Well Played by Vi Keeland
CHAPTER 32
Levi
Wearing a hoodie and sunglasses, I waited in front of the hotel and prayed no one would recognize me. Coming here wasn’t smart, but there was no way I could stay away after Presley had left the dinner so upset tonight.
The moment I’d laid eyes on her earlier, it felt like all the willpower I’d tried to muster up since leaving Beaufort had disappeared into thin air. I’d just wanted to leave that freaking dinner and take her home with me, make love to her all night long. Instead, all I’d been able to do was observe her. Presley hadn’t looked happy in the least. And Tanner’s bizarre behavior only made everything worse.
My heart raced as I continued to pace outside the hotel, hoping my mother wouldn’t return to say Presley refused to see me. A man walking by kept staring, and I prayed he didn’t come up to me. I adjusted my hood even lower over my head.
I turned and felt instantly calmer at the sight of Presley approaching through the sliding glass doors. She wore what looked like polka dot pajama pants and had a hoodie thrown over her shoulders. Her hair blew in the wind as she walked in my direction.
I waved so she would notice me, considering I was unrecognizable in this getup. When she stopped a few inches away, it took everything in me not to reach out and touch her. I had to remind myself I had no right to do that. She wasn’t mine anymore, even if touching her would have felt so natural.
Fumbling with my hands, I said, “Thank you for coming out to see me. Were you asleep?”
She shook her head. “No.”
I gently placed my hand on her back and led her away. “Let’s move to the back of the building. I don’t want anyone to recognize me.”
We walked along the grass at the side of the hotel before stopping in a quiet spot, illuminated by a streetlight.
She crossed her arms. “What’s going on, Levi? Why did you want to see me?”
“Do you have to ask? I haven’t been able to think straight since I saw you tonight. And after the way you abruptly left the dinner—I knew I wouldn’t be able to sleep unless I came to you.” I could see her face turning red.
“You should’ve just forgotten about me and taken that woman home,” she spewed.
I raised my voice. “Are you kidding? I don’t know what the fuck Tanner was even thinking bringing her over to the table. I had no interest in her whatsoever.”
“Too many choices, huh? I suppose that’s what happens when you can have any woman you want. It’s tough being you.”
My brows drew together. “That’s what you think?”
She exhaled, her tone softening. “I don’t know, Levi. I don’t know what to think anymore. I just know being around you after everything we’ve been through is too painful for me. It’s way harder than I ever imagined. And just the thought of you with someone else—”
“You think I’ve been out here messing around with women?”
“I have no idea what you’ve been doing because you haven’t reached out to me!”
My voice shook. “I haven’t reached out because it’s too damn painful, Presley. All I’m trying to do is the right thing for all of us. But if you think I can just move on and start dating random women again like nothing ever happened, you’re underestimating my feelings for you.” I moved closer to her. “I haven’t been with a single person since I got here. Meanwhile, I find out Tanner’s been taking you on dates. I’ve been freaking consumed with jealousy, even though I’m supposed to be accepting all of this.”
She shook her head. “Nothing is happening between Tanner and me. Yes, I went out with him, but it wasn’t a date. I’ve sounded like a broken record trying to drill into his head that I’m not interested in him that way.”
My pulse calmed down a bit. “I called my mother’s house the night she was watching Alex. I thought—”
“I know what you thought. But it simply wasn’t the case, Levi. Tanner and I are getting along, but it’s nothing more than that. We went out to meet Tom and Lily. And once Tom mentioned your name at dinner, you were all I could think about for the rest of the night. It’s so pathetic.”
Immense relief came over me. And that was messed up, because it was the opposite of what I should’ve been feeling. Wasn’t I supposed to want her to work things out with Tanner, for Alex’s sake? But did he even deserve her? The way he acted tonight had me second-guessing if my brother had really changed all that much.
“I could read your face tonight, could see how upset you were that Tanner brought that girl to our table,” I said. “I didn’t want you to get the wrong impression and think I went home with her or something. I somehow knew you would be worried.”
That set her off.
“You didn’t want me worrying or upset?” She lifted her arms into the air. “How do you think I felt when you shut me out of your life and took off to Denver early? Why should tonight be any different for you? You suddenly care about my feelings?”
I tried to defend my actions. “You know why I did what I did. It was a sacrifice.”
“You sacrificed me to your brother, like an object that can be passed around. You can’t just give me to someone, Levi. What you and I had wasn’t interchangeable.” Her voice cracked. “If you don’t want to be with me, then just leave me alone. You don’t need to check on me or coddle me. You can’t have it both ways. You’re either in my life or out of it.”
When she started to cry, I couldn’t stand it any longer. I took her into my arms and held her so tightly. Surprisingly, she didn’t resist. All of the feelings I’d tried to control since arriving back in Denver pummeled me at once.
I kissed the top of her head and whispered, “I’m so fucking sorry.”
When she looked up at me with tears in her eyes, I lost all control, lowering my mouth to hers. A hungry groan escaped me as I savored her taste. My dick hardened as I yearned to be inside of her again. Wrapping my hands around her cheeks, I kissed her even harder. Fuck, I missed this. I missed us. In my mind, she was mine. Despite this time that had passed, there was no part of me that was okay with losing her to Tanner—or anyone else, for that matter.
We got lost in our kiss until she suddenly pulled back.
Panting, we stared at each other. We’d always had a hard time resisting the physical pull between us, and tonight was no different.
What she said next nearly undid me.
“It doesn’t matter how much I love you,” she said. “I’d rather never see you again than have to see you with someone else or be reminded constantly of the fact that I can’t ever be with you.”
My chest constricted. Love?
She’s in love with me?
I’d known I was in love with Presley. But to hear her use that powerful word came as a shock.
I examined her eyes. “You love me?”
Presley blinked repeatedly, looking as if she hadn’t meant to utter it aloud. But it was too late. She’d said it. Instead of addressing my question, though, she shook her head. “Does it matter? If I say yes, will it change things between us?”
When I took too long to answer, she looked away.
“That’s what I thought.” She frowned. “I have to get back to Alex. Goodnight, Levi.”
That was the last thing she said before running away and disappearing into the hotel.
She left me in a daze, trying to process how I could continue to abandon someone I loved—who loved me back. I hated that she’d seemed almost ashamed to admit her feelings for me. I looked up at the dark sky and prayed for an answer. Something had to give. I couldn’t go on like this. Not only was I going to ruin my career because my lack of focus had rendered me useless to the team, but more importantly, I didn’t know how to live without her.
But could I betray my brother? That was the only question left to answer. Was I willing to do that in order to be with the woman I loved?
It took me a full ten minutes of pacing before I made my way back toward my car in the lot at the front of the hotel. I noticed a man stumbling out of a vehicle at the curb. It wasn’t until I heard his laugh that I realized it was Tanner.
What the fuck?
I looked inside the car and noticed the person driving. It was the redhead he’d brought to the dinner table earlier. I couldn’t even remember her freaking name.
He muttered something to her before slamming the door. My stomach sank. She took off, leaving him on the curb.
My blood boiled. He didn’t notice me standing there, so he hadn’t seen it coming when I grabbed onto his collar and dragged him a few feet.
“Hey! What the hell are you—”
“What the fuck are you doing?” I spat, keeping my hold on him.
“Levi? What are you doing here?”
“Tell me what the fuck is going on, Tanner.”
His eyes were glassy. “What do you mean?”
“What were you doing with that girl tonight?”
“It was no big deal,” he slurred.
Pulling on his collar tighter, I shouted, “Answer my question.”
The alcohol on his breath was pungent. “I was just out having some fun. I needed it.”
“Define fun.” I roughly let him go. He nearly toppled to the ground before his back hit the hedges in front of the hotel.
He wouldn’t make eye contact. “What do you want me to say?”
“I want you to tell me exactly what you were doing with her,” I demanded.
When he continued to remain silent, I rephrased my question. “Did you fuck that girl or not, Tanner?”
His silence told me everything I needed to know. But I still wanted to hear him say it.
“Answer me!” I yelled.
“Yes!” he finally admitted. “Okay? Yes. I…went back to her place, and one thing led to another.” He hesitated. “We had sex.”
My head fell back as I looked up at the sky, feeling ready to blow. God, give me the strength not to kill him right now.
I somehow managed to refrain from punching him, instead balling my hands into fists. “How could you do that?”
“You act like it’s not something you do every goddamn day of your life.”
“Don’t you dare turn this on me. This is about you. I thought you were trying to earn Presley’s trust back. You told her you wanted to be a family again. And this is how you show it? By getting drunk and fucking some random woman while your son and his mother are in town with you?”
“Getting a quick fix doesn’t take away from my feelings for her. Presley has wanted nothing to do with me sexually. I was feeling stressed and needed relief, for fuck’s sake. A man can only take so much. Between the new job and Presley fucking rejecting me over and over—I couldn’t deal with it anymore. I just needed to feel good for one damn night.”
Something told me this couldn’t have been the first time he’d done something like this.
“One night, huh? Look me in the eyes and tell me this is the only time you’ve fucked around since showing up in Beaufort.”
When he looked down at his shoes, I had my answer. Jesus Christ. I wanted to murder him. I’d spent all this time miserable, away from the woman I loved out of respect for a man who had no respect for her.
“None of this has anything to do with my love for Presley,” he said.
“You don’t really love her,” I said.
“What are you talking about? Don’t tell me how I feel.”
“No,” I repeated. “You don’t love her. You couldn’t possibly love her.”
“And how would you know that?”
I took a deep breath in. “Because when you love someone, you can’t even stomach the thought of being with anyone else. When you love someone, you belong to them in every way—mind, body, and soul. And even when you’re not physically with them, you respect them. Love and respect go hand in hand. You can’t have one without the other.”
Tanner’s eyes wavered between mine. “You’re talking about Presley, aren’t you? I saw the way you looked at her back in Beaufort. I figured you were just checking out a piece of ass, like you always do. Then when I saw you two at the hospital...” He shook his head and laughed angrily. “But I put that thought out of my mind, because my brother would never do that to me. My brother is a stand-up guy.”
I had no idea what to say or do. But apparently he could read me better than I could read him.
He shook his head. “You’re fucking my girl.”
Whether I was in the wrong or not, I couldn’t let him call her that. I gritted my teeth. “She’s not your girl. And she hasn’t been for a long time.”
“She’s mine!”
“Presley isn’t a possession for you to claim. You hadn’t been interested in her for years. Or your son, for that matter. No one thought you were ever coming back. You’d given us every indication that you wouldn’t be. What happened between Presley and me wasn’t about you—it was about us. And, yes, I felt guilty, but not enough to stop it. You’d hurt her enough already. You didn’t deserve her then, and you don’t deserve her now.”
He stared at me incredulously. “How could you fucking do that to me?”
“I didn’t plan it. It just happened. We got close, and it turned into the best thing that’s ever happened to me. I’m sorry…but I love her, Tanner.”
He swung at me. Luckily, he was too drunk to aim correctly, and he missed. I couldn’t afford an injury right now, so I had to rein this in. It wasn’t very hard to do, given how inebriated he was.
Managing to get him into a chokehold pretty quickly, I spoke into his ear, “We need to talk more about this in the morning, when you’ve sobered up. If you know what’s good for you, leave her alone tonight. She didn’t do anything wrong, and you’ve hurt her enough already. Go back to your room.”
When I released him, he walked backwards toward the hotel entrance, a look of hatred aimed at me. I felt like shit, but at the same time, a huge weight had lifted off my chest.
Then, a wave of panic hit.
What if he goes to her room?
He’d already disappeared into the lobby, so I jogged after him. The automatic doors at the entrance slid open just as he passed the elevator bank ahead of me in the distance. I knew from my mother that Presley was on the top level at the other end of the floor, and I needed to be certain he wasn’t going to bother her.
I dropped back and trailed him as he walked through the lobby and turned down a corridor leading to guest rooms on the ground level. At the end of the hall, I ducked out of sight, sneaking peeks to watch him as he stumbled from side to side. About halfway down, he stopped at a door and spent a solid minute trying to dig the key out of his pocket. When he finally pulled it out, it took him a few tries to get in, but eventually he disappeared inside. I waited a while to see if he’d come back out, and then quietly walked down to his room and listened by the door. After ten minutes, without hearing any sign of movement, I figured he must’ve passed out. I still needed to warn Presley, though, so I took out my phone and started to text her.
But then I thought better of it. She’d had a tough-enough night, and Alex was probably sleeping. Besides, this was a conversation we needed to have in person. She was an early riser, so I’d just get to her bright and early before practice, and before Tanner had a chance to wake up with a belligerent hangover.
***
The next morning, I wasn’t taking any chances. After a shitty night of sleep, I headed over to the hotel at six AM. The vein in my neck pulsed as I rode the elevator to the top floor. I couldn’t remember the last time I’d been this nervous.
What if I blew her trust for admitting the truth to Tanner last night?
What if she won’t take me back?
What if the time we’ve been apart made her realize life with an athlete who spends half of the year on the road isn’t what she wants for her and Alex?
Everything that could go wrong kept spinning through my mind.
What if Tanner causes trouble?
Could he turn Alex against me?
Shit, how is Alex gonna take the news?
When the elevator dinged on her floor, my palms started to sweat, and the thoughts circulating through my head began to leak out my mouth. I mumbled like a crazy person.
“Calm down, man.”
“You’ve played in Super Bowls without sweating.”
“What the fuck is wrong with you?”
It was a good thing it was early and people weren’t around, or they’d run the other way seeing a man my size talking to himself.
When I got to Presley’s room, I took a deep breath before knocking lightly. And then I waited.
And waited.
When she didn’t come to the door after a few minutes, I assumed she must have still been sleeping. I hated to wake her, but I needed to talk to her before Tanner, and before I had to be at practice. So I knocked again, this time louder.
And waited.
And waited.
Then I knocked again. When she still didn’t answer, I started to get freaked out, and the craziest shit ran through my head.
What if Tanner got to her and did something?
What if she’s in there hurt?
So I banged on the door. “Presley? Alex? Are you in there?”
I still got no response, but the door to the adjoining room opened, and a pretty pissed-off looking guy walked out. He eyed me. “What the hell are you…” He blinked a few times. “Holy shit. You’re Levi Miller.”
I dragged a hand through my hair. “Yeah. Sorry to wake you. Have you seen the woman who was staying in this room?”
He nodded. “She was coming out when I walked in early this morning. I was out late.”
“Was she okay?”
The guy shrugged. “She looked okay to me.”
“Did she happen to say where she was going?”
“No. But she had her suitcases and stuff. And the little boy was carrying a bag, so I assumed she was checking out.”
Fuck.
“How long ago was that?”
“Maybe four thirty. An hour and a half ago?”
“Thanks.” I took off jogging down the hall.
“Wait! Can I have your autograph?”
“Another time!”
I ran to the elevator, uncertain of my next move. The last person to talk to Presley was my mother last night, and she was definitely not an early riser. I called anyway.
She answered on the third ring. Her voice was groggy. “Levi? What’s going on? Is everything okay?”
“I just went to Presley’s room, and she’s not there.”
“What time is it?”
“It’s about six.”
“She’s probably at the airport by now. She was pretty upset after she got back to the room from talking to you last night. Alex was sleeping, so we chatted for a while. She thought it was better that she go home. It’s very difficult for her to be around you, and with Tanner causing scenes at dinner... She asked me to tell everyone there was an issue at the inn and she had to fly home early.”
Fuck. I closed my eyes. “I need to talk to her. Tanner knows, Ma.”
“Tanner knows what?”
“That I’m in love with Presley. That we were together over the summer.”
My mom sighed. “Oh boy. How did that go?”
“I don’t even give a shit. I just need to get to her. Can you do me a favor?”
“What’s that?”
“Don’t mention to Tanner that Presley left.”
“Levi, I don’t want to get in the middle of this by lying to your brother.”
“Then don’t lie. Turn off your phone. You’re having breakfast with Dad’s friend and his wife, right?”
“Yes. And then I’m going to get my hair done before the ceremony.”
“So chances are, you won’t even see him until later. Just buy me some lead time by not answering your phone. Please.”
“Lead time? What are you going to do? Don’t you have practice today? And we have the ceremony tonight.”
“I’ll take the fine for missing practice. And I’m sorry, Mom. But I’m not going to be able to make the ceremony. I never missed watching Dad play, so I think he’ll forgive me. Plus, I’ll be able to look up and honor him every time I walk into the stadium for a game.”
“Fine. Go. Do what you have to do. I’ll tell anyone who asks that you’re under the weather.”
“Thanks, Mom.”
“I hope this is all worth it, son.”
“She is. She’s the one.”
Two hours later, I was sitting on a flight to South Carolina, waiting to take off. I’d called Presley a dozen times, but each time it went straight to voicemail. I hit redial one more time, but the same thing happened. No ring—right to voicemail. So at least she wasn’t ignoring her phone; it was probably off. The flight attendant came on overhead to say the cabin door was now shut, and we’d be taxiing for takeoff momentarily. All personal devices needed to be turned off and put away. I was just about to switch my phone to airplane mode when it vibrated with an incoming message. I’d hoped it was Presley, telling me she’d landed okay and saw all my missed calls, but it wasn’t. It was my mother.
Mom: Tanner knows Presley left. The front desk told him she checked out. I think he might be heading back to South Carolina.
