Because the second you find out, you won’t be Team Let My World Burn Down.
“I’m not.” Peering around the kitchen, I’m surprised to find it still messy from last night’s escapades. “Have you seen Ashley?”
“She quit. Why are you lying about lying?”
“She quit?” I rub a frustrated hand down my face and groan. “That’s the seventh one this year. My agent is going to kill me.”
“Lucy will be fine. Stop ignoring me.”
Pulling out my phone, I send a text to Lucy updating her about Ashley and asking for another replacement. God, I already feel shitty enough. This…this is not helping.
“Grayson.”
“Kieran,” I parrot.
Shoving off the couch, he moves to stand on the other side of the kitchen island, watching me as I furiously clean dishes. I don’t mind cleaning. In fact, I find it therapeutic; the only reason myassistants are required to do it is because I’m usually too busy. By the time I come home after a game or a day of practice and workouts, I’m so exhausted I can’t move.
“Maybe I’m not paying the assistants enough,” I mumble.
“Their salary is enough to feed a family of fourteen. You pay themtoomuch.” Now suddenly in front of me, he slaps his hand over mine, stopping me from rinsing a cup. “What did Coach say?”
“Nothing, Kieran. Drop it.”
“No, what did he say?”
“Drop it,” I growl.
He slaps the cup out of my hand. “No. Tell me what he said!”
“I’m not captain anymore!” I snap, shaking off his touch. “Are you happy now? Does that fulfill your desire to know everything?”
My chest is heaving by the time I’m done spewing the words, and instantly, remorse slams into my chest. That was a dick thing to say. Iknowthe reason why he always needs to know what’s happening around him.
Kieran tenses, his body coiled tight.
“I’m sorry, I shouldn’t have said?—”
He holds up his hand. “I pushed you. It’s fine, you hit back verbally.” He drops down onto the kitchen stool. “He really took your captaincy away? No one deserves that title more than you. You gave your everything to earn that title.”
“And then I stopped caring.” Swallowing thickly, the words feel like razor blades as I admit, “He was right to take it away.”
Kieran’s face suddenly grows serious, and out of everything I’ve experienced today, that is the most frightening sight.
“What did you tell him?” he asks.
Shrugging, I continue cleaning. “I didn’t beg him to keep me on as captain if that’s what you’re asking.”
“Why not? You love being team captain.”
“Loved,” I correct, putting away the clean dishes from the dishwasher.
He shakes his head adamantly. “That doesn’t just go away, Grayson.”
“Yes, it does.”
My phone vibrates in my pocket.
AGENT LUCY
