Chapter 11
Chapter Eleven
AUGUST
The look on Sienna’s face when I’d picked up that guitar and sang had been priceless. Maybe River had been right and people were really starting to expect a dumb jock out of me. I didn’t mind too much though, it never hurt to be underestimated. It was possible I’d underestimated Sienna too.
I’d told her that she wasn’t my type, she was too young, too famous, to be the kind of partner I was looking for — someone who was ready to settle down.
But then she’d opened her pouty mouth and sang with enough emotion that it had hit me straight in the gut.
It had felt raw, completely different to the songs of hers I’d heard in passing, and the way she’d sung about that kind of love had made me inexplicably wistful.
“How was the shoot?” River answered on the first ring. “I’m sorry I couldn’t be there, man. But Tyler has a fever and I didn’t want to leave him with Mom.”
“How’s he doing now?” If I’d let him, River would have been apologizing for days. Despite not having done anything wrong. He needed to take care of his kid, that came first.
“Better, thanks. But how was it?”
I shrugged even though he couldn’t see me, propping my feet up on the wide ottoman below the sofa. “Fine. Good. I guess we won’t know until we see the photos. The interview portion after the shoot went well.”
“That’s great,” River muttered and Tyler began to shriek in the background. I winced, holding the phone away from my ear. “Listen, I’ve got to go. But I’m glad it went okay and as soon as I have the photos I’ll let you know.”
“Thanks, man. See you.”
The phone beeped in my ear, River having hung up instantly. I sipped at my beer, the glass still cool to the touch, and condensation rolled down the side until a small puddle formed on the side table.
It was the evenings that got to me the most. The quiet, the boredom.
I had the TV on but I wasn’t watching it, just using it for background noise so that this borrowed place that wasn’t really mine didn’t feel so empty.
The city didn’t feel like home for me any more.
It felt more like I was waiting for something to happen, to change, but I didn’t know what and that made it hard to chase.
My phone dinged and I glanced at it in surprise, a warm flush coming over me as I saw Sienna’s name on the screen.
Sienna: Can you introduce me to number 16?
IMG. 314
I read her text and laughed, seeing the photo she’d chosen of Brock Ford, naked except for a football helmet covering his dick. It was from the charity calendar I’d told her about. She’d actually gone and looked it up.
The smugness faded quickly though as I re-read her message. Introduce her to Brock? What for?
August: I’m not sure there’d be much point.
Sienna: Why? He already taken?
August: Because we both know you’d rather be with number 11.
Sienna: I’ve heard number 11’s kind of an asshole.
August: The rumors are true.
Her messages came to a natural end and I only realized I was grinning at my phone when I looked up and caught my reflection in the TV screen.
Sienna: Number 16 it is.
August: Brock can’t give you what you need.
Sienna: Oh? What’s that?
I licked my lips, suddenly unsure about the message I’d been about to send. Fuck it.
August: To come harder than you ever have before.
Sienna: Really? Who can give me that then? I brought a guy to my place recently and he decided to go home with his brother.
I started laughing and once I began, I couldn't stop. When she put it like that, it did sound bad. Before I could reply, she messaged again.
Sienna: Photos are in!
River’s email came in moments after Sienna’s message. He’d forwarded it on from the photographer and left me a note to tell him if there were any I hated.
I scrolled through, surprised at how many photos there were. But they all had one thing in common, I looked at Sienna like I wanted to devour her. In truth, she watched me in the same way, but to see it translated so clearly through the camera made it impossible to ignore.
They were all pretty good shots, though my favorites were Sienna watching me sing and singing with me.
It didn’t necessarily scream cover photo though.
One of the close up shots of us looking into each other’s eyes would be better for that.
Those photos felt intimate somehow, our chemistry palpable.
Before I knew it, two hours had passed as I swiped through the unedited shots, saving my favorites to my phone’s photo album to flag with the editorial team.
The intercom buzzed, jolting me from my daydream as I slowly looked through the photos I’d saved again, admiring the angles of Sienna’s face and the way her eyes sparkled when they looked at me.
I pressed the speaker by the door distractedly and heard a baby’s wail even before I said anything.
I unlocked the entrance door with a press of a button and, a few minutes later, I pulled open mine.
River stood there on the threshold, black hair sticking up at odd angles, baby puke on his blue shirt, and circles under his eyes. “Please,” he said and I wordlessly held the door open wider before taking a red-faced Tyler out of his arms.
I kept a stash of baby supplies in the apartment now for when I babysat, which was often. So I grabbed a fresh cloth and slung it over my shoulder, transferring Tyler over to my other arm so if he puked it would be on the towel.
River dropped the navy bag of baby stuff by the front door, then strode over to my couch,and flopped down with one arm and one leg hanging off the side. “Thank you.”
“Any time.” My palm tingled as I rubbed it soothingly over Tyler’s tiny back, murmuring nonsense words to him until he began to quieten, his breathing eased into soft hiccups. “How’s his temp?”
“Good. I just couldn’t get him to stop crying and I’d been up most of the night with him and you’re just so good with him…”
I nudged River’s leg off of the sofa so I could sit down too, careful not to jostle the baby. “Hey, it’s cool. You know I’m always happy to have you guys over.”
His eyes were screwed shut like he was in pain and I waited silently, letting him decide how much he wanted to tell me about whatever was on his mind.
“I just feel like I’m failing,” he said eventually.
“I couldn’t be there for you today at the shoot, I got you into this ridiculous deal with the popstar, and Tyler… I don’t know. I’m just not enough.”
I frowned, trying not to tense up at his words.
He was an incredible father, especially when you considered he’d become one literally overnight.
Tyler’s mom had basically knocked on River’s door, handed him a baby, and said good luck.
I’d always been proud of my brother, he was a good man, hardworking, kind-hearted under the gruff exterior, but seeing the way he’d risen to the challenge of an unexpected son, single parenthood, and everything that came with it… I straight-up admired him.
“Riv… You know you can take a break if you need it, right? Let’s be honest, my football career only has a few years left before I’ll need to decide what to do next.
You should take some time, focus on yourself and your kid.
” I shook my head, a quiet laugh escaping.
“I still can’t believe you have a baby.”
“Me either,” he said quietly, and his eyes were bloodshot when he reopened them. He’d already let most of his other clients go when Tyler had come along and would likely have done the same to me if we weren’t family and he hadn’t needed the money. “Maybe you’re right.”
“You know we’ll all help you as much as we can. I just don’t want you to overwork yourself. You’re a first time, single parent. Maybe that should be your focus right now.”
He half-nodded, half-shrugged. “In an ideal world, sure. But I can’t afford to take time off.”
I waved him away. “I’ll cover you.”
“But you’re already helping out Mom and Dad—”
“We’re family. We take care of each other.” My tone offered no argument and he sighed. “Besides, worst comes to worst, maybe we can negotiate a good retirement package.”
“We would never ask you to give up your job to help pay—”
“You’re not asking.” I readjusted Tyler in my arms and nudged River with my foot. “I’m offering.”
“But your career—”
“Isn’t the most important thing to me. Not any more.” I looked down at Tyler cradled in my arms and swallowed hard. “I have other priorities.”
River shook his head. “Are you going to let me finish a sentence?”
“That was one.” He glared and I laughed, muffling the sound when Tyler stirred. “I’ve loved my career, but it is just a job. My family is my life. I thought you knew that.”
“You’re going to make someone very happy one day,” he said quietly and my mind, unbidden, flashed to Sienna before I shoved the thought away.
“I hope so,” I replied, voice a little hoarse. “I know things have been hard lately, for Mom and Dad too, so maybe we should use this deal with Sienna to get as much PR as possible.”
River nodded, his face open and thoughtful as he stared up at the ceiling. “If you’re on people’s minds…”
“That’s when opportunities crop up,” I agreed.
“Maybe I should just quit while I’m ahead.
If you can get me a good retirement fund from Stu, then maybe something cushy like coaching or commentating, then we can pay off Mom and Dad’s debts and you don’t need to worry about work for a little while so you can focus on Tyler. ”
“It just feels like a lot to ask of you.”
I shrugged. “It’s only money, Riv. I can always make more. You guys are what’s important.”
“If it’s what you want to do…”
“It is.” I hadn’t realized until that moment, but now that I’d said it aloud it felt right.
“I guess you need to woo a popstar then.”
I smirked, thinking back to the photo of Sienna, lips parted and eyes wide, when she’d first heard me sing. “Oh, she’s already in love with me. She just doesn’t know it yet.”