Centre Spot (Enemies to Lovers #5), page 1
Centre Spot
Enemies To Lovers
She’s off limits.
I have NONE.
BOOK FIVE
Gracie-Mae Harding
gracie-mae.com
Copyright And Disclaimer
This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents either are products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any similarity to actual events or locales or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.
No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in or introduced into a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form, or by any means (electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise) without the prior written permission of the copyright owner. The author acknowledges the trademarked status and trademark owners of various products referenced status and trademark owners of various products referenced in this work of fiction, which have been used without permission. The publication / use of the trademarks is not authorized, associated with or sponsored by the trademark owners.
Copyright © 2021 Gracie-Mae Harding.
All rights reserved.
For more information: gracie-mae.com
Special Invitation
Join my newsletter and get exclusive access to new stories before public release. All you need to do is sign up to be the first to hear and read about new upcoming releases, giveaways, cover reveals, chapter reveals, and much more.
I'll never share your information because your privacy is so important. Your email is safe with me!
Get Free Books
Table Of Contents
Chapter One
Chapter Two
Chapter Three
Chapter Four
Chapter Five
Chapter Six
Chapter Seven
Chapter Eight
Chapter Nine
Chapter Ten
Chapter Eleven
Epilogue
About The Author
Other Books By The Author
Special Invitation
Review This Book
Chapter One
James:
I opened my eyes to my familiar and cozy room. Memories of last night came back to me with a smile. I even had some amazing dreams of Katie that only intensified my feelings for her.
I was lying on my stomach, my head half on and off the pillow, trying to remember parts of a dream I recently had. But after a moment, I realized that her side of the bed was empty. Despite last night being just our first night sleeping together, I can already tell when her presence is gone. My suspicions turned out to be true when I turned and saw that her side of the bed was empty, leaving only cold, ruffled sheets in her place. Maybe she left early to go to work? Last night was amazing. I got chills just thinking about it.
I slid my naked body off my bed, feeling all warm and snug despite the cold air saturating the room. I then headed for the bathroom for a long, warm bath, whistling happily and peacefully. I haven’t felt this happy in a while.
Last night must have taken more energy out of me than I realized because I feel super hungry. I decided to make a delicious breakfast after my shower. Perhaps I'll even try a new recipe before I give Katie a call.
Still whistling, I turned over in my head a couple of recipes I had found online but have never had the chance to try and settle on a Hawaiian-style omelette. It might turn out to be a disaster, but it’s worth trying. I have a lot of free time today anyways. And who knows? I might even make Katie some pasta for lunch and drop it off later on.
Feeling more energy pumped through me, I decided to read through the recipe again for guidance. I realized that I’ll need to look it up again, and that is when I went looking for my cell phone. I made my way over to my living room only to find it lying carelessly on the floor. I might have been careless with it during last night's excitement. I picked it up and unlocked it, finding an open text on the screen. I don’t remember receiving any new messages last night. I realized that despite never opening it, it has been read already. Strange.
As I read the message, I felt as if I might pass out. I figured it must be a sick joke. But what worries me the most is that someone had gotten to it before I did. And it could only have been one person.
Katie:
I walked into the office absent-mindedly, my mind solely focusing on how disastrously my love life is. Just when I think things are great, it comes crashing down again. Maybe I had trusted James a little too much. Even so, a part of me still refuses to believe that James could have played me. That part of me believes that James must have a plausible explanation for whatever is going on. But then again, I had seen the text myself. That was enough proof, wasn’t it?
As I walked closer to my office, I heard Amelia say hello to me but I did not reply. It almost feels like any attempt to talk might cause the bitterness I have been holding in all morning to come cascading down. I’m scared that if I open my mouth to even say hi to her, I will start crying. So instead, I resolved to drown myself in as much work as possible. I can’t do anything about the text I read, but I can focus my energy on getting some work done.
I collapsed into my chair like a bag of flour, feeling fatigued and heavy as I let out a sigh. I had contemplated calling in sick today, but I figured that being at home with my thoughts did not seem like the best idea.
I placed my head on my desk for a moment and closed my eyes, breathing in the fresh air of the office. I heard that deep breathing is supposed to make people feel better when they are stressed, but that did nothing to make me feel better. Soon enough, my cell phone rang, startling me. I picked it up in a move to answer it, but as soon as I caught sight of James’ name on the caller ID, I placed the phone back down.
I’m sure he is calling to apologize. By now, he probably saw the text from Ruth and wants to “explain” himself. I don’t have the energy to hear his apologies. Not now, maybe not ever.
I set a reminder to make sure to pass James’ file on to Fred before the end of the day. I can finally wash my hands of his case since I clearly can no longer manage him properly, especially not now.
A knock on the door jolted me out of my reverie. I looked up to see Amelia’s tall frame walking into my office, holding one of the official phones every secretary in Flash Spot possesses.
“Yes, Amelia?” I said quietly, urging her to state her purpose.
“James Reed is on the phone. He says he’s been trying to reach you,” she said, shifting her weight uncomfortably from foot to foot.
“But you didn’t have to come all the way into my office. You could have just used the intercom,” I stated flatly.
“Yes, I know that. I just wanted to check up on you. You seemed off earlier on,” she said cautiously.
“Yeah. I’m sorry if I was rude. I’m just dealing with some personal stuff right now. I’m sorry,” I confessed, finally looking her in the face.
“I understand,” she said with a small smile.
“Thank you. James is still on hold, yes?” I asked, sounding professional again.
“Yes, he is,” Amelia replied with an enthusiastic nod. I don’t know why but having Amelia here makes me feel better. Just knowing that if I needed her, she’d be there to listen and even give advice brings me a lot of comfort. Ever since we’ve been working together, my secretary has proven to be a blessing to me.
“Well then, please let him know I’m a little busy right now,” I said, signalling to my desk.
“Alright,” she replied promptly and made her way out of my office. As she closed the door, a pang of guilt hit me. James must be frustrated at his futile efforts to reach me by now. Maybe I should hear him out at least. But then again, I was not the one who cheated in the first place. So why should I be the one to feel bad?
After a few hours of my trying and failing to get some work done, I decided to tell Amelia I was sick and would be gone for the rest of the day. Before I left, I had Amelia help me transfer James’ file. I then reorganized my office and left work.
James:
Desperate to reach Katie, I tried calling a few more times, but each call goes straight to her voicemail. After calling more than a dozen times, I decided to stop. If she hasn’t picked up my calls by now or called me back, it means she doesn’t want to talk to me. I decided to let her cool off for a bit then drop by a bit later. Right now, though, the second person I desperately need to talk to is Ruth.
Surely, that text was meant for someone else. Once I call her, she'll admit how she mistakenly sent the text to me instead of some other guy, then apologize for any inconvenience caused and that will be the end of it. Everyone and everything will be okay, and this will all be an annoying mistake. It had to be a mistake.
As if on cue, Ruth's call came in just then. In a rush, I almost dropped the phone. Even though I wish it was Katie calling, I figured it is better to set things straight with Ruth before seeing Katie.
"Hey, James. Did you see my text?" she asked breathily.
"I did. Look Ruth, I am sure that text was meant for someone else. Your boyfriend, perhaps? Either way, your message has caused a lot of stress and trouble and I just wanted to call you so we can straighten this whole thing out. I’m not sure if you were bored and just wanted to play a cruel joke on me, but that wasn’t funny at all," I spewed in a rush.
Ruth paused for a little bit, and I could almost hear her soft breathing. I am getting tired of her silence so I decide to speak up.
"I didn't call to apologize, James. The text wasn't a mistake either. I really am pregnant. With your child," she said softly.
Just then, I felt all the air in me left as if someone had just punched me straight in the guts.
"You have got to be kidding. Is this some kind of joke? That's not even possible!" I exclaimed with a sarcastic chuckle; trying to stay calm, trying not to yell.
"Well, tell that to the growing life inside me," she replied, sounding frustrated.
I ran my hands through my hair in confusion as I felt the room spinning. How is this even happening? I searched through my head for what to say next, but my brain seemed to have shut down.
"James? Are you still there?"
"Yes, yes. I am. So, what are you going to do about your situation?" I asked.
"What are we going to do, you mean? Of course, I'll be having this baby. There's nothing to be confused about. Since you're the father, you'll be taking care of the pregnancy expenses and stuff. Besides that, there's pretty much nothing else ‘to do.’ In a perfect world, we’d move in and live together but I already know you are committed to someone else," she said casually, and with too much audacity might I add.
Move in with me? Okay, Ruth is a great nurse and she was there for me during my hospital stays but this is taking things too far. Did she really think I’d drop Katie and be with her just because she was nice to me? Just then, I remembered our conversation before my surgery. She had spoken about "getting laid by a rich dude." If only I had known that I would turn out to be the scapegoat. Was this her plan all along?
"No one is moving in anywhere, Ruth," I said firmly. "Besides, how can I even be sure that I am the father? There's no proof. You might as well be blackmailing me for all I know. By the way, if I find out there is any foul play on your end, you'll be hearing from my lawyers soon," I pointed out clearly.
I heard her chuckle sarcastically before she replied.
"There's no need to threaten me, James. I might not be a romantic like you, but I am definitely not a whore. But if you wish to be irresponsible about this, it's totally fine. I can manage a pregnancy on my own. I'm a nurse, after all. Just make sure you never ever show your face in front of this baby or me, ever again," she said fiercely before she hung up on me.
Talking to Ruth made me feel uneasy. A big part of me is happy that she is willing to take care of the child on her own. That means that I won’t have to see her ever again. She isn’t as kind as I thought she was or maybe she isn’t as kind as she had pretended to be. Still, another part of me feels crappy knowing that if she is telling the truth, then that means I got her pregnant and decided to dip out of her life. What kind of self-respecting man would do that to a woman and his child? But… I am sure, and I am not sure why I am so confident, that she is lying. We did not have sex! I know it.
I laid back on the floor with thoughts of Katie flooding my mind. The only way to restore our relationship right now will be to explain the entire situation to her and tell her the whole truth, which is precisely what I am going to do.
I pushed myself off the floor and decided to head to her office. Since she won't agree to speak to me over the phone, then it looks like I will have to try the in-person approach.
Chapter Two
James:
As I stepped into Flash Spot’s lobby, I started to walk faster. I need to see Katie because I’m so scared that I might have blown my chance with her. For some reason, a gut feeling tells me that no matter what I have to say, she’ll understand. Hopefully, my instincts are right.
I said hello to Amelia as I continued striding towards Katie’s door.
“She’s not in,” Amelia called out.
“What?” I asked, stopping in my tracks.
“She’s not in,” she repeated gently.
“I mean, I heard you the first time. I called a few hours ago, and you didn’t mention that?” I said, confused. Had Katie instructed her secretary not to let me in?
“Yes, she was in the office earlier today. But she had to leave early– health reasons,” Amelia explained.
Health reasons? Katie is ill?
“Oh,” I said.
“Yes. But you do have a personal contact number for her, don’t you?” she asked good-naturedly.
“Yes, I do. But it’s not really an emergency. I’ll just drop by tomorrow, thanks Amelia,” I replied with a sweet smile as I retraced my steps back to the grand lobby feeling worse than I did when I first walked in.
“Oh, Mr. Reed, you’re here!” I heard a masculine voice called out, causing me to pause.
A refined and polished-looking young man walks up to me with a smile and an outstretched hand which he withdrew as soon as he saw the confused look on my face.
“I’m sorry, we weren’t supposed to meet until tomorrow, but I just thought I might introduce myself while we’re at it. I’m Fred, by the way. Fred Mill, your new publicist,” he said, still wearing his smile.
“What? I never asked for a new publicist,” I replied flatly.
“Yes, I know that. But at the moment, Miss Katie is swamped so she asked me to take over. Don’t worry, I’m sure we’ll get along just fine,” he said, patting my shoulder in a friendly way.
“I guess so,” I said, suddenly feeling very drained.
“Alright then, see you later, Mr. Reed,” he said as he turned to leave. I just nodded in response, still feeling puzzled.
I can’t think of how my day can get any worse. I am pretty sure if I was on fire right now, Katie wouldn’t even look at me. I can feel her slipping away, but I refuse to give up on her or this relationship. I want it too badly, and it is too special to end over something like this. Clearly, being a high-paying client can allow me the right to refuse the offer of a new agent. But that will be an issue to settle for another day. Right now, I just have to talk to Katie.
I decided to drive over to her place. I have to see her, no matter what. With renewed strength, I hopped in my car and zoomed out of the car park. A few minutes later, my cell phone buzzed, and I jumped at it in excitement only to find that it was a call from my coach.
“Hello, coach,” I said.
“Hey boy. What are you up to?” He asked in his usual strict, gruff voice.
“Nothing much coach, I’m just–” I began confusedly, but he cut me short.
“Great then. See you at Camp Field in an hour,” he said flatly, with a note of finality.
“Oh, alright coach,” I replied and hung up.
I know better than to miss my coach’s impromptu meetings, whether he called them for practice reasons or maybe it is just another one of his TED Talks. Sometimes the meeting is just for one person while other times, he would assemble the entire team at Camp Field, the home of Cuba United. More often than not, meetings usually had tangible reasons and motives. Despite that, our coach was a sagacious and intentional man. He always made everyone show up whether or not they would be part of his meeting.
I made a U-turn away from the direction of Katie’s home, and I headed for Camp Field, making a mental note to drop by on my way back.
As I stepped into Flash Spot’s lobby, I started to walk faster. I need to see Katie because I’m so scared that I might have blown my chance with her. For some reason, a gut feeling tells me that no matter what I have to say, she’ll understand. Hopefully, my instincts are right.
I said hello to Amelia as I continued striding towards Katie’s door.
“She’s not in,” Amelia called out.
“What?” I asked, stopping in my tracks.
“She’s not in,” she repeated gently.
“I mean, I heard you the first time. I called a few hours ago, and you didn’t mention that?” I said, confused. Had Katie instructed her secretary not to let me in?
“Yes, she was in the office earlier today. But she had to leave early– health reasons,” Amelia explained.
Health reasons? Katie is ill?
“Oh,” I said.
“Yes. But you do have a personal contact number for her, don’t you?” she asked good-naturedly.
