50. Jake
CHAPTER 50
JAKE
J une’s family are the last to leave the apartment, and the moment they step out, it’s like a boulder is lifted off my shoulders. June was too tired, so I had the pleasure of walking them to the door.
“God, I thought they’d never leave,” Ryan pipes up from the kitchen. “No offense, Peaches.”
“None taken. I almost preferred when they weren’t speaking to us.” She takes a seat on the couch and stretches her legs, propping them on the coffee table.
“It’s a bit more peaceful for sure.” Lachy grabs a pillow and places it under her feet.
“Thanks, hon.”
“Hon...” He smiles. “I like it when you call me cute names.”
I shake my head. Lachy is such a marshmallow, which always works in his favor with June. Not that it bothers me. We have our own personalities that June loves, and that’s why we have the perfect relationship. We each bring something to the table that she needs, and in turn, she knows exactly what we need. I never thought it was possible for someone to know me so well that I didn’t even have to speak the words out loud. One look and June knows exactly what to say or do.
“So... who’s ready for the real dessert?” Ryan takes the tres leches cake out of the fridge.
June tries to look over her shoulder and winces. “Ouch.”
“Lass, you have to be careful.”
“I keep forgetting. I can’t wait until I’m one hundred percent recovered.”
Ryan brings her a piece of cake. “Here, love. This will make you feel better.”
“Thanks. Aren’t you having any?” Ryan smirks, and she adds quickly, “Not to eat off me!”
“I wasn’t thinking that... but now I am.”
I wasn’t planning on having cake, but this conversation made me crave some. I grab a plate, but before I can join the others in the living room, someone knocks on the door.
“Do you think your folks forgot something?” I ask.
“Maybe.”
I open the door without looking through the peephole first and balk when I find my mother standing in the hallway. “Mom?”
She smiles tightly. “Hello, Jake. It’s been a while.”
I don’t speak, just stare at my mother in her pristine black and white Chanel suit, perfectly coiffed hair, and subtle but grotesquely expensive jewelry.
“Where are your manners, Jake? Won’t you invite me in?”
“Yeah, of course.” I open the door wider and let her pass.
Mom has never visited me in LA before, and as she appraises my apartment, I wonder if she’s here because of the sex-tape scandal. I bet that rocked her inner circle on the Upper East Side. In a way, my mother isn’t much different than June’s mom. They both care too much about appearances.
“Did you throw a party?” Mom asks.
“Yeah. June came home from the hospital today.”
Mom looks at me, her gaze impassive. “The woman you share with your friends.”
“The woman I love.”
June, Lachy, and Ryan are standing in the living room, watching our conversation. Since my mother never came to LA or bothered to attend any of my games when I played in New York, she doesn’t know any of them.
“Mom, I’d like you to meet June Summers, my girlfriend, and Lachlan Stewart and Ryan Bertrand, my roommates and best friends.”
“Nice to meet you, Mrs. Phillips,” June replies shyly.
I’m not surprised when neither Lachy nor Ryan greets her. They know what it was like for me growing up. Most of the obvious abuse came from my father, but my mother’s sin was letting him do it.
I grimace when my mother approaches June. I follow her, tense as fuck. I never had a girlfriend in high school, but Mom never liked any of the girls my brother dated. I have no reason to believe she’ll like June.
“I’ve heard you’re quite the heroine,” Mom says in a tone that could be mocking or serious.
“I did what anyone would,” June replies.
“Hmm... I have to disagree. You’re attractive enough in a subtle way. Not exactly Jake’s type. He always preferred a... flashy kind of woman.”
“Uh, thanks?” June looks at me, a little panicked.
She’s on the other side of the couch, and unless I jump over it, I can’t get to her fast enough. But Ryan does what I can’t. He throws his arm around June’s good shoulder and kisses her cheek. “June is a knockout. Anyone who can’t see that clearly needs glasses.”
“Charming.” My mother smiles without teeth, then turns to me. “You must be wondering why I’m here, Jake.”
“It crossed my mind.”
“I’ll cut to the chase. I know your father is hellbent on having you play for the Bobcats. I don’t know why he’s taken a sudden interest in your career, nor do I care to know. I’m here to make sure he doesn’t succeed.”
I frown, crossing my arms. “You’ve never done anything to aggravate Dad. On the contrary, you’ve always been the perfect and dutiful wife.”
“That was before he spent all our money on his many mistresses. If it weren’t for my inheritance, we’d be out on the street.”
“So, you’re going to thwart his plans out of revenge?”
“No, I’m doing it to protect Miles.”
My brows shoot to the heavens. “Miles Lavigne? The Bobcats’ owner? Why?”
I notice a glaring change in my mother’s posture. She stiffens and seems rattled. “It doesn’t matter. All I know is that if your father succeeds in bringing you to the Bobcats, he’ll try to use you against Miles.”
I rub my face, then glance at Lachy, Ryan, and June. They look as confused as I feel.
“Why do you care about Miles?” I ask.
“I’d rather not say.”
Ryan smirks. I’m pretty sure he drew the same conclusion I just did. “You’re having an affair with him, aren’t you?”
“It’s none of your business.”
Wow. I can’t believe my mother had the courage to cheat on Dad. I always thought she was spineless when it came to him. Maybe that was a ruse. “You’re right. That’s not my business. Tell me, what’s your plan to make Dad’s plan fail?”
She pulls a manila envelope from her purse and hands it over. “The next time your father brings up the Bobcats, mention what’s in this document.”
I frown. “What’s inside?”
“Proof that your father has been embezzling money from his clients for years.”
I gape at her. “How did you get this?”
She smirks. “It pays to be the dutiful wife. Well, I’d better go. I don’t want your father to notice I left New York.”
On her way to the door, she glances at June. “I’ll never understand modern relationships, but kudos to you, my dear. I can barely handle one dick. I can’t imagine juggling three.”
My jaw drops to the floor. My mother, the woman who never has a hair on her head out of place, never curses, just said dick out loud.
“Wow,” Ryan blurts out the moment she’s gone. “I have no words.”
“Me neither,” I say.
June shivers. “God, and I thought my mother was intense. Yours wins by a landslide.”
I eye the envelope. “I can’t believe she came all the way here to give me this.”
Lachy scratches his head. “It sounded like she’s in love with Miles Lavigne. I can’t understand why, though. That man is the father of all bawbags.”
“Maybe he’s different with her?” June replies.
“I can’t picture my mother and Miles.” I shudder. “But I guess she just made up big time for all the years of indifference.” I shake the envelope.
“That may get your dad to back off, but it won’t help your situation with the Titans,” Ryan pipes up.
“Well, they haven’t benched me yet. I’ll just have to remind them why I’m the team captain.”