across my couch, half watching a reality show Morgan had put on and half staring at my phone, hoping for a text from Jase or Dylan.
“This is officially pathetic.” Morgan tossed a pillow at me. “You look like you’re in mourning.”
“I am in mourning,” I whined. “I won’t see Jase for another three days, and it’ll be weeks before I can be with Dylan.”
She snorted. “You just spent four days with them.”
I raised an eyebrow. “Like you’d be willing to go weeks without seeing Donnie?”
Morgan had met a guy a couple of weeks earlier at a Surrender concert, and they’d barely spent any time apart since. She claimed it was love at first sight and that he was the one. I was a bit more skeptical, given my bestie’s track record with men.
“Well, that’s why I picked someone local,” she teased.
I snorted. “Yeah, because geography is the best predictor of a successful relationship.”
She laughed and leaned back against the cushions. “You’re just mad because my guy can actually take me out on dates.”
“I’m not mad,” I stated.
“Good because you know I’ll be calling you after every time we go out.”
I nodded and gave her a small smile.
“What’s that look for?” she asked.
“I have no idea what you’re talking about.”
“Do you not like Donnie or something?”
“I don’t know anything about him,” I explained. “I’m just being cautiously optimistic about your situation.”
“Is that your polite way of saying you don’t trust him?”
“I don’t distrust him,” I corrected. “I just worry he might have some red flags.”
“Hey.” She pointed a finger at me. “Owning a strip club does not automatically make someone sketchy.”
“I know,” I agreed. “And you’ve told me he’s good to you. I’m just saying I reserve the right to worry. It’s kind of my job as your best friend.”
Her expression softened. “And I love you for that.”
I picked up my phone and sighed again.
“You’re really missing them, huh?” she asked, this time with genuine concern.
“Yeah.” I nodded. “I knew this part would be hard. I just didn’t realize how much it would hurt to say goodbye every time. With how busy my schedule is, I thought time would fly by between visits. So far, it’s been the opposite.”
Before I put the phone down again, it buzzed in my hand. I fumbled to check the screen, and my stomach dropped when I read the headline on my lock screen.
VIDEO SURFACES OF FAYE DONNELLEY IN AN INTIMATE MOMENT WITH CRUSHERS OUTFIELDER! IS SHE CHEATING ON JASE MATTHEWSON WITH HIS STEPbrOTHER?
“Oh my god,” I breathed.
“What’s going on?” Morgan asked.
I angled the phone so she could see, and my fingers shook as I tapped the video link.
There I was, standing against the wall, waiting.
Dylan coming out and talking to me.
The hug.
His hand brushing my hair back.
None of it was overtly sexual or inappropriate. Yet it was enough to make it seem as if something was going on.
But the truth was more complex than what they had caught on camera.
I scrolled down further to read the comments. They were a hundred times worse than the video itself.
I feel so bad for Jase. I bet I could cheer him up.
She always seemed messy.
Doesn’t surprise me at all. Spoiled rich girls are never satisfied with what they have.
What a slut!
Those stung.
Morgan gently grabbed my phone, locking the screen before I could read further. “Okay. Breathe. This isn’t a big deal. We can get a PR team to spin this in no time.”
I glanced up at my friend. “How? By issuing a statement saying nothing is going on between me and Dylan?”
She shrugged. “Maybe.”
“I can’t do that. It was one thing not to confirm or deny dating Jase, but denying a relationship with Dylan doesn’t sit right with me. He’s been so understanding about the media focusing on Jase and me. I can’t ask him to be shoved even further into the shadows.”
Morgan nodded. “I get it. So what do you want to do?”
“For starters, the guys shouldn’t have to deal with this. They need to focus on baseball and ensure their teams are in the best possible position for the second half of the season. They don’t need bullshit distractions.”
“Okay …,” she trailed off, unsure of what I was getting at.
“There’s a possibility this will blow over if we all ignore it.”
She nodded. “That’s true, but what if it doesn’t?”
“Then we’ll come up with a plan in Vegas when we’re all together,” I said. “If the media wants to keep speculating, I think the only thing we can do is be honest.”
“You ready for the possible fallout of going public?”
I didn’t answer right away.
I hated media attention, but I was done feeling like I needed to hide my relationship just because some people might not understand or approve. Rather than allowing the speculation to continue, I was going to make sure people knew the truth. What we had was worth fighting for.