Twist of Fate (Taking Chances #2) - Tia Louise Page 0,49

I turn and pick up the laundry basket. “Good luck with football, and take it from me, if you ever get an offer to go pro? Say yes.”

Later that night, I’m sitting with my back against the wall in my bedroom. An empty bottle of J&B is beside me, and I can’t afford to buy more. I’m holding my phone, looking at a photo from years ago, right after that homecoming dance senior year.

I’ve got my arms around Daisy, and she’s cute as hell in that yellow dress with flowers in her hair. I kissed her for the first time that night. I can still remember it, soft and hot, hands clutching, tongues sliding together… I thought we’d spend senior year together, but she said no. We were just friends.

Friends who do this… I huff a laugh remembering my bravado back then.

It was all so easy with her. Longing pulls in my chest when I remember the week before I came here. I remember holding her in my arms, soft and light, leaning down to inhale the sweet scent of her hair, covering her soft lips with mine, sinking into the warm depths of her tight little body.

I can still taste the salt on my tongue from when I kissed her in the ocean. I can still see her parted lips, the sexy pink flush in her breasts as I made her come. It was fucking hot, and in a moment, I’d glimpsed what might have been if I’d stayed—if we’d made different plans.

But we didn’t.

She had her dreams, and I had mine. We knew it couldn’t last. Still, for a little while, it was pretty damn golden.

Opening my phone, I touch the familiar digits and wait as it rings. I hate doing this with every cell in my body, but I’ve put it off as long as I could.

“I guess I should’ve expected this.” The stern male voice is not happy to hear from me.

“Hey, Dad. How’s it going?”

“What do you want, Scout? Money?”

Shame burns in my chest, but I force a light laugh. “Can I at least ask how everyone’s doing first?”

“I don’t know what you mean by everyone. Your brother’s the same. His boy’s getting bigger.”

“His boy Jesse? Your grandson?”

“I prefer being called Pop.”

“Oh, sure.” God, this man. I clench my teeth and do not make a crack about getting older. “Anything else new in town?”

“No. Even three thousand miles away, you still manage to dominate the conversation in Fireside.”

“Is that so?” My voice is casual, but I close my eyes and say a silent prayer it’s not what I think. “Why’s everybody talking about me?”

“Do you really need me to tell you?” He exhales heavily. “I expected you to go to Hollywood and bomb out. I never expected you to sell out. Gay porn? Could you humiliate your family any worse?”

“About that, Dad. It wasn’t my fault. You see—”

“Save it. As hard as I’ve tried, I can’t find a single reason I’d take off my clothes and pose naked with a football if not for a pornographic magazine. Was the gay part a little extra fuck you to the old man?”

“No, Dad.” It’s hard to explain the headshot situation to people who don’t understand. Hell, even people who do understand want to know why I was naked.

It’s best just to let it go. “I got off to a pretty good start, but lately it’s been hard finding a job… with those pictures floating around.”

“If you’re calling to ask me for money, you can save your breath.”

“Actually, I was thinking… But I guess I shouldn’t come back home for a little while.”

“I wouldn’t.”

Now I’m wondering why I even called, other than being in Fireside seemed cheaper than trying to wait out the scandal here. “Well, thanks anyway. Tell J.R. I said hey.”

“I’m not telling anyone I spoke to you.”

The line goes dead, and my phone returns to the picture of Daisy and me.

Her sunny smile hits me right in the stomach. A dry ache is at the base of my throat. She believed in me so much. She’s the only person who believed in me.

I can’t bear to think I might have let her down.

Staring at the empty bottle, I wish I had a drink. I want to get good and drunk again like I’ve done for the past three nights. Then I think about my roommate’s advice, adjusting my energy.

Looking at the ceiling, I think as positively as possible, if I could just get one small