Player (A Secret Baby Sports Romance)(80)

Sort of took him off my slow-train to drunken oblivion.

I’d managed to drag him out last night though, which is why I’m here, struggling to be human as I sit in the dark galley of his boat.

Slowly, I manage to stagger up to the deck and breathe. It’s better up here with the fresh air. Kyle looks up from the bow, two coffees from the cafe in the marina sitting in front of his haggard looking face. He looks about as miserable as I feel.

“Remind me to never do that again,” he croaks out, bringing a trembling hand to one of the coffees and pushing it my way.

I wince as I look around the carnage of the top deck of the boat - beer bottles, two empty pizza boxes, and an assortment of half empty bottles of liquor.

I feel my stomach turn. “Which part?”

My eyes drop to the bag of weed open on the table between us, and I raise a brow.

Kyle follows my eyes and groans. “Yeah, great. Now I need to go on a fucking cleanse and call in some favors with the internal testing guys to make sure I get a pass for the next four weeks.” He glares at me as he sips his coffee. “Thanks for that.”

I scowl. “Hey, same here. And shit, you bought it.”

“I did?”

I slump into the padded bench across from him, gratefully inhaling the coffee. “Actually I have no idea.”

He grins and flips me off. I let my head dip back, closing my eyes and letting the LA sun beat down across my face.

“Austin Taylor?”

Kyle and I both turn to glance down over the edge of the boat at the sound of a woman’s voice.

I do a double take.

She looks vaguely familiar, dressed to the nines standing there on the dock in glittery heels and expensive looking jewelry.

“Uh, yeah?”

Goddamnit I am not in the mood for fucking Instagram selfies or whatever bullshit this is.

“Can I come up?”

Kyle mutters something as he stands. “Look, this is a private marina, miss, and we need you to respect Mr. Taylor’s priv-”

“Yeah, I’m not interested in a fucking autograph, or football at all for that matter.”

Damn, this girl has a mouth on her.

Kyle frowns. “Look, lady-”

“My name is Vivian Ames.”

My brow shoots up as Kyle and I look at each other.

“Yeah, uh, come on up,” he mutters when I nod at him.

Vivian looks disdainfully around the boat once she makes her way up the gangway.

Kyle clears his throat. “We, uh- we had a party.”

“Evidently.”

Her eyes drop to the bag of weed on the table, and I see her grin as Kyle hastily shoves it away.

I glance up at her, squinting through the hangover and the late morning sun. “So, look, whatever you’re here for-”

“Do you love my sister?”

The question takes me by surprise, and I frown, scratching my chin. “Excuse me?”

“It’s a simple question, Austin.” She holds me gaze, that same fiery look I recognize from her sister.

“It’s complicated.”

“It’s not, actually,” she snaps.

I narrow my eyes at her. “Look, she’s getting married.”

Vivian rolls her eyes. “Clearly I’m aware of that.” She gestures down at her dress, and the little bunch of flowers tied to her wrist, and suddenly my stomach drops.

“Wait, today?!”

She nods, and I drop back against the bench, grinding my teeth and staring at the floor.

“Send her my congratulations.”

Vivian sighs loudly, narrowing her eyes at me before darting them to Kyle. “May I speak alone with your friend here?”

Kyle starts to stand, but I shake my head. “Whatever you’ve gotta say, he can hear it.”

Her mouth goes smaller. “Austin, I think you’ll want to hear this privately.”

“I don’t see what could be so-”

“Natalie’s pregnant.”

Something inside of me breaks. Because, now I’ve really lost. I lost the girl, and now she’s having a damn kid with that fucking…

I can feel my vision swimming as I narrow my eyes at Natalie’s sister. “Jesus, why the fuck do you think I’d need to hear-”

“Because it’s yours, you big idiot!”

And that’s when the bottom drops out. That’s when the whole world comes to a screeching halt and shifts violently beneath my feet.

Vivian makes a face. “Jesus, did you think it’d be Vince’s? Good God no. Natalie’s been sleeping in the damn guest room for the last two weeks.”

I grin. It’s a weird, small victory, but I’ll take it.

“Look, my sister is carrying your child, and about to make the mistake of her life – for you I might add. I thought you might like to do something about that.”