Chapter 25
CHAPTER
TWENTY-FIVE
brUCE
Exhausted but happy, I shower and get settled into bed for my Facetime with Farrah. I’m wearing grey sweats and a white tee but decide at the last second to remove the shirt. My skin is clean and moisturized and camera ready. I hope Farrah enjoys the view. I grab a fluffy hotel pillow and use it to prop up my phone, then lie on my side with one arm under my head.
I pull up her contact and tap on Facetime. She answers quickly, her gorgeous face filling the screen. She has a smile stretched across a face that’s clean of makeup. Her skin is pink like she just washed her face, and she has a happy glow about her tonight that makes me smile.
“Hey, you look happy. Did you watch the game?”
She nods, pulling a fluffy blanket up around her chin. “I did. You killed it.”
“Did you see me wink at you?”
Her pouty lips tug into a smirk. “That was for me?”
“Of course it was.”
I watch as her eyes dip down my chest and torso. “You’re very shirtless tonight.”
“We could both be shirtless, if you want.”
Her head falls back as she bursts into laughter. “You’re relentless,” she says through her laughter.
I love her like this. Ready for bed, curled up under the covers, relaxed, happy…I wish I was there just curled up next to her, with us talking to each other in hushed whispers and then falling asleep in each other’s arms.
And if she was shirtless for all that, even better.
I chuckle. “It was worth a shot.”
She shakes her head in reprimand. “Don’t you feel great after that game?”
I blow out a breath. “Yes, it felt so good to win. Gave us some confidence. And your brother high-fived me! So maybe things are looking up.”
As long as Farrah and I keep our romance on the down low, it should stay that way.
Farrah smiles a sad smile. “Sorry he’s been such a weirdo. The girls and I talked about it earlier.”
“Really?” I’m curious now, wondering exactly what was said and wishing I would’ve been there, gossiping with all the wives.
Farrah nods. “Yeah…they think you look at me like you have feelings for me.”
I lean in so my face is closer to the screen. “I do have feelings for you.”
She blushes adorably like this is news to her. Even though I’ve had my tongue in her mouth several times.
I’m smoldering at the phone screen, giving Farrah my sexiest look, when the door of my hotel room bursts open and Colby and Remy walk inside—damn it, Colby must’ve charmed the front desk into giving him a key again.
Colby’s eyebrows raise as he takes in my shirtless, lounging form and the phone in front of me. “Dude. I’m so sorry. I didn’t know you were having…private time.”
“No, no, no! I’m not!” I jump up, flicking the phone so it’s face down on the mattress.
“Bruce? Are you still there?” Farrah’s feminine voice filters through the phone, but it’s muffled by the sheets.
Remy’s eyebrows shoot up. “Are you talking to a woman?”
My eyes open wide, and I pull up the screen, wave goodbye to Farrah, and end the call as quickly as possible.
Colby’s jaw drops and he places a case of my favorite sparkling water on the hotel desk. None of us are drinking alcohol now that we’re moving onto round two of the playoffs.
“Well, well, well,” he says with a knowing smirk.
Remy even smiles a little…he looks oddly relieved that I was talking to a woman. I’m guessing he thinks that means I’ve moved on and stopped thinking about his sister. Little does he know…
“Sorry we interrupted your date,” Remy says. “But we wanted to celebrate tonight’s win, which was mostly thanks to you.”
I drag a hand through my wet hair. “Oh, yeah. It wasn’t a date, though. I was just talking to my sister.” Sister? Why did I say sister? That’s going to remind Remy he has a sister.
Remy huffs a laugh. “You talk to your sister shirtless?”
“And give her sexy eyes?” Colby adds.
I jump off the bed and rest my hands on my hips. “I was not giving her sexy eyes.”
“Brucey,” Colby says. “You’re full of it, and we know it. Now shut up and have some of this awful sparking water with us.”
I roll my eyes. “It’s not awful. It’s pineapple flavored and it’s delicious.”
Colby shrugs. “If you say so. To me it tastes like a pineapple mixed with water, mixed with water again, mixed with piss, mixed with bubbles.”
Remy wrinkles his nose. “That’s disgusting, Knight.”
Colby removes three cans from the box, throws one to me, hands another to Remy, and keeps one for himself. The three of us open our cans, tap them together, then chug as if it’s beer or something stronger.
Colby swallows then pounds on his chest and coughs a few times. “Damn that’s gross.”
Remy shakes his head and smiles. “You’re the most dramatic man I know.”
Colby brings his hand to his chest. “Aww, Cap’n. Thank you so much.” Colby glances at his Apple watch. “All right, I’m going to bed now. Night Bruce.”
“Nighty night, Knight.”
Colby snorts a laugh, then turns and leaves the hotel, taking his can of sparkling water with him. I’m sure he’ll dump it out the moment he gets back to his own hotel room.
Remy lingers, looking down at his feet. That’s what he does when he feels overwhelmed or uncomfortable. “Hey, I wanted to apologize. I’ve been so worried about Farrah.” He clears his throat and finally looks up at me. “I’d never seen her as forlorn as she was after her divorce. That first few months I wondered if she’d ever be the same, you know?” He lifts a shoulder. “I took my worries out on you the past few weeks. But I should’ve trusted you. I know how loyal you are and that you’d never do anything to compromise our friendship.” He blows out a long breath. “Anyway, sorry for being a jerk.”
I blink. A twisting, churning sensation claws its way down my spine and into my belly. I feel like a villain, an enemy. Someone who isn’t trustworthy at all. Remy is staring at me, waiting for me to say something.
I swallow, and it’s difficult, like there’s something lodged in my throat. “It’s okay, man. We’re good.”
His shoulders sag in relief. “Okay, good. I know you had a thing for Farrah, but I’m glad you’re moving on. I’ll let you get back to that date.” He chuckles and tilts his head toward the phone lying on my bed.
I force a laugh that feels like sandpaper. “Yeah, man. See you in the morning.”
He smiles his Remy smile. The one that’s always put me at ease and made me feel like part of the brotherhood we’ve created. Only this time it makes me feel sick to my stomach.