Chapter 8
NATE
I walked through the private entrance and made my way to the back patio that I had reserved for dinner with my family.
Immediately, I spotted my dad, who had already polished off a basket of bread. My mom was looking over the menu, and my sister, Callie, was waving me over.
“Nate.” She stood and rushed over to greet me.
Just the sight of my little sister made me smile. I wrapped her up in a hug. “Sorry, I’m late.”
“That’s okay. It’s so good to see you.” She tightened her arms around me.
Callie was everything that was good and light in this world. Just being near her made me feel better.
“Are you going to save any of that affection for the woman who gave birth to you?”
Callie stepped back so I could greet my mom properly. I bent over and kissed her cheek, while Dad stood and clapped me on the back.
“How was your flight?” I asked them. There were a few storms along the Southeast, so I was worried their flight would get delayed or canceled.
“The flight was fine,” Mom said. “The traffic in Boston is another story.”
My family was from Charleston, South Carolina. They weren’t fans of the traffic in the Northeast or the cold. I wasn’t either, but I’d gotten used to it over the years.
I settled into my seat, feeling my shoulders relax and the day’s tension melt away. My family could be a little overwhelming at times, but they were all I had. They represented a part of my life that made me feel normal.
“Good to see you, son,” Dad said, reaching for the butter. “I watched the New York game on Sunday. Not bad, kid. Looks like you still have a little gas left in your tank.”
“You sound surprised.”
“Not surprised. Just glad to see it. I’ve never doubted your talent. I’m just relieved to see you healthy and having fun out there again.”
I shrugged, breaking a roll in half. “Thanks, it felt great to be back. Plus, winning helps.”
Mom put her menu down. “We’re excited for you. I think the team looks good this year, and I’m always right; remember that.”
I was about to respond when I heard the door open. Mom’s eyes flicked past me, then back again. Callie’s smile faltered, and silence settled over the table.
I turned around in my seat, trying to make sense of the sudden shift in the room. It took a minute for my brain to register what I was seeing. For a split second, I thought I might have been hallucinating.
Fuck my life. Standing there in the entrance was my ex. Of all the restaurants in Massachusetts, what were the chances? There was no way this was a coincidence. It was intentional. I would bet everything I own.
“Hey, Nate.” She smiled and walked toward the table. “Long time no see.”
This was the first time I’d come face-to-face with Lydia since breaking things off last year.
I didn’t stand. Didn’t smile. I didn’t do a damn thing to make this easy on her. I hoped maybe if I stared at her long enough without blinking, she would disappear.
She was dressed in a cream dress that was so tight, you could see every outline of her curves. Her long blond hair was in loose waves, and as usual, she looked put together. Way too put together for this to be an accident.
Callie picked up her wineglass from the table and shoved it into my hand. I quickly downed it and pushed my chair back before this turned into a shit show.
“What are you doing here?”
“I heard about the fundraiser this weekend. It was always one of my favorite events.” She shifted on her feet as I met her halfway across the room. “I would have called or reached out to you directly, but you blocked me.”
I glanced at the table briefly and turned back to her. “And you thought I would be happy that you showed up uninvited to a family dinner?”
“It was a last-minute decision. I promise, I’m not here to ambush you.” She looked at me hesitantly. “Can I talk to you for a minute privately?”
The last time I saw her was the day I kicked her out of my house.
My family knew we had broken up but never knew why.
They adored Lydia, so without fully disclosing what a cheating, conniving person she was, I simply told them she wasn’t the person she pretended to be and left it at that. I didn’t want my family’s pity.
“Now is not a good time. As you can see, I’m busy.”
There was no sense in pretending that I was happy to see her.
She glanced around the table and hesitated. “I didn’t know how else to get in touch with you. I just need you to spare me five minutes alone, please.”
I wasn’t sure if I could handle a civil conversation with her, but I didn’t want to cause a bigger scene in front of my family either.
I nodded toward the door for her to follow me. “Not a second more.”
I walked toward the hallway, not waiting to see if she was following me, and didn’t stop until we reached the bathrooms. It was far enough away that we were out of earshot.
“What are you doing here, Lydia?”
She sighed quietly. “I didn’t come here to fight with you.”
I crossed my arms, pissed off that she had hijacked my family time. “I don’t have all night, so answer the question.”
She met my eyes. “Are you going to hate me forever?”
My smile was tight. “It’s kind of hard not to after what you did to me.”
Her shoulders stiffened defensively. “You weren’t exactly the perfect boyfriend, Nate.”
My jaw ticked. “At least I didn’t cheat.”
“I thought maybe if I came tonight—”
My eyes flared. “You thought what?”
She flinched. “That we could be civil.”
“You thought wrong.”
She shook her head like she was frustrated with me. What the hell did she expect?
“I tried to be nice, but clearly that’s not going to get me anywhere. I shouldn’t be surprised, because this is exactly your problem. You shut down and act cold and indifferent.”
“Here we go. Break out the violins.” I rolled my eyes. “I’m not doing this with you.”
She crossed her arms. “You never do anything, Nate.”
I tipped my head toward the ceiling. “Here we fucking go.”
She placed her hands on her hips. “No, seriously, let’s go there.”
“Lydia,” I warned, rubbing a hand over my face, but she ignored me.
“You never showed up for me the way I needed. Everything was always about football. Your schedule. Your career. Even when I was struggling, you never helped me financially, even though you have more money than God.”
My jaw ticked. “You’re the one who made bad financial decisions. Last time I checked, you were a grown-ass adult. Since when is it my responsibility to take care of you?”
She placed her hands on her hips and glared up at me. “I was your girlfriend!”
I shook my head. “Still not my responsibility. You’ve made a lot of bad decisions, and if my memory is correct, you weren’t too worried about my money when you were sleeping with your personal trainer behind my back.”
Her dark brown eyes narrowed. “That’s not fair.”
“Actually, it’s accurate.” I looked at my watch. “Your time is almost up. So stop fucking with me and tell me what you want?”
“I’m in a tough spot and could use your help.”
I shook my head. “No.”
Her mouth fell open, clearly not liking being shut down so fast. “You don’t even know what kind of help I need.”
“And I don’t care.”
She pressed her lips together. “I’m pregnant.”
My body stilled. This felt almost cruel and was a reminder that she was building a life with a man she chose over me. “Congratulations. How is that any of my business?”
Her hands twisted in front of her. “Because I could use a little financial help.”
I laughed. “You’ve got to be kidding me.”
“Carlos and I don’t have the kind of money that you do, and with the baby coming, I just thought you might be inclined to help out.”
For a second, I thought I had misheard her. “You thought I would help support a baby that you’re having with my replacement?”
Big, fat, heavy tears fell from her eyes. “I didn’t know who else to turn to. Neither one of us has insurance, and medical bills are expensive.”
“Not my problem.”
Lydia was a content creator and apparently, not a good one if she was having trouble paying her bills.
Her bottom lip trembled. “You help out complete strangers all the time. I am not saying what I did was okay, but I gave you three years of my life! I gave up everything for you to be the supportive girlfriend. I put my career on hold, took a job that gave me flexibility, because football always came first.”
My jaw was clenched so tight I could barely get the words out. “You don’t get to crawl back here and make your mess mine. You made your choice. Live with it.”
“I’m scared, okay. We don’t have the money. I thought maybe you would help out. Not for me, but for the baby.”
“No,” I said firmly.
She sucked in a breath and blinked away the tears in her eyes. “So, you’ll write checks left and right for various charities. Help a random stranger off the street, but not me?”
“Don’t make me out to be the villain here, Lydia. If your boyfriend can’t step up for his own kid, then maybe you should do some serious soul-searching. Or better yet, ask your brother.”
“He has his own family to support.” Her voice cracked. “I have no one else to turn to.”
Her brother, Brian, used to be my manager and someone I considered a friend, until I saw his true colors and set him loose. I thought that would be the end of dealing with this family. Apparently, I was wrong.
Brian has made millions off me. He could help her if he really wanted to. It made me wonder why he was keeping his wallet closed and where the hell all his money was going. Was that why he was coming after me? It would explain a lot.
I cleared my throat, ready to wrap up this conversation. “I’m sorry to hear about your financial troubles. I hope you find a solution soon, but I’m afraid it won’t be me.”
I didn’t wait for her reply. I turned and stalked back toward the private dining room. I took a deep, calming breath, trying to smooth my face into something neutral.
Mom looked up from the table. Her eyes were filled with concern. “Is everything okay? Where is Lydia?”
“All good.” I forced a smile as I slid back into my seat. “She’s gone. I’m sorry she showed up like that and caused a scene.”
Dad’s eyes narrowed as if trying to decide whether to call bullshit or not.
Callie tightened her hands around her wineglass. “It’s my fault.”
I glanced at her. “What do you mean?”
She chewed on her bottom lip nervously. “I posted a picture when we were boarding the plane in Charleston, and she reached out to me, asking questions about this weekend.”
“It’s not your fault, Callie. You had no idea she would show up here tonight.”
She shook her head. “She asked if we could get together while I was in town. I told her we were going to dinner tonight and had too much going on,” she said quickly. “I haven’t talked to her in months. I swear.”
“It’s fine,” I said, trying to make her feel better. I could tell she was beating herself up over this.
Callie winced. “I had no idea she would just show up out of the blue like that. I promise, I will block her and be more careful next time.”
“Thank you,” I said. “Now, stop apologizing; Lydia is a grown-ass adult. She used you to get to me. She knew exactly what she was doing.”
Dad leaned back in his chair and crossed his arms. “We had no idea things were that bad. Do you want to talk about it?”
I unfolded the white napkin and placed it on my lap. “I’d rather not.”
I didn’t want to explain it or relive it. I just wanted to move on.
“All right.” Mom patted my hand. “We won’t.”
The server came by to refill our water glasses.
“So,” Callie leaned back in her chair, “let’s talk about something else. Like you going solo to the fundraiser this weekend.”
The charity was an annual event. It was a benefit for the deaf and hard-of-hearing community.
Something my sister and I took on together.
It wasn’t about publicity. It was about her.
Callie was diagnosed with hearing loss in third grade from complications of pneumonia.
So, this charity meant something to my whole family.
“Callie, I don’t need a date.”
“You most certainly do. The problem is finding someone who can put up with you,” my sister teased.
Mom laughed. “She has a point.”
“Wow.” I shook my head with a smile. “Way to be supportive, Mom.”
I leaned back in my chair as the conversation eased into safer territory.
We went over the guest list, the sponsors, and the timelines.
I watched Callie as she talked. The way she moved her hands, the confidence in her voice.
It was hard for her growing up. She has always had to rely on lip-reading.
Through it all, she has remained strong, always finding ways to turn something difficult into something meaningful.
“I’m proud of you,” I said, knocking my shoulder into hers.
She smirked. “You’re not getting sentimental on me now, are you?”
Dad chuckled.
I rolled my eyes. “And here I was trying to be nice.”
“Do you have your speech all done?” Mom asked, adjusting the napkin on Dad’s lap. He had a habit of spilling his food.
I took a sip of water. “It’s mostly done.”
“I’m sure it’s going to be wonderful.” Mom reached across the table and patted my hand.
The waiter came over and took our order. While we waited for our food, we talked about Dad’s golf game and Mom’s new obsession with sourdough bread. Callie teased me a few times about how long my hair was, reminding me that I needed a cut.
It was nice being around them, but my mind was still stuck on that confrontation with Lydia.
The nerve of her to ask me for money, like I owed her something after what she did to me.
She acted as if I had failed her somehow, and maybe I did.
Lydia was wrong about many things, but maybe she wasn’t wrong about that part.
It didn’t excuse what she did, but I couldn’t pretend that I was perfect either.
The truth was, I stopped putting in the effort once I realized where things were headed.
It made me question if I had enough to give if someone else came along.
If anything, it made it harder for me to trust again. People seemed to always want something from me. My time, my attention, my money. And once they got what they wanted, they left.
Just as I forced Lydia’s face out of my mind, another one slipped in.
Becca. I shifted in my seat, uncomfortable at the thought. I shouldn’t have been thinking of her. Nothing would ever come of it. Reporters and players didn’t mix, especially with a man like me, who was the face of the franchise. It would be a scandal waiting to happen.