Chapter 5
FIVE
EDDIE
After a million and one questions from Lottie, I'd finally managed to get her to bed, giving Pearce a break. While food had perked him up, once we'd made it to my suite, he'd played along with Lottie, despite how he obviously flagged.
“She settle okay?”
I picked up my beer and smiled at Pearce, appreciating how much he cared about my passionate daughter. “Yeah. She was pretty buzzed after your game and shop talk.” I collapsed on the oversized couch and eyed the man lounging across from me. “You really were incredible.”
And there was his blush, as if on cue. Perhaps I was an asshole for enjoying it so much, but with how upside down my life had started to feel, I appreciated the familiarity and comfort of being in Pearce's space.
He was so easy to read and get a rise from.
And hell if I didn't bask in every moment I spent with the man.
“The team pulled together,” he said. “We held our own.”
I quirked my brow at him. “I know that's the party line, but come on,” I challenged.
His grin was immediate, his slight flush from my earlier praise morphing to a darker shade of red.
“It was fucking awesome. Did you see that three-pointer in the first ten?” He shook his head as if visualizing the play.
“Lennox didn't know what hit him,” he all but gushed.
“Hell, it was amazing.” The excitement I loved to hear filled his words and his features.
“The playoffs,” he continued. “I can hardly believe it.”
“I can. You and the team deserve to be there. You especially.” Before we'd first met, I'd paid enough attention when watching ESPN to sit up and take note of the new Eagles forward.
Since becoming friends during the summer program where we helped coach players set for the League draft, my opinion of the man had grown exponentially.
Not only was Pearce an incredible player, but he was also fun to be around. Our conversations had been as easy and natural as if we'd known each other for years, and definitely not like there was a decade between us.
“You think you'll be able to make it to many games? Obviously depending how far in we get.”
I bobbed my head. “I'll make as many happen as possible. Lottie’s away at camp for one week when the finals are scheduled. It’ll make it easier.
I'm not helping with the summer program scheduling at Montview this year.” This meant I’d freed myself up for the rest of the month from that additional task I usually had.
I paused and took a drink before asking, “Is Montview still on the cards for you this season?” Despite my casual question, his answer mattered.
Spending so much time with Pearce over the summer had become one of my favorite things to do.
A frown appeared between his brows. “Yeah, of course. Why'd you ask?”
I exhaled a soft breath, admitting, “With Jayden and Sutton gone, it makes you the only active League player, and with you making the playoffs, I know how that can go. Things get busy. Priorities can change.”
He quirked his brow. “You think I'm a flake?”
There wasn't a hint of anything but his usual sweetness and humor in his tone.
“Maybe,” I sassed, earning me a throw cushion to my face. I chuckled.
“Is that right?”
Our gazes connected and my laugh smoothed out into a you’re-so-full-of-it-but-what-you-gonna-do-about-it smile.
“No. No flakiness in sight.” The more I'd learned about the man, the more I appreciated that was the absolute truth.
He wasn't even thirty, yet he was more together than a lot of guys my age.
It had only been in the last year or so I'd fully realized or accepted that.
“But to answer your question, yes, I'll be there. I may not do the full six weeks every year, but for the moment, it’s doable.” He shifted on the couch opposite me and threw his long legs up, getting himself comfortable. “How about you?”
“How about me what?” In response he quirked his brow. I huffed, knowing exactly what he was getting at. “Yes, I'll be there. Moira can only take Lottie for two weeks, though. The rest of the time she’ll be in Hong Kong.”
“So does that mean Wayne's taking care of her?”
I didn't miss the tic in his jaw when he said Wayne's name, nor the distaste at the possibility of him looking after my girl.
“Or is Moira taking her to Hong Kong?”
I couldn't help but laugh at the look of horror when he said those words.
“She's not that bad. She's Lottie's mom and loves her.”
“I'm not saying she doesn't. I'm just worried she'll leave her in a meeting or add her to a deal in a merger or something.”
Humor touched his words, but I understood the undercurrent of seriousness in his tone. While I had joint custody of Lottie, for the last year, Lottie had lived with me full-time since her mom’s work had taken her overseas.
Moira's business made for a busy life, one that didn't gel with being a shared-custody mom.
Whenever she was local and had the time, my ex would swoop in, clouded in Chanel perfume, and spend time with our girl, spoiling and doting on her. She loved Lottie unconditionally but preferred to love from afar through five-minute video calls.
Lottie and I had a great life and bond, though. Sure, she missed Moira, but my love for her was enough. At least I hoped it was. “I'm actually thinking of sending her to my parents.”
When Pearce went bug-eyed, I choked on my sip of beer. “Fuck,” I spluttered.
“You deserve to choke if you send her to Alabama.”
I gasped for breath while snorting out a harsh laugh.
“She hates it there. Last year your mom tried to get her in that beauty pageant. How'd that turn out?” Nothing but pure, unadulterated glee reflected in Pearce's face, and he knew he had me.
“She cut up Dad's church suit and wore that while chanting ‘beauty pageants suck' on stage.”
A soft smile formed on his mouth. “Proudest day of my life.”
My heart clenched, thinking the exact same thing. Pearce would be an amazing dad someday, something I knew he wanted. I ignored the taunting voice telling me if I'd accepted his offer to hook up, maybe he'd be an amazing dad now.
That ship had sailed.
“Just bring her to Montview.”
“Are you crazy?”
“She'll love it. Hell, just think of the profiles she'll make on the college kids. She'll get them signing contracts with her, promising she can be their agents after college.”
I raised both brows at him. “Make that after high school, if she has her way.”
“Just speak to Emily. She'll make it happen. Plus, you know I miss Lottie like crazy over the summer.” He shrugged, a look appearing on his face that I knew all too well.
“That or you can ask Wank—” I quirked my brow, clamping down on my bottom lip to keep from laughing.
I shouldn't encourage his dislike of Wayne, but he got such pleasure from it.
“—Wonderful Wayne to look after her. I'm sure he'd jump at the chance.”
I flipped him off. “Fuck off.”
I didn't need to elaborate; it would only encourage him further. And after yesterday’s conversation, something I wouldn’t be sharing with Pearce, I didn’t expect Wayne to be in the picture for much longer.
It was time. Not only because of the shit he pulled last night, but Lottie wasn't a huge fan of him.
I'd let all that slide because I knew we wouldn't be lasting the distance. We didn't chat about the future, and then there was the whole open-relationship thing. Something Pearce had scoffed at.
I thought Pearce would have loved the concept, a young, hot guy like him.
I'd been wrong. “Fuck sharing” had been his exact words.
“If a guy is lucky enough to call you his, the last thing he should need is anyone else. Your love would always be enough.” His words had been so earnest, I'd struggled to catch my breath.
When he'd finished up with “Hell, your love would be everything,” I'd fought hard to remind myself how hooking up with a guy in his twenties and trying to make it work was a fool's task.
Pearce was incredible, but he was too young to be trapped. That on top of being with a guy my age with a kid whose age gap to him was almost the same as the gap between us… nope. All I saw in that future was heartache. For me and for Lottie.
I sighed, shoving away the what-ifs and thinking about Wayne. “Okay, I'll chat to Emily and see if it's possible.”
His smirk turned self-satisfied, and he snuggled deeper into the soft cushions. “I'll make sure I tell Lottie it's my idea.”
Warmth battled it out with amusement in my chest when I realized his breathing slowed. Rather than waking him, I went to the master bedroom and collected a blanket. The overlarge couch wouldn't be too cramped, and unsurprisingly, Pearce falling asleep when he was in my space wasn’t that uncommon.
Back at his side, I picked up his cell resting on the couch, turned it to silent, and placed it on the lamp table. I carefully wrapped the blanket around him, taking a sneaky glance at just how peaceful he looked.
He’d played his ass off tonight. A pang of guilt jolted my chest, knowing he should have gone out and celebrated with his teammates. I was a greedy bastard, holding on to our friendship the way I did. Hell, I coveted it.
No matter how many times I tried to convince myself that after I'd turned him down, his promise of us being just friends was honest, I knew it wasn't.
I shook my head, disappointed in myself that I couldn't let him go. While I'd never offered him anything beyond friendship, I didn't discourage how much time we spent together. Nor did I push him to go out and take advantage of his youth as hard as I knew I should.
Just what an asshole I was sat heavily in my gut. Looking at him now, all relaxed and comfortable, I couldn't find it in me to challenge myself too hard.
The truth was, my half-assed relationship with Wayne had been the only thing holding me back recently. But the more time passed, the more difficult it was to remember why holding back was such a good idea.