Absolutely Mine

“You’re not going to answer me?”

I didn’t. I made Mount Vesuvius out of processed cheese and stuffed it into my mouth. It was slightly disgusting, but oddly comforting.

“Okay. How about I tell you what I know and you nod if you agree?”

When I kept quiet, feeling like a petulant teenager, inwardly I argued to myself I had a broken heart and could cry and act stupid if I wanted to.

She lifted a finger. “You got fired.” She lifted another. “Eddie hired you.” A third finger appeared. “You went to Vegas with Eddie.” She snapped out a fourth. “He went to court and annulled his marriage to Chelsea. Good riddance.” She muttered the last. “But it all didn’t make a lick of sense until I found out from today’s headlines that you and Eddie are married.”

I closed my eyes, feeling sick.

“And here I thought I’d been the one with secrets,” she said.

She did have some big ones, which is why there was not a lot of judgment from her.

“Is it true?” she asked.

“Yes,” I said after swallowing the bile that threatened to make an appearance.

She exhaled loudly, sat next to me on the couch, and wrapped her arms around me.

“It all makes sense now.”

“What exactly?” I asked.

“Well, for starters, I’d thought Eddie was protective of you because you were like a little sister to him even when you were being a bitch. But now, I can see the jealousy that simmered there. Poor boy. And I’d made him promise to stay away from you.”

While she sounded amused, I yanked myself away.

“What?” There was a sharpness in my tone that flattened her smile.

I was not appeased by her long-suffering sigh. “He made me promise that I not date his brother, so I made him promise not to make a move on you.”

“And you did that why?” I asked, remembering the little comments Eddie made that I’d ignored.

“Don’t look at me like that. I didn’t think it was a big deal considering how you’d acted like you hated him. You never told me different.”

I deflated. She was right. I had acted like a bitch toward him because I hadn’t wanted anyone to know about my foolish crush. It seemed the joke was on me. If I’d confided in Chris, she might not have made that deal. If he had liked me, maybe things would have been different. That was something I would never know.

“It doesn’t matter. I just hate that people are prying into his personal life.”

“What about you?” she asked.

“I don’t have a job or a career that can be damaged by this.”

“Yeah, but you’re in love with him.”

I glanced up at her and opened my mouth. I wanted to lie, but outside of withholding the truth, I didn’t lie to her ever.

“I’m in love with him and maybe I always will be.”

She gave me a comforting squeeze. “Take my advice then and don’t wait. Talk to him. Time is precious, and the way he’s been on me to fly home and check on you, I would say he’s in love with you too.”

Chapter Eleven

I didn’t exactly take my sister’s advice. Things heated up on social media. Being the brother of one of the NFL’s best quarterbacks and a lawyer for many other superstar athletes, the world took notice of Eddie’s activities. Reports of his movements and who he’d been seen with were reported daily. Everyone was looking for me. For over a month, I hid in my apartment ordering what I needed online, including groceries.

My landlord’s manager had let it be known that I’d had a small group of reporters waiting on me in the parking lot. That’s when he informed me if not for my rent being paid through the next month, he would consider evicting me.

Eventually, another scandal took the media’s attention away from Eddie McCabe who was now single. When that legal document arrived, I’d cried while eating gelato.

The time had come that I couldn’t avoid him anymore. Even though I’d sent him a message weeks ago saying I needed time, I wasn’t sure of my reception when I texted to meet him.

The reply came back asking me to meet him at his place. The thing about text was I had no idea if he was happy or resigned to see me.

I’d been to his gated estate before, so I didn’t need directions or the code to get inside. He really should change it, I thought as I pulled forward. But quickly remembered, it wasn’t my concern.

I parked at the circular drive up front. I wasn’t sure how long I’d be there and wanted to have the option of a quick exit if things went south.

The doorbell chimed as if calling a butler for how regal it sounded.

When the door opened, I wasn’t able to conceal my shock. Chelsea stood there as if she owned the place. Despite all the reports that had played out in the media made by her girlfriend admitting to their conspiracy in order to get paid or so Chelsea claimed, it appeared that Eddie had forgiven her.