Wild Card by Ashley Munoz

Chapter Twenty-Seven

Sorrow wasa constant companion as the days passed. Each one was slower than the one before. The sun would rise and fall, and I couldn’t seem to give any fucks about any of it. Taylor had been home but was hesitant to break through my frosty exterior. I wasn’t exactly mad at her or anything, but the memory of her inviting Decker was still a painful reminder that all of this was because of her.

I’d met Decker and fell for him because of her. He had wanted her first. There was pain associated with her, and I wasn’t ready to face it.

Decker had called several times a day. He’d sent messages. He’d sent flowers, the notes all begging me to talk to him.

I wanted to believe him; I had just hit a limit for how much fuckery I was willing to accept within a thirty-day period, and I’d warned him my heart was made of glass. Even so, I’d risked it anyway, and now it lay shattered in unusable pieces.

I didn’t know who to believe. Decker had lied in the past…or omitted things. I still had no idea who had invited Elias, and it was odd that he had just shown up. I’d known he was eventually going to head back up to the library, so it wasn’t too farfetched to assume he could have just been there waiting without Decker’s involvement. Every time I started down this path, excusing Decker…it just led back to that moment when I realized Decker had planned the exact same revenge with Taylor. If it were true that Elias had suddenly confessed to liking me in any way, I would be up next on his list of how to get revenge on Elias.

It was all a mess.

I nibbled on a lime-flavored chip while I stared out the window. I knew I should head to the kitchen and find better sustenance for my body. Hillary and Juan had been by a few times to ensure I was eating and showering, but it was now during the day, so they had class.

It wasn’t until the evening after binge-watching a few episodes of some mermaid show likely meant for kids that I saw I had a few unread text messages.

Taylor: I need you to come to Dad’s. It’s really important!

I skimmed through a few from Hillary about her clingy new girlfriend and found another one from Taylor sent ten minutes after the first.

Taylor: Please Mal, this is really important!

Then there was one from Juan.

Juan: I’m coming to get you. Your sister needs you.

I scrunched my eyebrows at that last one. Since when did Taylor reach out to Juan? That was definitely not normal for their relationship, as far as I knew. I checked the time and saw I only had about five minutes before he would arrive, assuming he was coming from his apartment, though he also could have been coming from the rink.

I jogged back to my room and dressed quickly for either scenario, finishing just as the front door opened.

“Let’s go. Vamanos.” Juan didn’t waste time greeting me or asking if I was doing okay. He moved his hands, waving me out the door. I didn’t appreciate being rushed on behalf of my stepsister. We both sped down the walkway until we clambered into his still running car. Juan only took the risk because he knew who inhabited the units next to mine.

“Since when are you buddy-buddy with my stepsister?” I asked, buckling myself into his little sports car.

I caught his eye roll as he shoved his car into first. It reminded me of watching Kyle race for some reason, and that made my heart sputter, like a reminder that the last drops of love were in there but soon enough it would be dry.

“Don’t be a snob,” he replied, speeding down the road and taking a hard left.

“Seriously, what is the rush?”

He let out an irritated sigh. “You’d know if you paid any attention to your stepsister at all.”

“Excuse me.” I turned in my seat, glaring at him.

“You’ve been in your own world for a month, Mal. Did you even know I was offered a spot on the Hornets?” He glanced over at me briefly.

“Shut the fuck up, Juan. Are you serious?” He’d been hoping he’d get scouted for our local hockey team. He was a fantastic player, so I wasn’t surprised at all that he’d been offered a contract.

“Yeah, I go in to negotiate terms next week.”

“Did I miss anything with Hillary?” I watched the road, now curious how true his statement that I had checked out of my friends’ lives was.

“She dumped her high-maintenance girlfriend, swore she was taking a break from dating, and within a week is already dating someone new.”

“I hate the girls she dates,” I muttered, uneasy that I had missed so much of their lives.

“She hates them too. I think that’s the draw…or something. I don’t know.”

“What else did I miss?”

“There’s a rumor going around about you and Taylor, and who your father is. There was a social media post about it, and there are some comments about how you’re working the system for that internship.” Each word was slow, steady, like he’d rehearsed the entire thing.

I closed my eyes again, feeling all the walls closing in on me.

“You maybe should have led with that.” I blinked, watching LED lights peek through overhanging leaves and shrubbery, which meant we were driving up the slope to my father’s house. Once he parked, he let out a tight sigh and opened his door. I exited too, legs shaky.

“I love you, Mal. You know that, right?” He walked over to my side of the car and tucked me under his chin. I watched the house behind him, eyeing the lights in the windows, the ivy that crawled along the balconies and windows, the bleak, black door and bronze knocker. I blinked, trying to remember back to the house I grew up in.

It was white with red trim and a tiny brick porch. There were always potted flowers out front because my mom loved fresh flowers. It was a humble one story with three bedrooms and two bathrooms. I remembered the carpets having a few stains here and there and we had a landlord, but Dad had loved the garage that was attached. It was only a block away from my school, and Dad used to walk me there every morning while Mom went to work.

I blinked away tears as my best friend held me tight to his chest, but I couldn’t take any more.

“Thank you, I’ll be okay. I think I'm going to stay here for a few days.” I stepped back and wiped at the rain beginning to fall against my face. He gripped my shoulders before giving me a small nod, then he was watching me walk up the steps to my father’s house.

Bev opened the door before I even knocked and tugged me inside.

“Girl, it’s raining outside—what on God’s earth are you thinking?” Her muddled Russian accent wrapped around me, reminding me of all the times she’d kept me company after Dad married Jackie. She’d play cards with me, gossip about her sisters back home, and even let me tag along with her when she went grocery shopping. She was the closest thing I had to an aunt or a grandmother.

“It literally just started, Bev.” I shivered but refused to let her see.

“Well, your stepsister is already here…I’ll bring two hot cocoas to the living room.” She turned and headed toward the kitchen, and I was left watching her.

I entered the living room, looking around the space. Chaise lounges, small sitting couches, and a lavish sectional all welcomed me, along with a roaring fire.

“Taylor?”

There was no response as I searched the space and came up empty. She wasn’t in the living room. Just then I heard yelling near my father’s office, so I slowly made my way in that direction.

Before I reached the alcove leading to his door, someone’s hand wrapped around me and covered my mouth.

“Shhhh,” my stepsister whispered in my ear, then she slowly lowered her hand and turned me around. “Listen.”

I blinked rapidly and nodded my understanding then followed her toward the door. We both pressed our ears against the mahogany and listened.

“Bullshit!” my dad bellowed, and something loud hit the wall to our left.

My eyes rounded as Taylor and I turned toward each other in surprise.

“We made the deal for Taylor, not Mallory,” Dad yelled angrily at whoever was in his office.

“I don’t know what to say, sir…I befriended her and have real feelings for her.”

That voice.

I straightened away from the door, staring at the wood. Taylor slowly stretched away from it too, watching me carefully. Did she want me to hear this? Was this why she’d demanded I come? More muttering on the other side of the door had me leaning against it once more.

“Bull. Shit. You expect me to believe you were offered the financial opportunity of a lifetime to set up this little ruse with Taylor, only to have it backfire on you because of that Decker boy, and now you have feelings for Mallory? I’m not an idiot—I know exactly what you’re doing, and it won’t work. Mallory is not a possibility.” My father’s curt tone brokered no argument. His angry pitch erected the tiny hairs on my arms.

“I held up my end of the deal. I set up the card game, ensured she was invited, and I had every intention of showing up. By her own account, she got sick. My question is, how did you allow her to pass the card on to her sister, knowing our plan in the first place?” Elias’s voice was clipped, and I would have hated to be on the end of what his expression likely revealed.

“The entire thing has gone to shit, which is why I’m cutting ties with you. Taylor may not have shown up, but Mallory isn’t a replacement. The shareholders have already discussed a plan B.”

I couldn’t look at my sister, but I reached over and pulled her hand into mine. Even if she’d hurt me by inviting Decker, this…whatever was happening on the other side of that door…was beyond Decker and Elias. It was beyond everything and shot straight at the heart of our connection as sisters. We’d been thrown together, and she needed me. I should have been more involved with all of this from the start. Taylor squeezed my hand in return as we continued listening.

“I’m your plan B. Mallory is the perfect person for the job in New York. I just ensured that her little internship won’t happen. She’ll need this. Let me be the one who goes with her. We will take it slow so she doesn’t suspect anything…but by the time we need to marry, she’ll be agreeable. Trust me.”

He’d killed my article? He’d been the one behind that meeting? That was what Decker had mentioned.

“You sabotaged my daughter’s internship?” My father’s voice was lethal.

There was a moment of silence before Elias replied.

“I had no choice. Let it be a lesson not to cut me out of deals. Taylor was supposed to show up that night, and instead someone who had no right to be there trespassed into my house—my bedroom—and wrote a fucking article exposing all of it. Do you have any idea what that would have done to me if it had come out?”

“Fuck your team and fuck you. Get out of my house, and don’t ever show up here again. We’re done. You want money so badly, fine—that’s a quarter of what we agreed on, and tell your father he can go fuck himself.” A loud thwack sounded somewhere in the room, followed by Elias mumbling something about being screwed over.

“This isn’t over. I’m not—”

“Stay away from my daughters, Matthews. This is the only warning you’ll receive.” My dad’s voice was closer to the door, and Taylor and I scrambled back, toward a large potted plant with massive leaves. We both ducked behind it while the office door opened and he walked out.

Storming down the hall, he shot off a quick comment to Gareth before jogging upstairs and out of sight.

We waited as Elias walked out. He held a briefcase in his left hand and toyed with his cell in his right. He was texting or calling someone. My phone buzzed in my pocket just seconds later.

Taylor and I both looked down, then back toward Elias as he walked past us. His steps faltered near the plant we’d ducked behind as the buzzing sound continued. I reached into my pocket to silence it, but his gaze flicked to the plant briefly before his eyebrows creased and he pulled his phone to his ear.

“What?” he asked in a sharp tone.

I kept my breathing to a minimum, just like Taylor. Elias was so close we could smell his cologne.

“He won’t be a problem…no, neither will she. I made sure of it, sir.”

I looked at Taylor, feeling my eyebrows arch. Who was he talking to? And who was he talking about?

“I just got out of the meeting…I can tell you when I get back…I know, but I really don’t think Duggar will be an issue anymore.” He practically whispered the tail end of that, which made sense since he was still in my father’s house…but what a fucking coward.

Elias walked off, still staring at his phone.

I pulled mine out to see why it had buzzed, wondering if he’d sent me something. Taylor crowded my shoulder as we opened my messaging app.

Elias: Hey, I’ve been thinking about you. Want to come over tonight?

I looked up right as Taylor let out a scoff.

Once we heard Gareth say, “Good evening, sir,” and the front door shut, we moved. Taylor grabbed my hand and headed upstairs toward her room but stopped and looked down at my wet clothes then veered toward mine instead.

“You need to change.” My stepsister pushed me toward the closet.

It was a massive walk-in with built-in shelving and outfits that were tailored specifically for me but I never wore. My stepmother Jackie liked to ensure that Taylor and I could stay comfortably at a moment’s notice. Taylor stayed more often than I did, but I had to admit—the things Jackie picked out were much nicer than what I usually wore.

Opening the drawers, I tugged a pair of sweats free along with a tank top. Peeling off my clothes, I got dressed and, just for fun, hauled a pair of soft slippers off the rack and stepped into them.

“Okay, I’m warm.” I walked toward my bed and settled in while she sat down on the window seat, her face toward the glass. Our rooms each had massive, cushioned seats our dad had built in and Jackie had added little decorative touches to. My seat was a cool grey, and Taylor’s was mint green, the wood a cream color to match the walls. It was nice, especially with the heavy curtains.

“I failed out of RFU.” She paused, kicking her leg out and spinning in my direction.

My stomach dropped out.

She lived with me; how did I not know she’d failed out? I was there with her, nearly every day.

“What? That’s not…” I started, but she shook her head, interrupting me.

“I stopped going to classes because I was so stressed.” She paused, her eyes tipping up to the ceiling, like she was trying to control her words. “Stressed about trying to prove to Dad that I could take over for him at one of his offices.” She swiped under her eyes. “Originally, we were going to wait to start all of this after graduation, so I’d have my business degree and then start the process of job shadowing his current CFO. There was no conversation about Elias, or a deal. It was just me stepping up to help him and give myself a purpose so I could do something other than sit around and spend money…but then he talked to the shareholders.”

My dad’s phone conversation came back to mind, but I stayed quiet.

My sister sniffed, and a part of my chest broke open.

Her blonde hair looked dull under the soft recessed lighting in the room, and I just now realized she was in sweats and an oversized hoodie. Taylor never wore oversized clothing, which made me wonder if something else was going on.

“You know how it is.” She shrugged, finally standing and pacing the room. “They’re from old money, old values…old everything…” Using the sleeve of her black hoodie, she wiped her nose, and then she came closer to the bed. “You should know I had no idea the card game was fixed, or that Elias was on the other end of it. I didn’t fake any of that. I had filled out an interest form to be a part of the games my sophomore year, and I was genuinely excited about getting that card.” She looked off to the side, almost wistfully.

I stayed quiet so she’d keep going.

“After his meeting with the shareholders, Dad approached me.” She let out a sigh, gathering her breath. “They agreed to me taking over the New York office, as long as I got married. By this point, the card game had come and gone, and I was oblivious to Dad’s involvement.”

She crossed her arms over her chest. It looked like she was trying to protect her heart, but I worried it was too late.

“Tonight was the first I heard that Dad had somehow set it up to look as though Elias and I were together. Dad had told me he wasn’t going to follow through with it, said he was going to find a way around it, but at that party after you disappeared, one of the shareholders approached me, informing me that they hoped to snag an invite to my wedding.” She finally perched on the edge of my bed, her arms still crossed, her cheeks mascara-stained, and her eyes watery.

“So Dad set up the game with Elias to make it look like you were already taken.” I was piecing it together, knowing my father was likely trying to buy time, make it seem like she was in a serious relationship—but why would that matter to the shareholders? “Is that why Dad made it so awkward in his office when he said we both needed dates?”

She ducked her head, swiping at her face again. “Yeah, everything kind of blew up once he realized I never showed up to that card game. It was awkward, because I had no idea he even knew about it. What girl wants her dad to know she planned on accepting a hookup card at some college party?”

“But he didn’t tell you who was in that room?” I toyed with the comforter, still trying to put it all together.

“Nope, he never said. He saw me come to the house that night because I was sick and asked why I wasn’t at the party. When it became obvious he knew more than he should, he let it slip that he’d set something up for me so I wouldn’t have to worry about the transition to New York. He left it at that. So, when we met in his office and he mentioned that we needed dates, that was the awkward vibe you picked up on. I screwed up. He tried to set it up for me, but I messed up.” She shrugged, her sweater nearly swallowing her whole.

I supposed that made sense, but… “Why Elias?” I asked, still confused by the turn of events.

“My only guess? And this comes from dating players on different sports teams—there’s this rule that if they’re being scouted or they think they might be recruited then they don’t risk anything by fucking.”

She looked so solemn. I couldn’t help but laugh.

“I’m serious.” She stared at me, her blonde brow arching to her hairline.

“Sure, so they get scouted and suddenly they don’t have sex anymore? Forgive me, but I have a hard time believing that.”

“It’s true! At least for most. They won’t risk the girl messing with the condom and them getting stuck with a jersey chaser. They may mess around, get off…usually sucked off.” She tilted her head, looking up like she was considering something. “But they won’t actually go all the way until after they’re signed.”

“Let’s ignore the fact that they can still go pro and be a parent, but go on.” I waved my hand toward her.

She rolled her eyes and pulled her knees up to her chest. “Word has it Elias Matthews is the poster child for this rule and hasn’t been with a girl since he received an endorsement for all of his fancy electronics last year. He made a big deal of it with his team, talking about how it was going to be a long year until he essentially started next season. There were scouts already asking about him, and one even asked about him starting in Double-A ball this year, but I guess his parents made a big deal about him getting his degree.”

My stepsister searched the floor before explaining another thought.

“Elias’s father serves on the board with Dad…anyway, my assumption is that somehow he talked to Dad, and Mr. Matthews brought up the game, said if there was a payout available then his son would essentially make it look as though we were dating and serious. I think originally it was to score him as a date, so the shareholders backed off, knowing I was in a serious relationship with someone. That’s my guess at least.” She rolled her eyes, letting out a heavy sigh.

From what Decker’s uncle had gathered, the Matthews had reason to believe it was a more permanent arrangement than that.

I looked away as more and more started to connect in my head. That was why Elias had come sniffing around me. He didn’t actually care about me, or the fact that Decker had nailed me against the library door. He was just worried about losing out on being plan B for this New York deal. He’d sabotaged my chances to get accepted into the internship all so he could marry into my family.

My heart sank as I began processing how much I’d been burned.

“That’s why Dad said to have a date…in case Mr. Matthews came sniffing around, trying to convince everyone you were still available?” I toyed with the accent pillows Jackie insisted on having on my bed at all times. There had to be at least twenty.

Taylor crawled toward me, getting under the covers. “That’s what I was thinking.”

My mind circled back to the invites to have Decker hang with her and how foolish this entire thing had been from the start.

“So you decided to invite Decker to the party?” Since we were telling our truths tonight, I wanted this one as well. “Are you guys…?” I tried to seem aloof, like I didn’t care what she responded with, but my heart was pounding behind my breastbone.

Taylor rolled her eyes, folding her arms behind her head. “I was trying to call your bluff by saying I wanted to invite him when we were at that brunch. I knew you liked him, but you wouldn’t admit it. You just kept inviting him over and leaving, like you were trying to push the two of us together…I knew from that first night that you liked him.”

“So why did you end up taking him then?”

She let out a sigh. “We became friends. That day you went with him to his mom’s…you never told me. I got worried and freaked out, ended up going to the bar he works at asking around about him. Someone gave me his number. I didn’t use it until you guys got into a fight. So, he called a few days ago, saying he needed to talk to you. He said you wouldn’t speak to him. He just needed a chance to explain himself, whatever that meant. I told him he could come as my date and then corner you and whatever.” She waved her hand.

My entire body vibrated with relief. How could I have been such an idiot?

God, I felt horrible that I’d agreed to the deal with Decker. I was a horrible person. I’d knowingly been with Decker, fully aware that he had intentions to seduce Taylor originally. I owed her for this.

“I thought he liked you. He wanted to try to date you…” I tried to salvage my shitty actions, but I couldn’t keep my eyes on her as I spoke. Instead they dipped to my lap.

“But you liked him, and he liked you…and I…was just a pawn.” Her voice softened while she finally seemed to connect the dots. “Was it a bet, or what was the deal with him? Don’t lie to me,” she said softly, tugging at the covers.

My throat felt tight. “He heard about Elias making a deal. He wanted revenge and thought if he got to you first, it would mess with the arrangement. I didn’t know he knew about the arrangement, nor did I know about the arrangement myself up until about a week ago.”

She let out a sound of disbelief. “And let me guess…the original deal was that he offered to feed you info on the card game for the story after you struck out at the party?”

I raised my gaze, and it crashed with hers. Hurt swirled in her blue eyes.

“Tay, you were never a pawn…I didn’t know about the revenge until way after we’d made the deal. Initially he just said he needed a shot with you.”

“That’s exactly what I am—a pawn to Dad, a pawn to you…god, I’m so stupid.” She suddenly sat up, and I felt tears burn behind my eyes. “You know what’s crazy, Mal?” She paused near the bedroom door. “You’re the only person I’ve ever looked up to. I know you haven’t ever seen me as a real sister, and I know it’s bugged you that I call Charlie Dad, but from the first day I met you, I considered you my sister. I used to pretend we were blood sisters, and as I grew older, I would change it to us being chosen sisters.” Taylor swiped at her face as a few tears streaked down. “One time I sketched this tattoo we’d get, something only the two of us had. I know you’ve always looked out for me, and when this thing with Decker happened, I just…I kept thinking you’d finally found this guy you looked at like you looked at your newspaper place, and I thought it was special. You kept pushing him toward me, but I knew…” She choked down a sob. “I knew you wouldn’t let anyone use me.”

I blinked away tears, staring at my sister, and really seeing her as that—my sister. Not step, not obligated, but chosen. I wanted her. I wished she knew how much I wanted her, but I’d never told her.

“I honestly thought he wanted you, Tay.” My voice broke as my heart cracked open.

“What about when you fucked in the room right next to mine—did you think he wanted me then too?”

“I didn’t mean…” I sobbed, hating myself, hating what I’d done.

“You did, Mal. You knew exactly what you did with him, and what it would do to me. The only reason you didn’t feel bad was because I didn’t show any interest, and that’s because I’m a good sister and I love you. I’d never be with someone you wanted.”

“I wouldn’t do that either.” And I wouldn’t, not if it was real with her and Decker.

“I know that, but you didn’t listen to me about Elias, and you weren’t honest with me. It just hurts because you knew. You knew Decker was doing something where I was concerned, and you didn’t warn me. What if I had fallen for him? What if I had slept with him, Mal? Do you honestly think I’d risk losing you over a guy?” She made a choking sound while swiping at her cheeks.

Everything hurt. I hated this. I hated hurting her, and that I’d lied to her.

“I just wish you felt the same about me…wish one day you’d consider me your sister…a real one. Because you’ve always been my sister, Mallory, and I’ve always loved you like one.” She opened my door and walked out, snapping it closed before I could tell her I did love her like that.

I sobbed into the damn throw pillow, wishing I could turn back time. I would protect her, and myself…I’d do so much better if I could just go back. But I couldn’t. All I could do was move forward.