The Baller: A Down and Dirty Football Novel - Vi Keeland Page 0,85
face and wrapped up dinner as quickly as possible. When we stood to leave, I couldn’t hold the tears back any longer. They came so fast, they blurred my vision. When I wiped them away, the only thing that was clear was Brody staring at me from the other side of the restaurant.
***
I nosedived into the bed. Indie tried to get me to undress, but I was dead weight. She only succeeded in rolling me over and tugging my jacket off. She slipped off my shoes. “You okay?”
I nodded and pulled my knees up, wrapping my arms around them. At least the crying had stopped.
“I’m going to wash my face and brush my teeth. You need anything?”
I shook my head. Alcohol made me mute.
She was tying her hair into a knot on top of her head when there was a soft knock at the door. She went to the door, sighed loudly and walked back to me. “It’s Brody. I’ll get rid of him. Stay here.”
I nodded, doubting if I could get up even if I wanted to.
“Is she okay?” Brody’s voice was low.
“She’s fine. Just needs a good night’s sleep.”
“I want to see her.”
“I don’t think that’s a good idea.”
“You seem like a good friend. But just so you know ahead of time, I’m going to lift you up and deposit you outside this door if you don’t move out of my way.”
“Brody . . . ” Indie warned.
I stumbled from the bed. “Let him in. It’s fine. I’m drunken not so much.”
Indie shook her head. “Drunken not so much, huh?”
I waved her off with my hand. “He’s used to it. Dealing with plastered women. Right, Beaston?” (My attempt at Brody Easton obviously had failed.) Maybe that’s what I should have done. Smoked some heroin and then he’d fall deeply in love.”
Brody’s jaw flexed.
I turned to Indie, wrinkling my nose. “Do you even smoke heroin?”
Indie shrugged; she looked very uncomfortable standing between us. She turned to me, cupped my face in her hands and held my eyes. “Do you want me to stay?”
I covered her hands with mine. “I’m fine.”
She searched my face, then nodded. Walking straight up to the hulking, brooding man standing in the doorway, she jabbed her finger into his chest. “I’ll be back in fifteen minutes. If you hurt her any more . . . so help me God. I’ll blow the first guy from housekeeping with a set of passkeys, sneak into your room while you’re sleeping, and when you wake up, you’ll think Lorena Bobbitt had visited.”
She grabbed her running shoes from the closet and disappeared after one more menacing look.
Then it was just a slightly drunk me and Brody.
“Can we sit down?”
“Why? You’re not staying long.”
Brody clenched his teeth so hard, I thought he might crack a pearly white. “Because you’re swaying back and forth. Thought it might be better if you sat your ass down.”
I turned back to the room. Not because he wanted me to sit, but because the room began to spin. I sat on the edge of the bed. Brody stood in front of me.
I looked up. Even in my intoxicated state, I could see my future with just a glimpse into his green eyes. I was suddenly terrified. My eyes darted around the room. The dresser, the TV, the other bed . . . anywhere but at the man standing right in front of me.
He kneeled down. “Delilah?”
“You should leave. There’s nothing to talk about.”
“Bullshit.”
“Nothing happened.”
I stared at my hands for a moment. “It doesn’t matter.”
“Fuck if it doesn’t.”
I waited and then dragged my eyes up to his. “Do you love her?”
He closed his eyes and took a deep breath before reopening them. “Yeah. But not like you think. We have a lot of history. I just don’t want to see her hurting herself anymore.”
When I looked away again, he put two fingers under my chin and lifted so our eyes met. “I love you, Delilah.”
“You can’t love two women at the same time.”
“You can. You just don’t love them the same. If you fall in love with someone else, the other person you still love was never meant to be yours forever.”
His words eviscerated what was left of my fragile heart.
I couldn’t do that to Drew. I just couldn’t.
Brody covered my hands with his. “Do you love me?”
I didn’t answer.
“Delilah?”
I couldn’t love him. I still loved Drew.
I was terrified, as I looked into his eyes, that he could see through my lie. “No. I don’t.”