Chapter 17
ETHAN
I was on a post-game high.
It was my first time back on the field, and I killed it. Sure, my personal life was still a comedic joke, but when I donned my football jersey and held that ball, a sense of normalcy clicked back into place.
So tell me why that balloon of elation suddenly burst when Alicia walked into my fucking changing room with her latest boy toy.
Background noise simmered to a quiet lull, and my raucous team members seemed to melt into the background as all my focus was trained on them .
He was lean, muscular and tall, with a pretty face to match… I wanted to punch him. My gaze didn’t stray, cataloguing their position, the familiarity of their interaction.
I hadn’t seen her for weeks, and I had fantasised about the moment we’d be reunited. What I hadn’t envisioned was Alicia’s arm casually strung in the loop of some random’s elbow. And that’s when the unsettling revelation hit—she was comfortable with him.
My feet were moving without command, leading me forward until I blocked their path.
“Ethan Harris,” I said before I crushed his fingers in mine under the guise of a handshake—both a warning and a declaration.
Stay away from my girl, asshole.
“We’re busy. Move,” Alicia said, her unimpressed expression drilling into me.
I underestimated her power yet again, my withdrawals returning in full force as I struggled to hold myself back. She was so close that my muscles were spasming from the strain, fiending for her attention.
Then, before I could string a logical thought together, they had pivoted past me to a sidelining room.
His name was Owen, and he was a physiotherapist.
Well, let’s see how good he is.
I was the last player remaining, strategically waiting until we were alone so I could question him freely.
“So… How do you know Alicia?” I asked while I was face down on the massage table as he worked on my legs.
“Ah, we went to high school together.”
“High school? You must be close…”
“We used to be.”
“Used to be?”
That’s when he paused, alerting me to sit upright and consider him front-on. His next words had me shocked.
“Her sister is the love of my life, and I’m trying to win her back. Something tells me we’re in the same boat?”
Damn, he clocked me good. I had been so consumed in my jealousy that I didn’t notice he was suffering from the same affliction as me.
We were both in love with a Thorne sister, and we had both stuffed up.
I shuddered. “I met Alexis once. Let’s just say those Thorne girls are fucking scary.”
He chuckled. “Scary, but entirely worth it.”
“ Entirely.” I sighed before pulling on my hair. “I don’t know what to do. How to fix what I’ve done.”
“Let’s make a deal.”
Not again. First Burt and now him. “I’m not giving you $50,000.”
“Okayyyy, that’s specific. But I don’t want money. A phone call will do.”
“Who am I calling?”
“My brother.”
Hmm, that sounds easy enough.
I regret the deal.
Owen had written a full script for me to follow. I didn’t even get to read it before the dial tone was ringing with the speaker on.
A teasing male voice answered—his brother, Liam. “What? Shouldn’t you be busy licking Lex’s asshole or something?”
Owen turned bright red, and I couldn’t help but snicker. “Ah, no thanks,” I said.
“Who’s this?”
“Ethan Harris.”
He gave a hasty laugh. “You’ve got to get better AI, bro.” Then he hung up.
Owen watched on with mortification, clearly lost for words.
He needn’t be embarrassed; it was the most entertainment I’d had in a while. I shook my head in amusement, deciding to call back via video instead.
Liam answered immediately. “What do you want, shitface?”
I stared into the camera with my most charming grin—the professional, white-toothed smile manufactured for the masses.
He stuttered. “Bro… what type of voodoo bullshit is this?”
That’s when I shifted so he could see his brother hovering over my shoulder. Owen had recovered, his features morphing into a smug smirk. Then I said, “Nice to meet you, Liam. I’ve heard you’re my biggest fan?”
A stagnant beat passed, followed by a high-pitched squeal. “Oh my—it’s you, really you. ETHAN HARRIS! The man himself. Shit, shit, shit.” Liam fumbled with the phone before correcting. “Can I take a screenshot of us together?” he asked, his speech rushed and panting.
“I’ll do more than that. I’ll personally sign some merch for you and your son, but under one condition.”
“Anything, man.”
I skimmed the paper in my hand, then gave Owen a sarcastic brow. Really, dude?
He just gave a resolute nod in return. Maybe I should have just given him the money.
I sighed, staring back at the screen, relaying the written message with a robotic voice. “Next time you open your big bitch mouth, make sure your mini-me parrot doesn’t overhear your bullshit.”
Liam froze. For a second, I thought the phone malfunctioned. Until his voice carried through, unimpressed. “ Nice, Owen. Embarrass me in front of royalty, why don’t you.”
“You did that yourself, you crude Neanderthal!” Owen yelled, laughter coating his words.
I chuckled. “Anyway, we’ve got to go Liam, but I’ll make sure you get that stuff, alright? Thanks for your support! Great meeting you.”
Liam continued to fangirl for a bit, then hung up with the biggest grin. Mine dropped immediately, my cheeks aching from holding the exuberant expression. I loved my fans, but having to be on at all times required a lot of energy.
“Doesn’t it get tiring?” Owen asked.
My eyes swept up to his assessing ones, his gaze probing my features, all too aware.
“Umm, what?”
“The mask you have to slip on. Don’t you get tired?”
And for once, I went with full honesty, with a stranger I had never met.
“You have no idea.”