The Wild Card, page 12
He did, I’ll give him that. I just thought Jerry was a lonely and forgetful guy, not someone who broke into my apartment to wear my underwear.
It’s fine. I’m good. Just getting settled.
Okay, you let us know if you need anything. Love you.
Love you. Good luck on the road.
Talk to Leighton about a date when you can both join us out here.
And what am I going to do while the two of you fuck like bunnies?
You can spend time with Decker. ;)
If he only knew I’d recently made an agreement to never be alone with the man.
I want to inquire if he knows what’s up with the whole Foster and Decker thing, but I can’t seem too invested. Hayes will wonder why I care so much.
Bye…
I toss my phone onto my bed, staring at all the boxes I have to unpack. Just wanting to tear off the Band-Aid, I dial Leighton, unsure if it’s even her day off.
But she picks up right away. “It’s about time. I feel like I’ve lost my best friend.” From the background music, I’d say she’s doing dishes.
“Me? You’re the one in a love bubble. I’m just surviving.”
She sighs, and I hear the music turn off. I keep her on speaker and explore the apartment rather than sitting in my room.
It’s surprisingly neat.
“So… baby is good?”
“Yeah, everything looks good. I’m about six weeks along.”
She screeches then coos. “I can’t wait to hold him or her. So the father is okay with it?” She leaves her question hanging.
“I have to tell you something, and it’s not who the father is. I promise I’ll tell you soon, but I want to get to three months before I say anything to Hayes and the world at large. I don’t know, maybe I’m stalling, but I feel superstitious about it.”
“Ugh… Callie… it’s killing me. You have no idea how thankful I am that he’s gone for ten days so I don’t have to look at him every day and think I’m keeping something from the man I love.”
I cringe. “I’m sorry.”
And I really mean it. I wish the circumstances were different. I doubt Hayes will want to kick Foster’s ass, but he will be upset with us to a degree.
“I know, and I want to give you the space you need to figure this out. And since I’m the one who fell in love with your brother, I’m partly to blame. So, I’m going to stop giving you a guilt trip.”
I really have the best friend anyone could ask for. “Okay, well… are you ready for the big news? Do you already know? Did Hayes message you?”
“No! Now he’s keeping secrets from me?” She sounds offended. “What is it?”
“Well… I’m in Foster’s condo right now.”
“Are you trying to slyly tell me who the baby daddy is without outright telling me?”
I laugh and sink into the couch. “No. It’s a weird situation because Foster happened to be with me when I went home and found Jerry in my bra and panties.”
A sound rings over the line, and I think it might be her gagging. “Say that again?”
“You heard me. And he happened to be wearing my favorite set—the first date one, you know.”
She sighs. “Not the black mesh one with the flowers?”
I nod although she can’t see me. “Yup.”
“I’m so sorry. How are you doing? You must feel so violated.”
I’m not sure I’ve had time to process my feelings about what went down with Jerry. I do feel violated, and it only heightens my trust issues and my lack of confidence at being able to determine someone’s character—men especially. I reported the incident to the building owner, but I have no idea what happened since I’m no longer there.
When I finally took a shower after all that, I swear I took off a layer of skin.
“Honestly, I’ve been more processing the fact that I’ve moved in with Foster Davis. I mean…” I let my sentence fade.
Leighton is a smart girl. She knows I wouldn’t hang out with Foster on my own, so telling her I moved in with him pretty much confirms he’s the father of my baby. I mean, I wouldn’t be moving in with him if Decker or Easton were the dad. But I don’t want to officially confirm it. It would just be one more detail she has to keep from my brother.
“Were you at a doctor’s appointment with Foster?” Then she quickly says, “No. Don’t answer that. I can’t know.”
“Anyway, he was kind of adamant about me moving in with him. And now I’m in his condo while he’s gone for their back-to-back road series, and I’m not sure what to do.”
“Want me to come over? I can help you unpack.”
I’d love for her to, but this feels like something I need to do on my own. “How about we meet down at Peeper’s later?”
For some reason, I want to have some time alone to reflect on everything that’s going on in my life—how I got here, where it’s headed.
“Sure. I’ll call my mom and Aunt Iris to watch the kids.”
“Great.”
“Hey, Cal?” she says, and I know she probably hears it in my voice. “You got this. Like, you know that, right? You’re going to be a kick-ass mom, and if Hayes gets upset, he’ll get over it. And maybe…”
“Don’t say it.” I bring my legs up and hug them to my chest.
“I am going to say it because once upon a time, I needed someone to tell me when I was about to get in my own way. So humor me, okay?”
I don’t say anything.
“I know your hang-ups, and the reasons you have them are beyond valid, but you get to choose this. You’re in control, and if Fos… er… whoever the dad is doesn’t step up or somehow isn’t a good person, you can pivot. I’ll help you move out and everything, but I just want you to give yourself a chance at this.”
“At what?” Tears fill my eyes.
She really does know me.
All the times I’ve felt second best in my life. The “rebound girl” was what my friends referred to me as in college. Just date Callie, then you’ll meet the one for you. She’s like a cleansing bath. Hang around her because she’s so fun, have sex with her, and then you’re ready to meet your one and only. They all meant it as a joke, but at some point, it didn’t feel that way. Probably because that was exactly what kept happening. So I learned to laugh it off as though I didn’t care, even though it burrowed under my skin, and I carried it with me everywhere.
“I don’t need to spell it out for you, but I am wondering if Foster isn’t who we think he is. I mean, he moved you in, right?” Leighton says.
If she only knew how adamant he was about it. How protective he seems to be. I can’t lie, the desire still courses between us every time we’re in the same room, but I refuse to allow it to ruin any kind of good co-parenting relationship we might have.
“We made a deal.”
“A deal? Was it something sexual?”
I balk. “No. Jesus, Leighton. He’s going to get me my five big-time guests in exchange for me living here.”
She doesn’t say anything for a moment.
I grow paranoid when she remains silent. “What?”
“Nothing. I’m just… I mean, I knew he couldn’t be that bad if Hayes liked him so much, but why is he wanting you so close?”
“Jeez, remind me to call you more often.”
She laughs. “I just mean… Hayes was telling me about… it doesn’t matter—”
“Don’t you dare. What were you going to say, Leighton?”
She sighs. “He kind of has a woman in each of the cities they visit. Like, he doesn’t sleep around, it’s just one woman in each city. So it surprises me that he wants you living with him. I think it says more about him. Things you might discover while you live there.”
“Which would be?”
“That Foster Davis might be the bad boy of baseball, but he’s far from a bad boy in real life. That there’s a very different version of him not a lot of people get to discover.”
“It doesn’t mean he’s going to show it to me.”
I don’t know why I’m arguing. Foster already has shown me some of those parts of himself. Maybe because I’m afraid for it to be true.
“I think he already is, but you’re going to have to open your door a little wider and give him the opportunity to walk through.”
“When did you get so philosophical?”
She laughs. “I’m just trying to get you out of your own way. Callie, you deserve all the happiness in the world, and so does that little one growing in your belly.”
My hand falls to my stomach, and I really take in her words. “Thanks.”
“That’s what best friends are for. You did the same for me, but I must say I think I was kinder about it.”
A laugh bubbles out of me. “Probably, but you and Hayes are so stubborn.”
“And you’re not? I think it’s a Carlisle family trait to defy all reasoning and advice.”
I chuckle, then sober quickly. “It’s scary.” My voice is practically a whisper.
“Yeah, it is, but the reward could be pretty great.”
I’m sexually attracted to Foster, sure. But I barely know him, and the thought of us taking a chance, and it not working out… plus, I have no idea where his head is even at.
“Okay, missy. I’ll see you tonight.”
We say our goodbyes, and I hang up, then look around the condo.
Open myself up to being hurt again? Might as well hold a loaded gun right to my heart.
CHAPTER
NINETEEN
Foster
I’m beat. All I want to do is drop my bags at the door, walk to my bedroom, and collapse on my bed. I never sleep well at hotels, and a ten-day stint in them has made me feel like an insomniac.
I type in the code for the main gate, and we all make our way into the building. Decker and Easton peel off on their floors, none of us bothering with a goodbye because we’re exhausted and we lost earlier today, so we’re in shit moods.
I push open the door, and the first thing I notice is a soft glow and the scent of… vanilla?
Stepping into my condo, I look around and notice a lot of changes since I left ten days ago. I lean back to make sure I’m on my floor. It would be just like Decker to have this girly feel to his condo.
Yep, definitely my place.
Callie steps out of the spare room, which I need to think of as her room now. “Oh, you’re back.”
Is she even wearing shorts under that giant sweatshirt? Two seconds in the door and I’m already faced with temptation.
But it’s a Chicago Grizzlies sweatshirt, and the caveman who only comes out when I’m around her wants to tear it off of her and throw my Colts sweatshirt over her head. Fuck, I need to get this beast under control.
She must notice me staring at her shirt because she looks down. “Oh, I found this in the back of the closet. I wonder how long it was there for.”
“I heard the condo was Miles Cavanagh’s place before Tweetie’s. Back when they called this place The Den.”
She nods, appearing to have no intention of taking off the damn thing.
Fuck Miles Cavanagh.
“Sorry about the game, but you won the Texas series. That’s good, huh?” She flits over to the fridge and pulls out a water. “Want one?”
I drop my bag by my bedroom door and walk to the kitchen, seeing that sadly, she is wearing shorts. They’re just short as fuck, showing off her long, lean legs.
“Sure, thanks.”
She smiles, straightens, and hands me a water. I peer into the fridge before the door shuts and see that it’s filled with food.
She must notice me looking because she grabs the door and holds it open as though she’s a The Price is Right model. “Look. Real food.”
There’s fruit and milk and eggs, and it looks like no fridge I’ve ever had in my life. At least not one I remember, but those years before I lived with only my dad are fuzzy at best.
“Good,” I mumble, twisting off the bottle cap and downing half the bottle.
She pulls out a pouch of microwavable popcorn, puts it in the microwave, and leans against the counter. “Shit, I’m sorry. I’m not supposed to engage with you, right?” She cringes.
“I decompressed on the plane and bus. It’s fine.”
“Do you want to talk about it then?”
I shake my head. “I sucked and lost the game for us. Not much else to say.”
She opens a cabinet and pulls down a bowl. Does she already know where everything is in my place?
Of course she does, asshole. You gave her full access, and you’ve been gone for ten days.
“I don’t think it helped that the DICs didn’t get one hit the entire game. They’re definitely in a slump lately. All three of them.”
“You watched the games?” I fiddle with the back of the breakfast stool, contemplating if I should sit or not. Is this what people do? Am I being presumptuous that she wants to talk to me if I sit down? Maybe she just wants to make her popcorn and go back to her room.
“Yeah, my brother plays for the team.” She chuckles.
“Of course.” I was a fool to think otherwise.
“I’m kind of invested in all of you. And in my opinion, Blue messed up two of those calls. Greer was out before he ever got that hit.”
I’m not sure the last time I talked game to anyone outside of coaches and teammates. She’s not trying to placate me with things like “it’s just a game” and “the shitty comments don’t matter.” I like it a little too much.
“That’s what pissed me off so much.” I immediately regretted showing my emotions on the mound. Although I didn’t yell at Blue like I normally would, I saw the replay. Hayes calling time right away and coming to visit me on the mound. Me giving the ump a death glare and mouthing off, just not directly to him.
“I saw, but you had good reason. You guys lost because Blue called that one pitch a ball when it was right on the outside corner.”
I slide up on the stool, and she takes the popcorn out of the microwave and puts it in a bowl. Then she places it between us.
“Did you eat on the plane?”
“We did, but who can say no to popcorn?” I grab a fistful, and she gets up on the counter, legs crossed. “Your brother got me addicted back in Seattle.”
She laughs. “It’s kind of a Carlisle obsession, honestly. I feel like it was a nightly snack in our house growing up. So now every time I want to get cozy and watch television, I make a bowl.”
I turn to look at the family room area and see that the television is paused. There’s a blanket thrown on the back of the couch. “Oh, you were going to watch something? Sorry, didn’t mean to interrupt.” I slide off the stool. “I can give you some privacy.”
She chuckles. “Stop. I don’t need privacy.”
I’ve never felt like such a fool. I palm the back of my neck. “Oh.”
She chuckles again. “It’s weird, right?”
“It’s been a long time since I’ve lived with a woman.”
She slides off the counter, and I’m surprised by the disappointment I feel. I would’ve enjoyed a little more time with her.
“You lived with a woman?” Her shock takes me a minute to figure out—she assumes it was a romantic partner.
“I didn’t mean it that way. It’s just that I moved in with my dad when I was eleven. He wasn’t big on comfort items.”
She picks up the bowl. “I see. Well, now that you have a woman’s touch back in your life, you might not ever want to go back.” She smiles. “Want to join me and watch some reality television where we can worry about other people’s drama instead of our own?”
I don’t want to interfere, and I’m not sure where the line should be drawn. Sure, she’s here because I want to know her better, but how much should our lives intertwine?
“Um…”
She places the bowl on the table and walks back over to stand in front of me. It’s really unfair how hot she is. I mean, your best friend’s little sister should not be this fucking attractive.
She says, “Go get changed into comfy clothes and come watch. I’ll explain who everyone is to you.”
“I don’t know.”
“What are you going to do in there?” She motions toward my bedroom. “Brood over the loss? Think how things should’ve gone differently? Let me take your mind off it.”
I know a way she could get my mind off it.
She puts her hands on her hips and tilts her head, waiting for my answer.
I nod. “Give me five.”
She smiles, appeased, and turns to walk away. “Oh, are you okay with the candle? You’re not sensitive to scents, are you?”
“It’s girly, but…” I look around the place, and it definitely has a different feel to it than it did ten days ago. “It smells nice.”
She looks so happy that I want to admit that coming home tonight was, for lack of a better word, nice. Yeah, coming home to someone was really fucking nice.
Instead, I turn around and go into my bedroom, shutting the door. It’s the one space she hasn’t touched, and I can’t help but notice how cold and bleak it feels.
My chest tightens.
Maybe living together was the worst idea I’ve ever had because she’s already getting under my skin—in a good way. And nothing good can come of that.
CHAPTER
TWENTY
Callie
It feels surreal—walking next to a man in the grocery store as he pushes our cart is some serious domestic shit I never thought I’d be doing, let alone with Foster Davis.
“I figured you were a takeout kind of guy?” I eye the fruit as we walk through the produce section.
A few people have glanced our way. Foster is a little different than Hayes. While my brother almost always wears his ball cap out, Foster doesn’t seem to care as much. Maybe because of his reputation, people don’t approach him as much or don’t feel as comfortable as they do with Hayes.
