Worth the Risk (Carolina Rebels 5)

“Did the meeting with the lawyer not go well?” Meredith asks.

We’re all sitting on or around Sylvia’s bed. We being Sylvia, Meredith, Lizzy, Sydney, Theresa, Deanna, and Bree and Andrew, of course. The attention is all on me and I wish it would go away.

“The meeting went great.”

“Then what’s wrong?” Lizzy asks.

Sylvia pulls herself up into a sitting position and leans forward. “Is something going on with you and EJ? Do we need to send our husbands over there to beat some sense into him?”

“Or do we need to beat some sense into you?” Deanna asks, probably because she already knows part of the problem.

“He invited you to the charity event, did he?” Theresa asks.

I frown. “What event?”

“Oh, don’t bring that up,” Sylvia mutters. “I still can’t believe that they’re letting Peggy Potter be in charge this year. She only took over because I obviously can’t do anything. I’m finding a way to go.” She crosses her arms and rests them over her stomach and waits, as if she wants someone to object.

But I’m too distracted by the fact that they think Elias would have invited me to this thing. And the fact that he didn’t. “Why would he invite me?” I ask.

“It’s hosted by the wives and girlfriends. The players will be attending. We do a main event every year,” Theresa tells me. “If you’re dating EJ, then you can go.”

“She didn’t know anything about it.” Deanna points out the obvious.

“And I wouldn’t go anyway. Who would keep Bree? Or Jackson?”

Sylvia raises an eyebrow. “Is Henry not still in the picture? If you really wanted to go, we’d find someone to keep the kids. But none of this is the point. Why are you upset?”

They all stare at me and wait patiently for me to spill my guts. So, I do. I start from the break-in to last night and all the crazy emotions in between. “My instinct is to leave and I don’t want to, but this is too much for me.”

“But he’s in love with you,” Lizzy says.

“So he says,” I agree.

“You don’t believe him?” Deanna asks.

I shrug. If I could get the fear out of the way, then maybe I could decide. If I could get the anger out of the way, that would help too.

“So, what are you writing?” Sylvia asks, earning glares from all of the women. “What? She did tell us. She doesn’t have to answer. She knows this.”

“Can someone else talk about their issues?” I practically beg, re-situating Bree who has fallen asleep in my lap.

“As long as you make sure to talk to him when you go home,” Deanna says.

I nod and conversation veers away from me. Everyone indulges Sylvia by sharing the latest in their lives. I learn just a little about some of the others, but a lot about some. Like Deanna is trying to better her relationship with her father. Lizzy talks about Marc going overboard getting everything ready for the arrival of their twins. Meredith admits she’s beginning to get discouraged on her own journey to getting pregnant.

I listen and listen, but eventually people begin to clear out one by one until I’m the only one left. Scott comes home, checks in on Sylvia, and then leaves us alone in their bedroom. If he’s home for his pre-game routine, then I should probably go. That also means that Elias is probably home.

“Do you know how Scott and I have lasted this long?” Sylvia suddenly asks me. My shoulders sag because I just know I’m in for a lecture. She doesn’t wait for me to respond. “He still pisses me off or does something to upset me, but we always talk it through. We don’t wait too long to do it either because then things stew and get worse. Go home. Talk to him. Find ways to trust each other. Scott!” I freeze at her yelling for her husband. She must do this often though because he calmly walks back into the room.

“What do you need, Sylvie?”

“Be kind enough to walk Raelynn out. Tell her how we’ve lasted this long. I’m exhausted.” She looks at me. “I don’t mean to push you out, but,” her voice softens, “you need someone to push you, Raelynn.”

“Thanks.” I’m not sure if I should be thanking her or why, but it feels right. I hug her and gather my things, just in time for Bree to wake up as Scott leads me to the door.

“I don’t know what’s going on and I don’t want to know,” he starts. “But we’ve made it this far because I love my wife.” Scott shrugs as he opens the front door for me. “I love her and I can’t live without her. I do whatever I need to do to make it work because of that. It’s that simple.”

I smile. “Tell her I like your answer better than hers.”