“Pot calling kettle. You could have woken everyone up instead of just Henry, and then no one would have had to wait,” Bailey retorts.
“That’s literally not the same thing at all, so you can’t call me a pot calling kettle.”
Henry laughs quietly under his breath. “Mirabelle was out here by herself. I woke up early, so I joined without asking. She was staring off into space, and I scared the shit out of her.”
“You don’t have to ask if you can join. That’s what Mom says, at least. The ocean belongs to no one.” Bailey runs his hands through his hair, and I laugh at his choice of words.
“If you’re talking about what Mom says, then you might want to say it the right way,” I say, causing JJ to laugh.
“B, are you too cool to say the ocean belongs to mermaids?”
For as long as I can remember, Mom has always insisted mermaids exist. Once I was old enough to question it, I asked my dad about it, and he explained Mom always wanted to be a mermaid. He’s not sure if she actually believes in them, but he asked us to go along with it because it makes her happy.
Sometimes I forget my parents have known each other their whole lives.
Kinda like me and Henry. Coincidence?
Bailey rolls his eyes. “Mermaids don’t exist.”
Excuse me?That’s sacrilegious in our family. What the hell is he upset about this early in the morning he’d be throwing those words around? JJ speaks before me, and it’s probably a good thing. I’ll end up saying something that will probably end in another argument.
“Just don’t say that in front of Mom. You’ll hurt her feelings,” JJ warns.
I shoot JJ a questioning look, and he shakes his head subtly.
Tell you later, JJ mouths to me.
I hate being out of the loop with them. I know I’m older, and not always around, but still.
I push the thought out of my head, slipping off the side of my board and into the water, dunking my head under to wet my hair. Henry’s right, it is warmer under the water than above it, but the chill in the air feels good as I resurface, grabbing for my board. In the background, I spot Hunter and Kaitlyn walking across the beach, carrying their boards under their arms.
A part of me is sad we’ll all only be here another week. I love this place, but I’m ready for this opportunity. I just hope it’s ready for me.
CHAPTER THREE
Henry
“I DON’T NEED a babysitter,” I insist, crossing my arms over my chest as I lean back in my chair. I’m facing Owen, the head coach for the Panthers, along with some of the press team, my agent, the team manager, and a couple other bigwigs telling me another way I’m failing to live up to the great Sebastian Walker.
I promise, I’m not bitter about it. He’s family to me, and I love him. I’m stressed because I’ve worked my ass off for this, and I’m afraid it won’t be enough to please everyone. It’s a lot of pressure.
“It’s not a babysitter. It’s just a PR specialist and an intern shadowing you around during practices, games, and team events to help the public get to know you better.”Awesome, so it’s not just one babysitter, but two.
“Why is this necessary? Walker rarely did press,” I counter. I must be crazy because Owen’s face softens for a brief moment at the mention of his brother-in-law.
I can’t believe that he’s in on this, and didn’t give me a heads up. I know he has to keep the boundary clear since my father is one of his best friends from college, but as my coach, Owen could have given me a hint this was coming.
“Look, you’re talented, but you’re still unknown. Walker had a great career, but he still had to earn the public’s respect. It’s not just given, and Sebastian certainly didn’t have privacy from the press, especially at the beginning of his career. During training camp, you refused interviews, and videos of you brushing off fans while they tried to get your attention are circulating on social media,” Owen says, pulling no punches with his words.
“I paid all the fines for refusing interviews,” I protest, but I don’t really have an explanation for my interactions with the fans, or rather, the lack of them. In previous seasons, I tried so damn hard, but all anyone cared about was my personal life. I’m an introvert despite what everyone else might believe, and I like my privacy. The idea of everyone knowing everything about me makes my skin crawl.
It’s the reason Andrew is the face of our nonprofit together, instead of both of us. He doesn’t mind the attention, while I run in the opposite direction.
My agent, Calvin, gives me a glance to tell me to keep my shit together. “What happens if Henry doesn’t comply with this request? Is there any room for negotiation on when and where they can follow him around?”
The team’s general manager, Greg Ottaway, rests his hands on the table. “Honestly, if you deny thisrequest, we’ll either release your contract or trade you. Price, I’ve been looking forward to seeing you lead this team, but we need the public to support you, and they won’t do that if you don’t give them someone to root for. Sebastian retiring has everyone nervous for what this season will look like, and this request is a courtesy because we want to keep you here.”
An acidic taste forms in my mouth that I swallow, but the reality is sinking in. I don’t have a choice unless I want to leave, and that’s the last thing I want.
