Chapter 28
“Mrs. Randolph, will that be all for today? Mrs. Randolph? Mrs. Randolph?!” I reach out and slam my hand on the table.
She trembles visibly and snaps out of her daze. I catch a glimpse of her misty eyes. She looks up and blinks rapidly and I wonder if I imagined it the first time.
“What do you want, Mrs. Gray?” she asks with a tight-lipped smile.
“I’m leaving the office, so I came to make sure that you don’t need me to do anything before I leave.”
She sniffles. I’m not mistaken this time. “Are you okay, Mrs. Randolph?”
“You see, that’s what I’d like you to do. I’d like you to mind your business.”
The intensity in her eyes makes me stagger backwards slightly. I get the message.
“Goodnight, Mrs. Randolph.” I dash out of her office just as another sniffle reaches my ears.
I have the urge to go back in and insist until she confides in but according to Julia, for all that she has put me through, maybe life was paying her back.
No, that’s a cruel way to think. I caution myself as the elevator dings.
My mind goes back to the message I received earlier today. I don’t even know how Jack got my number, but I’m going to meet him anyway. I want to know what his deal is with Cameron since Cameron has refused to tell me point blank.
I still don’t get why he’s not as open with me as I’ve been with him.
I told him about my life in foster care, something I don’t talk about to anyone.
The least he could have done that day was tell me something about himself too.
I want to know why he’s closed off and overly independent.
I want to know why he acts as though the entire world is full of thorns and the only safe space is the rink.
I want to know the reason behind his trauma.
I want to see the parts of him that he has kept hidden from the whole world.
I hail a cab absentmindedly and repeat the address to him.
The cab pulls up in front of a bookstore, which is an unusual place for a meeting.
I wonder why he picked this place. I take a deep breath to ease the nerves that are creeping in.
I hope I didn’t make a bad decision by coming to see him alone.
The door to the bookstore squeaks like a dying rat once I open it. My eyes scan the room until they spot him, leaning against one of the shelves in the back.
I walk towards him.
“Mrs. Gray,” he says, like the name itself is ridiculous. “Or should I say… Ms. Sparks?”
My stomach twists hard but I force my face to remain neutral. “What do you want, Jack? How did you even get my number?”
He nods, “Straight to the point. I like that.”
He pushes off the shelf and takes a step closer until he’s right in my face. His voice drops like he’s letting me in on a joke. “I know about your little secret.” My heart skips a beat. What’s he talking about?
“I know about the marriage and the entire arrangement that got you into it.”
“You don’t know what you’re talking about.” My voice doesn’t shake, thank God. My palms are clammy though.
“Oh, I know enough,” he says with a grin.
“And I know what it’ll do to Cameron if people find out.
He’ll lose his sponsors, a good number of his fans and the image he has struggled to maintain will be gone in a flash.
And you? You’ll be chewed up like the rest and lose the little relevance you had.
” He pauses then adds. “Unless…” He drags it out dramatically. “You make a deal with me.”
I narrow my eyes on him.
“A deal where I get what I want,” he says, “and in return, I keep my mouth shut. You scratch my back, I scratch yours. Everybody walks away happy.”
I take one slow step back. Just enough space to breathe, though my heart’s hammering wildly in my chest. My mind races with how bad this can get if it gets out. No, this is what he wants, and I won’t give him the satisfaction.
I look straight into his blue eyes like I’m not falling apart inside. “Do your worst.”
His smirk vanishes and his face contorts in rage. “What?” he asks in disbelief.
“I said, do your worst,” I say it again, louder this time. My chest is heaving, and fear is crawling all over my skin, but I won’t give him the satisfaction. “If you think I’m going to beg, or cut deals, or let you corner me then just know that you’ve picked the wrong woman.”
He smirks again. “Brave words. We’ll see how long you last.”
I don’t answer. I turn around and walk out.
My hands are trembling, my pulse won’t slow down, but I just keep moving. Cab line’s up ahead. Don’t look back.
I slide into the backseat of an empty one and mumble my address to the driver. I lean on the window with only one thought in mind, Cameron can’t know about this. He has enough going on with him already. I’ll keep my lips sealed and hopefully he doesn’t try anything before the match day.
It’s game day, so I’m at the stadium where fans are cheering on all sides and the match is in full gear. I’m wearing the team’s white jersey paired with black cargo pants and sneakers. I’m the image of a supportive wife.
My eyes are fixed on Cameron in the rink.
Every time he darts past, I scream like an idiot and it’s ridiculous because this isn’t supposed to be anything.
It’s just supposed to be an arrangement but try telling that to my heart, because it’s gone traitor on me.
Collins had given me a pep talk on the way here, but my current actions aren’t because of that.
I’m genuinely rooting for Cameron. He has put in so much into preparing for this game and their team deserves to win.
“Go, Cameron!” I yell, my voice disappearing in the crowd. I keep cheering and wishing he’d look over at me.
The whistle is blown and it’s time for the first intermission.
That should probably last for fifteen minutes as I was told.
The score is still zero-zero. The players disappear toward the locker rooms with fans cheering enthusiastically.
This is my chance. I push through the crowd and make my way to them.
I check my phone to see if Keith has responded to my message.
I don’t want Cameron to spot me down there because he’s going to sense that something’s up and I don’t want to upset him.
Keith comes out as I get there, a towel over his shoulder. “Hey, Brie. What’s up? Make it quick, please. There’s no time left.”
“It’s Jack. He’s planning to ruin Cameron for good. He tried to make a deal with me, but I rejected it.”
Keith freezes, towel halfway to his face. His smile, always half there, is gone now. “What exactly did he say to you?”
“That he knows the marriage is fake and he’d use it to wreck Cameron’s image. What’s the problem with him? What did Cameron ever do to him?”
“Cameron hasn’t told you?”
I shake my head.
“Five minutes left!” I hear the Coach shout from inside.
Keith glances towards the locker room, then back, “Okay, thanks for not telling Cameron. He needs to stay focused in the remaining periods of the game. I’ll handle it.”
I let out a breath I didn’t know I’d been holding and head back to my seat.
The game resumes and Cameron is racing through the ice like he was born on it.
Midway through the second period, I notice that his posture is tense.
“What—” I mutter following his line of vision. There’s a man just sitting there, calmly among the fans, not cheering, not moving. The hair and jawline bear a striking resemblance to…
I gasp as my mind fully processes the thought. “What in the world?!”