she’s crazy about me.” He grinned, like he was the luckiest guy in the world. “She’d be livid if she knew I told you this story, but fuck it, I’m gonna say it anyway. So, I was out with my brother’s wife because we were planning his surprise party. She was at the same restaurant and spotted us together. Caused a huge scene, slapped me a couple times, stormed out…and then my sister-in-law explained the whole thing.”
“Geez, that doesn’t soud like her at all.”
He rubbed his cheek like he still remembered how the slap felt. “Yeah, but it was kind of hot. She kept saying she wanted to take it slow, even though I was totally hung up on her, and then she did that…so she showed her true colors.”
“Then meeting your parents must have been awkward.”
He chuckled. “Yeah, she was pretty nervous. But my family is cool. They thought it was funny.”
“I’m learning about a whole new side of my sister through you.”
“Yeah, she’s a little crazy, but I like her that way.”
I’d tease her about this later.
“So…” He nodded up ahead. “What’s the story with you two?”
“Who are you talking about?”
“The woman whose ass you keep staring at.”
Was I making it that obvious?
He grinned. “Come on, I’m a doctor. I’m kinda smart.”
“There’s nothing there.”
“Really? Because you talk about her a lot, and you have a lot of chemistry on the court.”
We had a lot of chemistry in every way imaginable.
“You’re a good-looking, down-to-earth guy. Why wouldn’t she want you? Go for it.”
I stopped pretending I didn’t feel that way. “We used to be together, but I fucked it up.”
“Oh…sorry, man. I didn’t know.”
“It’s okay. I said we could just be friends.”
“You mind if I ask what happened?”
It was crazy that the two of us hit it off so quickly. I got along with pretty much anyone, but William felt like an old friend who’d just come back to town. “The short version—”
“No, no, no.” He waved his finger. “I want the longer version.”
“Alright. Well, we kinda had a fling for a while, but I wanted more. She wasn’t ready because she was still pretty hurt from her divorce, so she wanted to keep it casual. I was still fucked up from my divorce, but that didn’t stop me from wanting more of her. I kept pushing, but I was also lying to her every single day.”
“About?”
“I didn’t tell her who I really was, that I’m a billionaire and CEO of my family’s company. I even had a fake apartment so she would think I was just like everyone else. When the newspaper wanted to do a story on me, I specifically asked for someone else on the staff, but they sent Carson instead. Before I got the chance to come clean, she found out…in the worst way imaginable.”
“Yikes…that’s quite a story. But I never would have suspected something bad happened between you two since you get along so well.”
“We talked it out and moved on.”
“If you’re still into her, why don’t you try to make it work?”
I shook my head. “She said it’s not going to happen. Her husband cheated on her, and she can’t tolerate a man lying to her… I get it.”
He nodded and released a sigh. “Not really the same thing, but I understand. Relationships meant to last should be built on trust and honesty. I’ve been really transparent with Renee because I never want to lose her. So, I’ve told her everything about me, even stuff I’m not proud of.”
“Like?”
“Well…”
“You don’t have to tell me, man. I shouldn’t have asked.”
“No, I’ve got nothing to hide. My buddies and I went to Vegas for a bachelor party, and I slept with a hooker. Not my finest hour. But we were all going crazy and threw caution to the wind.”
It was a little embarrassing but not totally egregious. “Were you seeing someone at the time?”
“No. But you know, it’s still kinda gross. Women are really turned off by that.”
“How did Renee feel about it?”
“She was disappointed, but like I said, she’s obsessed with me, so she brushed it off pretty quickly. And I outright told her about it and put it on the table, so I think she appreciated my honesty.”
“Yeah.” Why hadn’t I done that?
“So, you’re just friends? Like forever?”
“That’s the plan.”
“What a shame. Because you wear your heart on your sleeve, man.”
I sighed and kept my eyes forward, watching her hair move in the wind. “Yeah. Haven’t felt this way about anyone except my