AllFreeNovel
Share Us
His white brows shoot up. “You’re moving?”
“I don’t know about that. I bought it for her, and I won’t live there without her.”
He nods, lips pressed together as if he’s thinking better of speaking, but decides to anyway.
“Mr. Shay, in my almost four decades of doing this job, you have been my favorite tenant. You’re kind, generous, and more down-to-earth than any twenty-seven-year-old who makes the kind of money you make should be. But son, in the almost five years you’ve lived here, the only time you’ve been able to step outside is to rush into a car or rush into the building across the street to see your sister. You’re not living here. You’re being watched.” He motions towards the crowd of fans waiting for me out front. “I will miss the heck out of you, but I hope you and Miss Ivers get out of here and find a place where you can have a moment of peace.”
That’s exactly what that house means to me. I sensed it the second I walked in. It had the potential to be a home, and I could picture Indy in every room. I could see her in the garden or the kitchen. I could see her lounging in the living room or in our bedroom.
It’s the perfect place to hide, and I hope she decides to hide with me.
I pat him on the shoulder. “Dave.” Pausing, the two of us exhale a small laugh at my accidental use of Indy’s nickname for him. “David, if I do move, you and the family will have to come over to visit, yeah?”
“We’d love to.”
Harold parks right in front of my building and David opens the lobby door for me.
Keeping my head down, I sign a handful of autographs all while quickly continuing to the car. As soon as I’m safely inside, Harold takes off towards the practice facility where I’ll be rushed into yet another press conference before I’m even allowed to step foot on the court.
Resting my head back, I watch the city zoom by.
I haven’t slept much this week thanks to an overwhelming combination of missing Indy and regretting how I handled that morning a few days ago. I’m proud of her though. If I were an outsider looking in and saw the way I reacted to thinking she was pregnant, I’d want her to leave me too. She deserves to have everything she wants out of life, and a year ago, I’m not sure she would’ve been strong enough to walk away the way she did.
The last thing I want is for her to leave me, but I do love seeing her brave enough to stand up and demand what she wants.
But I am what she wants. I know without a shadow of a doubt that I am.
Now, if she could fucking call me and ask me to move in to the house with her, that’d be great.
She’s lived there for three days now and, yes, I’ve bombarded my sister with texts and calls. She doesn’t tell me much other than that my girlfriend is fine, so I try to leave it at that.
In our press conference, Ethan sits to one side of me and my coach to the other. It’s a nice reprieve to not be the only person behind the mic, but it doesn’t much matter, most every question is still being directed at me.
“Shay.” A reporter in the first row stands and speaks into the microphone. “How are you holding up under the pressure?”
“I don’t feel the pressure.”
Lie. Ethan watching me out of the corner of his eyes confirms that he knows I’m lying too.
“First potential playoff berth in six years if you can pull off the win tonight. You don’t feel any pressure?”
As always, I put on the mask. Calm. Cool. Collected.
“Nope.”
Another reporter stands. “What do you think it will say about your future in this game if you don’t make the playoffs this year? You’ve been in the league for five years now, and you’ve yet to lead your team into the postseason.
“I haven’t thought about it, seeing as I fully intend on us making the playoffs.”
The questions continue, and I couldn’t tell you my response to half of them.
“Since college, you’ve been referred to as the next Michael Jordan. At what point will fans stop making that comparison?”
“Do you think you’re adequately producing to justify the salary you’re bringing in?”
“Do you want a trade? There are stronger teams out there who would snatch you up in heartbeat if you became available. Do you think it may be best for Chicago to start fresh with younger talent?”
“Speaking of trades, do you think this is your last night in a Devils jersey if you can’t pull off the win?”
