I hoped the button on my jeans wouldn’t pop off after I scarfed down a large container of nachos. Plastering a fake smile across my lips, I climbed the steps toward our seats. Keep the conversation light between you, Deacon, and his date.
My jaw slacked, and I froze in my tracks when I reached the fourth row. My eyes fell on the woman standing next to Deacon.
“Lakelyn, how are you?” she yelled, waving. Her smile was as bright as the sun.
“Excuse me,” I said to the fans sitting in our row, as I stepped past them, moving closer to her.
Since mom and dad didn’t join us today, we had extra seats, which worked out. It allowed me to get away from my brother’s date.
Deacon smiled from ear-to-ear.
She wrapped her arms around my neck. “I promise he only knows you had dinner with Wyatt at the Four Seasons,” she whispered in my ear.
I felt my skin crawling in her embrace.
This bitch betrayed me.
I pried her arms from my neck. My eyes narrowed. “Thanks for the heads up, Bella. I had no idea you were fucking my brother.”
Her mouth gaped.
I folded my arms across my chest, staring between the two of them.
Surrounding fans gawked and whispered.
“Tell me. How long have you two been an item?”
Her fist rocked her hip. “On and off for six months. Lakelyn, I didn’t give Deacon any specifics.”
“How did you know we were related?”
“One evening he said he was on his way to his sister, Lakelyn’s. I told him I had a classmate named Lakelyn. That’s how it all began.”
I stared my brother up and down, then returned my gaze to her. “Did he ask you if I was there with someone?”
“Yes, I did,” Deacon bit out, answering for her.
“Bella said you had dinner with Oak. Was she holding out information?”
She didn’t tell Deacon about the bar incident or that I left with Wyatt.
Why didn’t she?
“As much as I like your brother, the only information he received from me was that the two of you had dinner. I don’t know what happened after that. I was working.”
I knew for a fact she saw us leave. My eyes met hers the second Oak turned me around before the elevator doors closed.
“What the fuck is this some sort of girl code?” Deacon’s eyes fell over both of us.
I waved him off as I stepped in front of the seat on the other side of him.
This situation amused my brother. I couldn’t believe he lied to my face. Guess it was fitting. I’d done the same for years.
I glared at Bella from the corner of my eye.
“How often do you have dinner with my best friend?” A wave of heat struck my body as I turned my attention to the field.
Wyatt stretched one hand in the air as he ran down the side of the field, catching the ball. He tucked it under his arm and zig-zagged, dodging two other players trying to tackle him. A third player caught Oak at the fifty-yard line, bringing him to the turf.
“Way to go, Oak,” I yelled, through cupped hands.
I ignored my brother.
He’d been baiting me since L.A. How long had he known I was seeing Oak?
“If memory serves me correctly, I told you not to talk to him because it would destroy our friendship. Guess my little sis didn’t give a fuck if I lost my best friend or not.”
“Deacon, it’s not all about you.”
“Tell me, since Messy Mandy exposed Oak about his four baby mamas where do you stand with him?”
If I wasn’t pregnant, I’d choke my brother.
“Let’s go, Falcons,” I shouted.
“Will you be the kid’s stepmom?”
“Deacon, whatever Oak and I were doesn’t affect your friendship,” I bit out, through bared teeth.
He cupped his hand over his mouth. “Oh, so it’s over?” he taunted.
I clapped my hands. Focusing on the game.
“Did you plan to attend the game?”
Deacon tried pushing all of my buttons.
“I’m here. And still rooting for him.”
“Something tells me you didn’t want to be here today. Especially, since his world blew up in L.A.”
He shook his head. “Can’t believe my own sister fucked me over.”
He stuffed his hands in his pockets. “I can’t trust neither one of you. One more thing, how old were you when you started seeing him?”
My heart shattered in my chest. I betrayed my brother. Something I didn’t want to do.
“Answer the question. How long have you smiled in my face while fucking my best friend behind my back?” he roared, in a loud whisper above the cheering crowd.
Tears hit the backs of my eyes, clouding my view. “Years ago, we acted on our feelings then went our separate ways.”
He towered over me. “How old were you, Lakelyn?” he growled. All but foaming at the mouth.
My brother’s usual charismatic, cocky ladies man attitude went out the window.
“Sixteen.”
He threw his hands in the air, then leaned into my view. “Who the fuck are you?”
“You don’t understand. He wanted to tell you so many times, but I asked him not to. Then this summer...”
I dropped my hands to my sides. “We planned to sit down with you in L.A. but...”
“The bombshell broke about his baby mamas.”
Every time he mentioned them, it felt like someone squeezed a vice around my heart.
I nodded, turning my attention back to the field. Oak jumped in the air and palmed the ball.
Clawing my fingers through my hair with frustration, I turned to Deacon. “One day, I hope you can move past this slight issue. He’s still your best friend.”
“The fuck he is,” he roared.
“You don’t mean that.”
“Oakley is down,” the announcer’s voice echoed around me.
My wide-eyed gaze shot to the field. I couldn’t swallow. Felt like cotton-lined my throat.
“He’s not moving,” the announcer stated.
“Shit,” Deacon grunted.
The loud chatter throughout the stadium overwhelmed my beating heart.
The Falcons team of doctors ran toward Oak.
“He’s not moving.” My shaky hand covered my mouth.
I side-stepped out of the aisle, then ran down to the field bypassing his teammates.
No tears Lakelyn now isn’t the time. Wyatt needs you.
They peeled his helmet off his head just as I shoved through the crowd, dropping at his side.
“Oak, can you hear me?” I brushed my fingers over his closed eyes before checking his pulse. Still breathing, but he didn’t move a muscle.
“Where was he hit?” I asked, no one in particular.
The referee stepped beside me.
“His upper body took the brunt of the hit.”
The two sports doctors kneeling at Oak’s side continued their exam.
“His shoulder hit the ground pretty hard,” Coach Evans stated, clutching his face staring at his unconscious star player.
“There’s extensive damage to his shoulder. We need to get him to the hospital.” He motioned for the paramedics.
“I’ll ride to the hospital with him.”
The doctor peeked up at coach Evans. He nodded.
Scurrying by Oak’s side en route to the ambulance, I thought back to our conversation in the tub at the hotel.