Total pages in book: 40
Estimated words: 37217 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 186(@200wpm)___ 149(@250wpm)___ 124(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 37217 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 186(@200wpm)___ 149(@250wpm)___ 124(@300wpm)
“Don’t pretend like you know me.”
“I know you well enough to know that much about you.”
“Why are you doing this, Ryder? You can probably have any woman you want. Why are you forcing yourself on me?”
“I’m not forcing you. I mean, you have a choice here.”
“If I don’t break up with him and date you instead, you’ll ruin Carter’s career and my reputation. That doesn’t sound like much of a choice to me.”
He shrugs. “You may not like it, but it’s still a choice.”
“But why? Why me? You can go out and have any number of beautiful women out there. Why are you doing this to me?”
“Because you said no. And nobody says no to me,” he says with another shrug. “Like I told you before, all I do is win and get what I want when I want it.”
“If my father finds out you’re blackmailing me—”
“Don’t flatter yourself, Cami. You’re just a trainer. You’re replaceable. I’m not. They gave up so much, they can’t afford to cut me.”
“You don’t know that—”
He cuts me off with another shrug. “As long as you do what I say, we won’t have to even worry about the answer to that question. So, let’s get started. Go put on something nice. We’re gonna be late. I have a reservation at—”
“This is not going to happen, Ryder.”
“Of course, it is. You know what happens if you don’t do as I say.”
I shake my head. “I’m not going to do this. I’m not breaking up with him, and I’d rather die than go out with you.”
His expression darkens as his eyes narrow to slits and his mouth curls back in a sneer. I don't think Ryder would physically hurt me. But the rage on his face is terrifying and makes me wonder if I'm wrong about that.
“Cami, I get what I want. One way or another, I get what I want. And what I want right now is for you to go put on some fucking nice dress. We’re gonna go out, have a nice dinner, and I’ll kiss you in public. Let’s go. Now.”
“I won’t.”
“If you don’t do what I say, I’m going straight to your father. And when he sees the pictures I had my guy take of you and Carter, all hell is going to break loose. Are you sure you want to be the one who causes that? Are you sure you want your daddy to know that you're fucking somebody twice your age?”
My heart is hammering so hard in my chest, I’m half-expecting to see it burst right through my skin. Letting out another deep breath, I raise my gaze to him.
“Do we have enough?” I ask. “Do we have it?”
A look of confusion crosses Ryder’s face. “What are you talking about?”
Carter saunters out of my darkened bedroom, a cocky grin on his face. He walks over to the entertainment center and pointedly picks up his phone, which had been recording the whole time. Never taking his eyes off Ryder, he runs his fingers over the screen, and a moment later, we hear the telltale whoosh of an email being sent.
“What the fuck is this?” Ryder demands.
“This is you getting what you deserve, not necessarily what you want,” I say.
“What are you talking about?” he snarls.
“Cami and I went to Coach B earlier this evening,” Carter says. “We told him everything. Told him we’ve been seeing each other for a little while now. There are no secrets anymore.”
“Why would you do that? He’s going to cut you,” Ryder snaps. “You’re a fucking idiot.”
“Actually, he’s not. He appreciates the fact that we fessed up. But even if he had, I would have been okay with it. The one thing I realized through all of this is that Cami is more important to me than football. She makes me happier than anything that happens out on that field, So, I made the decision that I was going to be with her regardless of what her father thought and regardless of the consequences for my roster spot.”
When Carter told me what his plan was, I wasn’t convinced it was the best path forward. I was certain my dad would cut him there on the spot. I tried talking Carter out of it, but he wasn’t going to be dissuaded. He’d made up his mind and that was that. When we sat down with my dad at his house to tell him, I was trembling like a leaf and had a sick feeling in my belly. But he surprised me by actually being open to what we were telling him.
To be fair, my dad isn't entirely thrilled with the relationship. He's not exceptionally happy with the fact that Carter is fifteen years my senior. But he surprised me by being "okay" with it. He recognizes the fact that I’m a grown woman and capable of making my own decisions. And since we’re not violating any rules, he said as long as Carter treats me well and makes me happy, we have his blessing—with the caveat that if Carter hurts me, my father is going to murder him.