Game for Marriage (Game for It 1)

“I know, I know. I’ll stop giving you a hard time, I promise.” Willow sighed. “Listen, you haven’t even talked to Jared. You should hear him out.”

“What else does he have to say? Sorry I made you look like a fool? Wish I would’ve never married you?” Sheridan sighed.

“He feels terrible.” Willow paused. “And used.”

“What? How do you know?” Used? Was she kidding? Who used whom in this situation?

“I’ve seen him.” Willow shrugged, deceptively casual.

Sheridan studied her with narrowed eyes. “When?”

?

??I was with, um, Nick.” Willow nibbled on her lower lip. “A few nights ago. When you were conducting your fall painting class.”

Great. So Sheridan was working her butt off and her friend was out socializing with Sheridan’s husband. Fabulous. “Spare me the details. I don’t want to hear them.”

“Well, too damn bad, you’re going to. I went to Nick’s house.” Willow’s eyes grew shadowed. It probably took everything for her to admit this. Whatever she had going on with Nick Hamilton she kept very close to her chest. “And while I was there, Jared showed up. He looked terrible.”

Why that gave Sheridan a small bit of satisfaction, she didn’t know. “So what?”

“Like he hasn’t slept in days terrible. His head is all messed up, semi-direct quote from Nick.” Willow rolled her eyes. “He used harsher language but I’m editing it for your benefit.”

“I can only imagine.” Sheridan shook her head. “He hasn’t tried to contact me. So I figured we were through communicating. What else am I supposed to think?”

“Maybe you should reach out to him,” Willow suggested.

“No way. I’m not setting myself up to fail. Or worse, face more humiliation. Besides, the paparazzi will spot us together and then we’re completely done for.”

It had been discovered the leak came from a lowly assistant within the Hawks publicity office. A curious college student who was interning for the season in hopes of getting a permanent job, who’d nursed a growing hatred for a certain Harvey Price. The intern had already known about the marriage agreement after finding the documents—which had been under lock and key in Harvey’s personal file cabinet in his office—and was slowly leaking information to the press trying to garner their attention.

Once the photos had appeared with Sheridan sans her wedding ring, the media had taken the bait. And paid the intern a ton of money for the outrageous story.

Luckily for Harvey, he hadn’t lost his job. The man must’ve been working overtime trying to do damage control and save Jared’s image. She’d talked to Harvey once, had listened to him beg for her to come back and pretend that she’d fallen in love with Jared and they could claim to the world that their marriage was real.

Sheridan had quietly told him “no,” and hung up.

The doorbell rang, indicating their pizza had arrived, and Willow went to take care of it. Sheridan grabbed her cell, saw that she had a missed phone call from an unfamiliar number and a voicemail waiting for her. Usually, it was a reporter asking her a bunch of questions. She normally deleted the voicemails without listening to them.

For whatever reason, she decided to listen to this one.

Sheridan, this is Jim Walsh. I need to talk to you. It’s about Jared. I, uh, I need your help. Please call me.

Willow came back into the room, setting the pizza box onto the coffee table in front of the couch along with a couple of paper plates and a thick stack of napkins. “Pizza and wine, nothing better on a Friday night.” She paused, caught sight of Sheridan’s face. “What’s wrong?”

“Coach Walsh left me a voice mail. He wants to talk to me. Says it’s about Jared.”

“Are you going to call him?” Willow nibbled on a piece of pizza, watching her carefully.

“I…I don’t know.” She reached into the box and grabbed a slice, dropping it on the plate. “How can I be of any help?”

“Come on, Sheridan.” Willow set her plate on the table. “Jared needs you. He’s angry and hurt and he misses you.”

“He just played the best game of his life. He definitely doesn’t miss me.” He couldn’t. He hadn’t called her, hadn’t tried to reach out once. Like he’d forgotten all about her.

“Doesn’t mean he doesn’t need you. And you need him. The two of you are just too stubborn to admit it.”

Willow had a valid point, as much as she hated to admit it.