Page 109 of Play The Game

Casey Morrison steps forward and wrings her hands nervously, clutching at the—holy fuck—baby strapped to her chest. “I wanted to see you. Your agent called me about your contract; I know how hard you worked for it and I can’t believe you’d throw that away for… for a girl.”

Oh.

Hell.

No.

I step around Harley and cross my arms, pegging this weak and fucking gutless excuse for a mother with a look that rivals the Beaumonts’ in ice. She winces and gives me a watery smile.

“I didn’t mean it like… no, I did, but that was before I heard the song. It was beautiful. You both sound so lovely together.”

I try to ease my glare up a little but it’s impossible to shift. Blaise shakes his head at her, but his eyes are glued to his little brother.

“So you’ve seen I’m fine and now you’re going to, what, leave? Scurry back to Dad? Fuck, I can’t call him that anymore, can I? Go back to your husband, Mrs. Morrison. I’m fine, my girlfriend is none of your concern, and my choices are no longer yours to help shape.”

Casey takes another step forward and looks around at the other parents here, at the teachers all watching their little reunion with badly veiled interest. Being the wife of a billionaire in this level of society must be like living under a microscope.

“I am still your mom and now I’ve left your father. He… he’s left me with nothing and our prenup has protected his right to do that, but I can’t live without you in my life. I thought… I thought I could, but I was wrong.”

Ash snorts and steps up to Blaise, angling his chest until he’s covering his best friend from the prying eyes, the same way Blaise had just done for me.

He looks at her like she’s nothing, and says in a low voice, “If you had ever given a fuck about your son, you would’ve stood up for him against that miserable, egotistical excuse of a man years ago. Choke on your apology. Come on, Morrison. We have a family dinner to get to.”

Then he stalks off. Avery shares a look with me and then follows. Harley tugs at my hand and I nod, shooing him away after his cousins until I’m left standing there with a broken mother and faltering son.

Blaise sighs. “Give me your number. I’ll call you later and we can… figure something out.”

Casey smiles, and I try not to stare at how much she looks like Blaise when she does. It must be all the fucking sadness in her eyes, but I’m not letting her off the hook. Not at all.

Blaise takes the baby from her while she fumbles around for her phone. He smiles down at his little brother, and my heart clenches in my chest at the look of wonder.

Lord help me.

“Isn’t he cute?” he mumbles at me while he pulls faces, and I clear my throat.

“He looks like you, so yeah he’s cute.”

Blaise grins and tries to hand me the baby.

No.

No, thank you. I do not hold small humans. Not ever.

Blaise cackles at the terrified expression on my face, snapping a photo on his phone because apparently, he can just ninja the baby around in his arms like a freaking wizard without dropping it. I feel a little lightheaded and kinda wish I’d left with everyone else.

“Calm down, I’m good with kids. I’m surprised you’re not,” he says, and I roll my eyes at him.

“I have enough on my plate keeping you lot alive, I don’t have time to… hold those things.”

Avery will not stop laughing over the photo.

“I’m framing it and hanging it above your bed, so you remember even during coitus that you shouldn’t ever get pregnant.”

I side-eye her but nod, because I should never, ever have a baby.

Ash scoffs at her. “I was told very sternly by her doctor that those decisions are hers alone, Avery.”

Avery hands him a glass of bourbon and says, sickly sweet, “I have far more say in it than you ever will. Besides, how would that even work? Would you guys draw names out of a hat to see who gets to pass their DNA on?”