Page 77 of Keep Me
“No.”
“Well, then I guess you won’t be getting those papers.”
He was dangling the carrot right in front of me, knowing I didn’t have much of an option here.
What would be the worst thing if we didn’t have those papers? I was certain I’d gone through every little piece of information that night and hidden it away or deleted it, but the way my dad was looking at me made me think I was missing something vital. What if there was more to it and she found someone she wanted to get married to down the line? My brain went to Erik, and I couldn’t help but feel sick. What if she wanted to marry him and she couldn’t because she was legally married to me?
I slapped the bench. My pain radiating through my hand, but I barely felt it, too numb with the reality of my situation.
“I’m here for the week. You have my number, just let me know when you want to have dinner, and I’ll be ready and waiting with your papers.”
He got up and walked off. No hug. Nothing. But I wasn’t upset about it. We hadn’t been close in years. I’d never been good enough for him. He wanted a football player son, and even when I got to where he wanted me to be, it was never enough. Kicker was the worst position, therefore, I wasn’t a good enough person for him.
My entire body felt heavy. Almost like the weight of my problems were caving in on me. Britt and I were married, and as happy as that made me, it also made me sick because she wouldn’t want it. Not in a million years.
How the hell was I supposed to ask her to meet my father?My father. I could barely stand him, and the thought of having Britt around him made me want to vomit.
Shit. Britt and I had only just made up, and even that was on shaky ground.
I ran a hand through my hair and tried to breathe. Closing my eyes, I counted to ten, thinking of my mom and everything she would have wanted for me. Sometimes, if I thought hard enough, I could still hear her laugh, but I didn’t do it often. Every time I did, something about it would change, and it felt like she was getting further and further away from me.
I knew what I had to do, even if I didn’t want to. I would need to speak to my wife, but how the fuck was she going to take being called by that title?
Chapter 16
“Well, this is nice, isn’t it?” Aster said, looking around the table with a forced smile.
“Nice? Is that what you call having to bring someone as your date against your will?” Jackson grumbled before wiping some nonexistent crumbs from the tablecloth.
“I’m sitting right here, you know?” Thea narrowed her eyes and glared at him. “And believe me, I don’t want to be here either. I mean, gosh. Couldn’t you have combed your hair?”
“Seriously? You don’t want to be here with me? Because I vaguely remember you on your knees begging for me to take you to Reign and Devin’s wedding because you were desperate to meet your NFL husband.”
“Oh, please. You’re acting like that wasn’t a once in a lifetime opportunity. It was also very different because I actuallywantedto go there. I don’t want to be here.”
“Why not?” He gestured in the party’s direction. “There are plenty of athletes for you to pick from. In fact, please go out there and pick your future husband because I’d really like some peace and quiet.”
She rolled her eyes and shook her head, looking away.
“I hate you,” she muttered, side-eyeing him.
“You know what? There’s this guy on the basketball team. I think his name is Carl or something. He’d be perfect for you. He’s seven feet tall.”
“Why would that be perfect for me? I’m only five-foot-three.”
“Exactly. It will be hard for him to hear you from up there. Means he wouldn’t be put off by your incessant whining.”
“Please just stop for two seconds,” Tanner said from the other side of Thea.
Aster leaned in to me. “This was the worst idea Tanner has ever had,” she whispered, and I smiled with a nod. I had nothing else to add. Frankly, I stopped caring about Thea and Jackson thirty minutes and ten seconds ago when my eyes landed on Britt.
My wife.
She might not know yet, but she’d soon find out. Wearing a different purple dress than the one I saw in her closet, she was still the hottest girl here, and I still wanted to take that dress off her.
Standing next to the cameraman, she watched with a placid smile on her face as Sienna interviewed the hockey team. Erik was close to her, but they weren’t talking, and the mystery between those two was a good distraction from my other, more serious issues. There was no flirting between them. No side glances. No secret touches, which only confirmed that Britt might have exaggerated how serious they were.
She hadn’t noticed me from across the room, as she was too engrossed in her work. A complete perfectionist, Britt had a way of closing out all the noise and focusing on the task at hand with ease. She rarely got stressed and always performed. It was one of the many things I admired about her. She was dedicated, smart, and so damn hot.
