He’s never going to let me go.
Oh, he’s going to let her go alright or he’ll deal with me. I may not have connections with the NFL, but I guarantee I know people who do. He wants to fuck with her, I’ll fuck him over a thousand times worse.
Her room is almost dark. She only has one small bedside table lamp on, but it doesn’t bother her. She goes straight to her bed and crawls in, pulling me with her. I kick my shoes off and settle under the covers with her, content to hold her for the moment until she calms down.
“Lucy called me earlier, when we were getting ready to leave the restaurant.”
“It’s a bar,” I say mildly.
“It has food,” she counters, starting to sound a little more like herself.
“Bars have food.”
She shakes her head, her hair tickling my chin. “They don’t serve actual food, just bar food. The place I work serves actual food.”
“Uh huh.” It’s not a bar. It’s more like Chili’s or Applebee’s, but if I can distract her from this fear that’s taken hold of her, I’ll call it a bar all day.
“She said Joe called asking who you were.”
“Fucker.”
“She thought he was calling because he wanted to tell me about the draft and that he thinks I’m still his girlfriend.”
“Where did he get that idea from?”
“That day before he left, he told me that I was his, that I’d always be his. He believes it.”
“He’s delulu.”
She nods.
“Lucy also pointed something out.”
“What?”
“That he knows a lot of players from a lot of teams. If someone sees me, they might tell him where I am. I live in the sports house. There are football players in and out all day every day. What if one of them tells him I’m here?”
Fuck me sideways. I never thought of that.
“Christa said Mitch has already warned all the players they’re not to talk to him about me, but he’s Joseph Ayers. Soon to be a pro ball player. If ratting me out can get them in his good graces…it might be more temptation than even Mitch can stomp out.”
Fuck, fuck, fuck.
“I think I need to move.”
“No.” The word is out of my mouth before she stops talking. She can’t leave. The people here will keep her safe when I’m not here. I trust these guys.
“I don’t know…”
“I trust the people here. They’re my friends and they won’t let asswipe step one foot in this house. I trust Dylan and Mitch to keep you safe, Daisy. If you’re out there somewhere on your own, then you won’t have the same backup as you do in this house.”
“It might put them in danger. If someone got hurt because of me…”
“Hush.” I lean down and kiss her forehead. “These people are your friends, Daisy. Let them help you. No one will blame you if they get hurt. They’ll blame asswipe.”
“Why do you call him that?”
“Because it’s what he is.” I stroke her hair, feeling her body relax. The shaking isn’t as bad as it was. “When I get back from signing contracts with Cherese, I’ll sit down with Mitch and talk to him about all this. You do have a point. A lot of people would do anything to be on the good side of a future NFL player. I’ll point that out to Mitch so he can watch for it.”
