Page 22 of Close Your Eyes
“I don’t like that it happened at the club,” I say, passing the ball to him.
He dribbles for a moment before stopping to think. “You wouldn’t mind her being attacked somewhere else?”
Motherfucker. “You know what I mean.” I move toward him, and he dribbles the ball, moving toward the net.
“You need to stay away, Ledger. I’m not kidding. This isn’t some girl you can steal away from another guy, like you did with Jessie in high school.”
I stand tall. “I didn’t steal Jessie away from Adam Fairfax in high school. That was you.”
Roman makes a face. “Was not. Looks like you’re not remembering history properly.”
“Actually, it was Dev, remember?” I say, trying my best to block the ball as he attempts to shoot.
“Shit, you’re right. It was Dev.”
We both laugh, and I’m able to distract him long enough to knock the ball out of his hand, but then my mind’s back to thinking about Posey. I know I need to stop texting her, but all afternoon I’ve been checking my phone like it’s got the winning lottery numbers.
We play uninterrupted for a few minutes until Roman’s phone buzzes. He rushes over to where our stuff is and checks it.
“Greer?” I ask.
He nods. “Yeah, she wants to get takeout tonight.”
I smile, happy that he’s finally found true love. Seriously, I’ve always viewed Greer as a sister, and now she will be.
As soon as Roman proposes. He said he purchased a ring the moment they got together.
“Does she have any clue what you’re planning?”
He shakes his head. “None. I have to tell you something that nobody knows yet.”
“What is it? You knock her up already.” I laugh at my little joke, and when my brother doesn’t laugh back I stall.
My brother smiles from ear to ear, and the air whooshes from my lungs. “Well…” The rest of his sentence hangs in the air. He doesn’t need to finish it because I know I’ve hit the nail on the head.
“I can’t believe this.” I bring him in for a hug. “I’m so happy for you, Roman.”
“I can’t believe I’m going to be a dad.”
“You and Greer deserve to be happy.” And I mean it. Roman’s been struggling with anxiety lately, and I honestly thought he and Greer would never work things out and get together.
But they have, and I’m going to be an uncle.
We finish our game, and as I head home alone, I check my phone once more, happy when I see I’ve got one unread message from Posey.
Do you ever have those days where you feel all alone? That’s where I’m at right now.
Chapter 8
Posey
Holding my phone tightly to my chest, I question whether sending that text to Ledger was a mistake.
What’s that saying? If you play with fire, you’ll get burned.
What they don’t mention is the way the flame makes you feel as you play with it. How playing with fire engages multiple senses. The sight of flames, the warmth, the crackling sound, and even the smell of burning materials can be captivating for some people. Playing with fire is a primal force that’s been essential for survival throughout history. Let us also not forget that fire is associated with control. Being able to manipulate fire can give individuals a sense of mastery over a powerful force of nature, which can be empowering.
So when I sent that text to Ledger, it wasn’t because I thought it would be fun to play with fire. It was more about how I couldn’t help myself. I know it’s wrong.