Page 49 of Changed By You
“I don’t speak for her. I only speak for myself. This has been a great experience and I’m grateful for the opportunity. The league trusted me to represent the sport of hockey, and that’s an honor. I know my teammates will support my decision. And I guarantee I’ll be watching the show to see how things play out.”
I indicated with my voice that I was closing out. I wait a couple of seconds and then reach for the microphone clipped inside the collar of my shirt.
“No.” Alex rubs his temple, aggravated. “I need more, Dalton. Viewers are going to speculate about every female contestant now, and none of them will be able to focus on anything but which one of them you’re leaving the show over. Does she share your feelings? Did she dump you?”
“That’s between me and her.”
He turns and beats his clipboard on the ground several times, a little spring flying out of it.
“This is a reality show!” He stands back up and whirls to face me. “Don’t make me go after you for breach of contract!”
I shrug. “Do what you gotta do, man. I’m not speaking for anyone but me and you’re not changing my mind.”
I pass the microphone to him, but he won’t take it. After a couple of seconds, I set it on the ground and walk away.
Alice hadn’t even been gone for an hour when I started regretting not going with her. I meant it in the letter when I said I wanted to be where she is. Not just in bed. Everywhere.
I should be holding her hand on that plane. Carrying her bag to the car. Standing beside her at the hospital. I didn’t think it was possible to fall so hard for someone, but I did. I can’t go back to the way I was when I got to the beach house.
I was aloof. Focused entirely on myself. Now there’s Alice, and I don’t care how anyone but her feels about my leaving the show.
For a few minutes, I thought about asking her if I could come to Detroit. But I need to be there for her, even if I’m sitting in a car in the hospital parking lot because she doesn’t want me to meet her family yet.
I go to my room and pack, not worrying about folding my clothes as I stuff them into the two suitcases I brought here. It’s a relief to be leaving. I was scheduled to go on a one-on-one date tonight with Hailey and I was dreading it.
Now that Alice is gone, there’s no reason for me to be here. I make a final sweep of my bathroom to make sure I got everything and then check my phone. I have a text from my agent.
Tony: There’s a James Morrow at Detroit Memorial. Flight is booked, itinerary in your email. Let me know if you need anything else.
I text him my thanks. I told him Alice’s last name and asked him to see if he could find a patient with her last name at a hospital in Detroit. His assistant is a wizard and I know she’s the one who actually did it. She also booked me a flight and arranged for a car to pick me up at the house and take me to the airport and another one to pick me up in Detroit.
Tony’s the best. He didn’t ask me why I was leaving the show when I texted him about it earlier. He just said he’ll read the contract over immediately and handle all communications with the producers and network execs. Now I can focus all my attention on Alice.
“You’re leaving?”
I look up and find Farrah glaring at me from the doorway of my bedroom. I cringe inwardly, not in the mood for her bullshit.
“Yeah.” I stand up and loop the handle of one bag over my shoulder.
“Why?”
“I don’t owe you an explanation, Farrah.”
She closes the door and advances on me, her eyes narrowed with fury.
“Go fuck yourself, Dalton. You played me. And I don’t understand why. Why not just be honest about who you were really into? I know we have to play along with the drama for the producers, but you could have told me privately that you had no interest in me.”
I shrug. “I didn’t owe you that. Did you ever tell me who you were and weren’t interested in?”
“Is Misty fucking you and Dom separately, or are you guys doing threesomes?”
I gape at her, stunned by the leap she’s making. The corners of her lips curl up in a knowing smile.
“There’s my answer. You don’t want the world to find out you’re bi; that’s why you’re leaving.”
I laugh. “You’re so far off the mark. I don’t give a shit if you make stuff up about me, but Misty doesn’t deserve it. Dom doesn’t, either, but I’m sure he couldn’t give a fuck what a narcissistic actor says about him.”
She balks, her eyes widening. “Did you just call me a narcissist?”
