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Trey’s eyebrows rose. “Isit over?”
I gave him a look that promised any manner of violence if he persisted with that particular line of questioning.
Wisely, he stopped. He held his hands up again. “Got it.”
When I continued, I kept my tone even, calm, peaceful—all the things that I absolutely did not feel. “Whether it’s in the past or not is irrelevant. Zoe has never had those feelings for me, and I see no reason why that would change. The moment I told her, I wanted to take it back, because now she’s all curious about me and asking a million fucking questions and trying to get to know me better. I can’t help but think that if I’d just let us go on as we were, it would’ve been easier.”
Christiansen nodded sagely. “You probably made her pretty anxious, shifting her entire perspective on your shared history. Now she won’t have any choice but to wonder if the way you’ve acted is a defense mechanism against your own feelings.”
I blinked.
The rookie hummed. “Andhe gave her all the power.”
A few guys nodded, murmuring their assent.
I buried my head in my hands. “I am never coming to you lot for advice again. You arerubbishat it.”
Trey laughed, laying a comforting hand on my shoulder. “You did what made sense to you in the moment, Liam. And if it’s given the two of you a bit more peace in the situation, then I don’t think you fucked it up. But I’ve always thought that being honest is the best choice in relationships.”
I lifted my head. “Thanks ... I think.”
“Mira’s three, right?” he asked.
I swiped the towel over my neck. “Not quite. In September.”
Brian, one of the offensive linemen, stepped into the conversation. “You’re planning the party already, right?”
“What party?” I asked.
His face got dead serious. “Bro, you need to throw her the most epic birthday party. Look at the shit year she’s had. I’m talking princesses and bounce houses and those big-ass balloon arches and candy stations and shit.”
Trey tilted his head. “What if she wants action heroes? Not all little girls want to be princesses. My daughter wants to be Hulk.”
Brian rolled his eyes. “Fine. Hire Hulk, then.”
Trey smothered a smile. “Or you could keep it simple. Not every kid wants a giant party.”
Brian smacked the back of his head. “Yes, they fucking do. Don’t you do huge parties for your kids?”
“No,” Trey said. “Rochelle and I like family-only birthdays. Kids pick what dinner they want and what games they want to play.”
Brian looked so offended on behalf of Trey’s kids that I almost laughed. Might have if I weren’t drowning in a cold wave of panic.
“How far in advance do you gotta book all that shit?” I asked him.
“Last week,” Brian said. “I’m serious, man. We don’t fuck around with kids’ parties at our house. We hired all the Disney princesses for my daughter’s fourth birthday. Even the mermaid, but you gotta make sure the kids can all swim, because you can’t be putting a mermaid in the pool without knowing if they can swim. Can Mira swim?”
I was getting lightheaded. “I ... don’t think so. She refuses to go in the pool.”
“I’ll give you the name of our swimming instructor. My wife hates how hot she is, but she does a great job with the kids.” He set a hand on my shoulder. “Now, do you need the other number? For the princesses?”
“What do you mean?”
His eyes widened. “Actors, man. They dress up as the characters; they’re so realistic looking. I almost cried when Belle walked in. She was my first childhood crush.”
My voice was rough and uneven when I spoke. “Do they have Moana?”
He nodded slowly. “Oh yeah.”
