Chapter 30
Seventeen…Eighteen…Nineteen…Twenty…One…Two…
With every step, I draw closer and closer to true insanity.
Since I touched down in Boston early this morning, on a private plane courtesy of the company, I have spent every moment on this godforsaken bus.
“Can’t take any chances,” Noah said when he called me four nights ago to go over the plan one more time.
At the time, I wasn’t really listening, too preoccupied with the article on the screen in front of me.
I had been staring at the title for longer than I’d like to admit.
The Long Con: Falling for Kayfabe. Beneath it, her name—her real name—Sloane Jenkins.
No matter how long I stared, I couldn’t bring myself to scroll any further and actually read it.
Savannah has read it, which means that Brooks has either read it or she’s told him about it, and neither of them seems worried.
Amos got his own copy, and I haven’t received the phone call or gotten a formal meeting request. I’m sure Sav sent it to Rae, who sent it to Brody, but I haven’t seen either of them since the party.
You don’t give her enough credit, Savannah said, standing in her gym the other day.
What does that mean? I have no doubt the article is well-written—enlightening, even—but it’s hard for me to move past how it came to be.
She wouldn’t have been able to write it without my help—without my offer to join me on the road.
What was I thinking? Offering some woman I’d just met the chance to travel with me.
I introduced her to my friends, my family.
I let her sleep in my bed. I told her I love her.
How stupid could I be? Not even finding out the true extent of my ex-wife’s infidelity hurt as much as this.
And that scares me more than anything, because maybe I didn’t love Harper as much as I thought I did.
But Sloane…I think I loved her more than I realized.
My phone dings on the kitchen counter.
I still haven’t told my parents about Sloane, but I know I need to. I can’t bear the thought of telling them the truth, or even a piece of the truth. Mom fell for Sloane in a way she never has any of my other girlfriends, and I’m not ready to break her heart.
Well, at least I can keep my return a surprise.
Before I can respond, my phone rings, and I can’t help but smile.
Mom hates texting, confirmed by the first thing she says when I answer: “You know I hate texting.” However, if she thinks I’m busy, she’ll start with a text until she determines by my responses whether I am or not.
“How are you feeling, sweetie? How is recovery coming along this time?”
“I’m fine,” I say.
“You don’t sound fine. Having a rough day?”
I scrub a hand down my face and try my best to sound a little peppier when I speak this time. “No, I’m fine. Everything is good. Recovery is going well.”
“I’m sure it’s not easy knowing you were supposed to be part of this tonight.
Maybe you should turn it off before that match comes on?
I know I am. I cannot stand that Grady Chandler.
” She huffs. “After what he and Harper did, I don’t understand why they’d bring him back.
What good is he to the company? He does nothing but cause problems and—”
“He’s an asset to the company, regardless of my issues with him, Mom. The fans love to hate him; he’s a good foil to any babyface.”
I can see her waving me off with a roll of her eyes. “I don’t care. I’m sure there are a plethora of guys in developmental vying for the chance to fight you or Colin. Why not bring one of them up?”
“They’re not ready,” I say, knowing from my time at NextGen before my ‘injury’ that no one is quite TV-ready.
“What does Sloane think about all of this? It must be a little uncomfortable for her to be around the two of them. I know how Harper can be, she never misses a chance to wreak havoc—”
“Mom.”
“Am I wrong? You know it’s what she thrives on. Anyway, how is Sloane? I haven’t had a chance to speak with her this week; I’ve been so busy.”
“You’ve been talking to her?” I ask, brow furrowed. Shit, that doesn’t sound good when she thinks we’re still together. I should’ve known that.
“Oh, yes, we talk about once a week. I like to check in, not to mention you won’t always tell me the truth about things.
” Something in her words strikes a chord in my chest. Is she implying what I think she is?
No, she can’t be. She’s been talking like she thinks we’re still together.
“Bennett,” Mom says slowly, and the use of my real first name catches my attention.
She clears her throat. “You’ve been keeping a secret. ”
“I don’t—”
“I didn’t want to push, but I thought you’d finally say something if I kept asking. Why didn’t you tell us? Sweetie, I could’ve come down to help you out with recovery. Or your dad, or Lexi—any of us would’ve been more than happy to help out. You shouldn’t be there alone.”
“Who told you?”
Mom sighs. “Your sister mentioned things seemed a bit off between you and Sloane, but I didn’t think anything of it until I called her a few weeks ago, and she told me you had broken up after the party.
You weren’t too happy when you found out about the article she wrote—which is wonderful, by the way.
I don’t know why you would be so upset about it. ”
“You read it?”
Of course, she read it. I don’t know why I’m surprised.
“Of course, I read it! I wanted to see what could make you want to end things with her.”
“She lied, Mom,” I say, and she laughs. “She lied about multiple things. This story, her name, her reason for wanting to be with me. It was all a lie.”
“That girl loves you, Wolf,” she says, matter-of-fact, and it springs tears in the corners of my eyes. “Regardless of why she initially pursued you, that is not the reason she stayed, and I can almost guarantee the article she was supposed to write is not the one she submitted.”
“How many times have you talked to her since the party?” I ask, wiping the corners of my eyes.
“Oh…” Mom hums in thought. “Two, or maybe three. She tried to cut ties that very first call, but I told her absolutely not. I was hoping talking to me would sway her to give you a call and finally talk things through, but she’s just about as stubborn as you.”
“We did talk.”
“No, you talked, and don’t you roll your eyes at me, you know I’m right,” she says as I do exactly that. “Please do not let your past impact your future, Wolf. I know you were hurt by what happened between you and Harper, but you can’t—”
“That has nothing to do with this.”
“It has everything to do with it. Sloane is not Harper. And whether you decide to work things out with Sloane or move on, you cannot continue to let Harper make you think every other woman on the planet is the same. I understand you feel betrayed because Sloane didn’t tell you the truth at first, but I need you to sit back and look at the facts.
Most of the time she spent with you, you weren’t even on the road.
If she wanted to, she could have left when she realized she wasn’t getting the same inside access because you were partially on the bench, but she didn’t. ”
“My best friends are the biggest names in the company. She wouldn’t have to be on the road to have access to them.”
“True, but knowing Savannah, she made sure to keep things right and tight until she fully trusted Sloane. Am I right?” Mom asks, and I sigh.
When I glance at the lock on the stove, I realize I have about twenty minutes before one of the production aides comes to get me.
I need to get ready, but before I can attempt to get off the phone, my mom says, “Read the article, Wolf.”