Chapter 14
CHARLOTTE
My body shivers at the way he looks at me.
I wish to hell he didn’t look as good as he does, especially the way his blue eyes are enticing me to come closer.
He is so damn beautiful, and it only makes me hate him more.
I’ve trained my heart not to react. Yet it feels awfully like a tight corset, and I’m struggling to breathe.
I hold out my hand. “Welcome to the Shark Tank. Try not to get eaten alive.”
My smooth, cold words fall short because he grins, and I want to smack it off his face. The warmth from his hand spreads through my body, the fire inside me lost, and yet it sparks something new, igniting the kindling.
He squeezes my hand again so I can’t pull away. “It’s good to see you. Not much has changed.”
I rip my hand from his as though it’s a hot coal. “A fucking lot, actually. For the better.”
“Lottie.” I ignore Franklin’s warning.
“Best to get it out in the open.” Jobe raises a hand. “It’s only us here.”
“Byron’s not here,” I snap and step away from Brandon, needing space to collect myself. I look up at the names on the players’ cubicles. “The fuck?” Now I can’t breathe. “Twenty-two! Really?” I spin on the spot. “You’re all completely incompetent at doing anything without my help.”
“What happened?” I hear Jobe ask before I storm out of the door.
“I knew she wouldn’t be happy,” Brandon murmurs.
I turn back and jab a finger toward Brandon. “Stay the fuck away from me.” I get as close to running in these damn heels as I can manage without twisting an ankle.
“Lottie, wait,” Brandon shouts.
“No. You don’t get to call me that,” I explode over my shoulder.
A single sob escapes. And another. The click of my heels on the concrete mimics my racing heart. I refuse to walk past the other offices red-faced, so I dive into the storeroom. It’s dark and quiet, which is exactly where I need to be.
I crouch into a squat and tighten my grip on a shelf as I sob through labored breaths.
When that’s not enough, I cross an arm over my knees and rest my head on my forearm.
The tidal wave of pain and every emotion I locked away releases and rolls over me.
The lump in my throat burns with a thousand razor blades, even with the release of tears.
I’m still here, right where he left me, doing the same things before he left.
I’m pretending to move on, confident with my career choice, but I’m stuck in reverse, holding onto the past. No lessons learned.
From the moment I saw him, my heart screamed, wanting what was lost. I am that same girl, no matter what anyone else sees.
I sob again. I fucking tried hard to be better.
The door opens, and I hide my eyes with the invasion of light. Through tears, I catch a silhouette, knowing exactly who it is before I smell him.
No, no, no.
His woody aroma wafts around me like an ambush, and I can’t escape. Once upon a time, it calmed me. Now it’s suffocating because I feel trapped, embarrassed he has to see me like this when my shields are down. I’m not the powerful ex-girlfriend I pretend to be.
When the door closes, darkness encapsulates us in the tight space.
“Please go,” I choke out, sensing him close.
My heart races inside my chest.
Thump. Thump. Thump.
I gasp with a muffled sob, unable to take the needed breath. There isn’t enough air in here with everything and him taking up space.
I shrug his hand off my shoulder. “Don’t fucking touch me.”
Ignoring me, his warm air caresses my face as he crouches beside me, but I’m too weak to say anything. Instead, I close my eyes, wishing the curiosity of his jersey number didn’t draw me down to the locker room. I wish I’d listened to my brain and remained hidden in my office.
Forever.
Then, as if my wants don’t matter, two strong arms wrap around me. I want to let go of my knees and push him away. Only I don’t have the strength. Brandon tightens his hold, resting his head on my back.
Suddenly, the past collides with the present—everything I was trying to prevent. It feels right, the way we should have always been. We stay like this, our breaths the only sound in the dark room.
He releases a heavy exhale, his breath a whisper against my neck, and something stirs inside me. My shields rebuild, and my thoughts align. I shrug him off with a sense of anger rising. “What are you doing?”
“Holding you.”
“You lost that liberty years ago.”
“I’m back, and I’m not going anywhere.” His smooth voice wraps around me, and as much as I want it to be true that he is here for me, I can’t let it happen again. My heart can’t take it.
Another heartbreak will ruin me.
He is returning to Australia at the end of the season.
Determined to put space between us, I push up to my feet.
“This is not happening.” I try to slide past him, feeling the wooden shelves for the way.
“Excuse me. I have work to do.” With that, I open the door and don’t bother to look behind me or wait for a response.
The last thing I want is for him to see my makeup-smeared eyes or the black streaks that trail down my cheeks, exposing how messed up I am over him.
I need to be Charlotte Hendricks, CEO of the LA Sharks, not a lovesick girl crying over her first heartbreak.
I’m not her anymore.
Never have I wanted a meeting to end more than I do today.
Walter’s strategy speeches are the worst, and today’s presentation is the most boring speech I have ever listened to.
It’s because I’m distracted. Byron has not faced Brandon yet, so it’s not the ideal situation for it to happen at their first training session.
I have spoken to my brother, but he remains tight-lipped about his feelings on the trade and Brandon’s return.
“I’m not the team, Lottie,” he said to me.
“Decisions are made for the team as a whole, and our feelings are irrelevant.”
His words fall short as I know exactly how he’s feeling, and all the fake positivity that keeps his mind in the game doesn’t work with me. Holding my phone under the table, I send him a text.
Have you arrived for training?
No. I’m on my way now. The nanny was running late, and Leo was unsettled.
Okay. I’m hanging around after this meeting. I’m here if you need me.
A yawn escapes, and not because of Walter. I’ve barely slept the past few weeks, and I’m exhausted. I guess Walter is partly to blame since he pushed for the trade, and Brandon is the main reason I don’t sleep.
“Are we keeping you up, Charlotte?” he asks like the douchebag he is.
“It’s not you, Walter. I’m working around the clock with matters that don’t concern you so you can get your eight hours of sleep.”
He glares at me.
Before he begins, I add, “Please wind this up as I have other meetings to attend.”
I catch Jobe withholding a smirk. “I’m afraid Lottie is right. I need to get across town for another meeting.”
“Okay, let’s finish up, Walter. All your brilliant ideas can wait until next week.” Franklin closes his laptop. “I’ll see you all at the game.”
“Thank you,” I murmur to Jobe as I head out of the meeting room, but before I make it to my office, I see the LA Sharks announcer standing by my door.
“Are you waiting for me, Brian?”
He tips his balding head. “Yes, Ms. Hendricks. Whether it is business or not, it’s always a delight to see you.”
I shake his hand and offer, “Likewise,” as I unlock my door.
“Come on in.” I direct him to the couches in the corner of the room as we don’t need to sit behind a formal desk.
Brian and I generally chat about the team, and he talks about his current stats before the team takes to the court the following day.
Sometimes, it’s about our rookies. Other times, it’s my brother or any injuries he should know about.
Today, however, I already know who he wants to talk about.
“Can I get you a drink? A coffee?”
“I’m good, thank you. Don’t let me stop you.”
The pressures of this business have called for a harder drink before the day is done, but since Brandon has returned, I need to keep my wits and not be caught off guard.
“It’s water for me. Would you like one?”
“Yes, please, Charlotte. My vocal cords are not what they used to be, and I need to wet them constantly. A dysfunction of sorts where the chords vibrate like an asthmatic.”
“I’ve noticed a hoarseness in your voice and hoped it wasn’t anything serious.” I have listened to Brian call games for years, and the hoarse tone has been notable over the past few months. Some whispers mentioned cancer, so I’m relieved to hear it’s nothing sinister. “What is the treatment?”
“Specialized breathing like an opera singer.” He grins at me. “The world is not ready to hear my high notes.”
I laugh. “No. We both know you’re not here to discuss your singing ability.”
“How are you?”
I sit and place the crystal glasses filled with water on the table between us.
A tight circle inside the LA Sharks knows what went down between Brandon and me.
“I’m doing what it takes to help this team be the best we can be.
And hopefully, that leads to a championship.
” I nod toward the glass wall that divides my office from the court below and point to a particular spot.
“Displaying the championship cup here for the players to look up and see would define our greatness, give the rookies something to aspire to.”
“And now BJ has returned…”
“He’ll help us achieve the dream,” I state matter-of-fact, as though I was on board for the trade, knowing he will bring us success. I pull the lapels of my suit jacket closer together, shutting down the part of me that feels exposed when people outside my family mention Brandon.
He pulls out his famous notebook. “While I announce for your team, I have followed Brandon Johns as I still considered him one of our own. His stats are great, and whatever caused the Stingers to give him up is a mystery because they needed him to make any part of the playoffs.”
“It’s a mystery to both of us, Brian.” I stand, go to the window, and look down at the guys on the court preparing for a training run.
Brandon is there early, just as he used to be, mingling with some of the team.
River strolls out of the tunnel and says something to Brandon.
Brian is rattling off numbers and stats of Brandon’s past games, but I don’t hear any of it.
Not only do I already know his stats, as I, too, have followed his progress with every game and understand his brilliance, but I’m also intent on watching what goes down between River and Brandon.
“He is an enigma,” Brian says behind me. “But the MVP remains safe with your brother. This guy will steal some of his limelight and elevate the team to the level we need.”
I turn back to Brian. “You compare him to Byron?”
“I do. They complement each other.”
I nod, turning back to the glass. All the air leaves my lungs when Byron walks out of the tunnel and rejects Brandon’s handshake.
He says something to him, and they both disappear back into the tunnel.
“Complement? I hope they don’t compete against each other on the court.
It’s what happened the last time, and they both suffered greatly.
” So did I. “I trust you have everything you need in preparation for the game. Is there anything else you need from me?” Because I want to get down to the locker room and extinguish the fire before it burns our team to the ground.