Chapter 40
Chapter Forty
Foster
I walk out of the stadium after the press interview, leaving everyone behind.
I told Callie we’d have lesson number two tomorrow, but we won the game today, so I’m hoping I can convince her to have a lesson right now.
I can already feel the crawling sensation working its way up my spine, and if I don’t shove all my thoughts away, my temper will get the best of me, and I’ll do something I regret.
“Foster,” Decker calls from behind me, but I keep walking. I already know what he’s going to ask me. “Come on, man. Just hear me out.”
I stop right before I leave the clubhouse when really, I should keep walking. Nothing good is going to come from this conversation.
I turn around.
Decker doesn’t even have his shirt on. “She heard the news.”
I’m surprised he’s getting right into it.
“Good for her.” I turn around again to leave.
“She’s the grandma.”
I whip back around. “And you’re going to welcome Dad as a grandpa to your kid someday? Have him over for birthdays and holidays? Hell, let him babysit?”
He winces.
Exactly. How the hell does he think this feels to me?
I was completely blindsided to get on that mound and look at the stands to search for Callie, only to see her eyes staring back at me.
“That’s different, and you know it.”
I pull my bag farther up on my shoulder because I need to get the hell out of here.
Decker steps closer. “She wants to talk. Coffee? A drink? She’ll take whatever.”
My teeth hurt from clenching my jaw so hard. “She had a lot of years to talk. She chose not to.”
“You know Dad. He didn’t make—”
“That’s bullshit.” I point at him. “And you know it. That’s what’s most fucked up to me—you know exactly what she did, but you continue to stick up for her.
Asking me for a few minutes because what?
She wants to look like some fawning grandma?
Post some pictures on Facebook about her other son and his kid? Give me a fucking break.”
He doesn’t say anything in return. Because what can he say? Sorry Mommy chose me? That’s only going to pour salt in wounds that will never heal.
For a moment, my brother’s face looks tired… and sad. “I just… the baby changes things, no?”
I balk. “Why would the baby change anything? I should invite her to do the same thing to my kid that she did to me? Not on your life. She’ll never have anything to do with my child. You can run back and tell her that.”
“I get it. I understand. There’s a lot of shit there, but there are things you need to hear.”
I huff. I should walk away. I should leave before this turns even nastier. “Funny, brother, I thought you learned a long time ago that actions speak a helluva lot louder than words. I don’t need your explanations. And I sure as shit don’t need to hear hers.”
A door down the hallway opens, and Penelope steps through it.
Perfect fucking timing to prove my point.
“Have a happy life, but she’s never gonna be part of mine.”
I give Penelope a look, and Decker turns to see who I’m looking at. I take my chance at escape and leave them. I have someone way more important to see.
I push through the door and see some family members sprinkled around the room. My eyes search out the only person I care about until I spot her. I don’t even give a polite nod to anyone. I just walk up to Callie, link my hand with hers, and drag her away from Leighton.
“Well, okay then. Good game, Foster,” Leighton calls behind us.
“My game sucked, and you know it, Leighton. Hayes will be out soon,” I call back.
Callie comes with me, doesn’t push back or try to fight me.
Had I tried this alpha maneuver even a week ago, she would’ve literally dragged her feet and told me she’s not going anywhere.
Makes me think she’s discovered something tonight, but I really hope she didn’t.
She’ll want me to talk about it, and that’s the last thing I want to do.
Once we’re outside, I keep us in the shadows, walking toward our building.
“I thought we could go out to eat with Hayes and Leighton.” She’s practically speed walking to keep up with me.
“I’d really like that lesson tonight.”
“You said tomorrow.”
I tug her and press her back to a light pole, moving closer, sheltering her from the view of others. “I’d like to move it up, if it’s okay with you?”
She places her hand on my chest. I love when she does that, but sometimes I wonder if it’s her way of keeping people from getting too close. “Foster.”
It’s in the tone of her voice. Good ol’ Ang got to her already.
My eyes narrow. “You talked to her?”
“She stopped me on the stairs.” Her shoulders fall, and her eyes give her away. Those big brown eyes show all her emotion, and right now they’re filled with pity—the one emotion I fucking hate more than any others.
“Tomorrow it is then.” I leave her at the light pole and walk toward the condo myself.
“No, come on.” She catches up to me. “Don’t be like that. Let’s talk. It’s clearly bothering you.”
“There’s nothing to say.”
“Talk to me, Foster. I’m a really good listener.”
I stop and stare at her.
A group of guys walk by. “Hey, Reap, great strikeout at the end.”
“Way to end the game,” another says, and I wait for them to walk away.
I meet her gaze. “That’s not our relationship, Callie.”
She flinches but quickly masks the hurt in her eyes. “Neither was you trying to give me an orgasm. But you had no problem crossing that line last night.”
“Yeah, because my ego was hurt.” The lie tastes bitter on my tongue.
“That’s not true?” The fact that it sounds like a question tells me I’m far from proving to her that some men do care.
“Just go have dinner with Leighton and Hayes. I’m going home.” I turn and walk toward the condo.
“Well, I’m not hungry.” She walks alongside me.
I grunt like the caveman I’m channeling right now. “You need to eat for—”
“Oh, save it.” She walks faster to get in front of me.
I let her go, watching her the entire time as she walks to the building and turns the corner. I slow my steps because I need to cool down and not take it out on her, so some space between us will be good—if only for the walk back to the condo.
As I round the corner, there’s a group of people outside Peeper’s, which I should’ve expected.
We won, and they’ve all congregated here, knowing that we hang out here.
I’m willing to ignore them, but my gaze snags on Callie talking to two guys.
All the anger I’ve been feeling since I stepped on the mound roars back through my veins.
I walk by and take her hand to pull her away from these douchebags wearing Colorado shirts.
“Hey, man,” one guy says.
Callie twists her hand out of mine, and we stare each other down.
“Seriously, what’s your deal?” The guy continues to come at me, stepping between Callie and me. “Are you okay? Do you need away from this guy?”
I huff out a laugh, and his friend turns to me.
“Shit.” He nods to me. “It’s Foster Davis.”
The guy looks over his shoulder and then up since I tower over the little shit.
I cross my arms. “Hey.”
“Don’t let him intimidate you,” Callie says, then looks me in the eye. “They were just asking for directions.”
“I don’t care.”
“Guess what? I’m not your property.”
“I’ll be your property,” a woman walking by says.
I shake my head. “Fine. Stay out here. I’m going home.”
I flip around and walk over to the gate, staring at the cardboard sign before I type in the security code. The scribble on one of the notes looks really familiar. I tear it off, read it, and crumple it, tossing it on the ground.
Awesome. Things have gone from shitty to worse. Love that for me.
Then I press the code and open the gate with one look at Callie. Her arms are crossed, and her eyebrows raised. I exhale, and our eyes remain on one another as if we’re waiting for the other to apologize first.
Who am I kidding? There’s no chance I’m leaving her out here alone.
“Fine. I’m sorry. Will you come with me?” God, I do not sound like the Foster Davis everyone thinks I am.
“Say it again?” she asks, cupping her ear as she walks toward me. “I don’t think I heard you.”
“Fucking hell, I said I was sorry.”
“Better.” She smiles.
I shut the gate after her, then I cage her against the wall, placing my hands over her head. “I’m sorry for acting like a Neanderthal, but I really don’t want to talk about it.”
She frowns. “I wish you would.”
“I’d rather you be my distraction.” I bend and kiss her neck.
“Hmm… I don’t know.” Her tone suggests she might be on board.
I keep placing kisses up her neck to her ear. “I need you, Callie.”
Her fingers tiptoe their way up my chest and around my neck, pulling me down so our lips meet. “You have me, but you have a lesson to learn first.”
“Lead the way, Miss Carlisle.”
I pick her up, her ass in my hands, and walk up the four flights of stairs to our condo.
I hope she’s going to go along with me and not ask any more questions because I can’t go there. I’m not even close to ready to share how fucked up my past really is. If I do, I’ll most likely lose her.