by M. A. Foster
I was shattered. I took a deep cleansing breath and turned for the door. “Come on, Princess Buttercup,” I called to my dog, who was quick to obey. At least someone was loyal. “I wish I could say it was nice meeting you, too. I’ll let Liam know you stopped by.”
LIAM
Vanessa wasn’t answering my calls. I should’ve known my world was going to come crashing down. I’d felt it the moment I pulled out of the driveway that morning.
It started with a shitty play on the field. Crack! The ball was coming right at me. I hustled forward, but before I could grab the ball, it hit the ground first and rolled, bouncing off the tip of my cleat. I lifted my gloved hand to block my face, but the ball clipped the outer edge of my glove and smacked me in the cheek. It hurt like a bitch, but it could’ve been much worse. Luckily, the only thing broken was my pride, but in the end, we lost.
After the game, I showered and went to my locker to check my phone. There were dozens of texts from my family checking to see if I was okay, but it was the one from Milana that piqued my interest. She was a neighbor and a friend, but things had gotten weird a few months ago, and we hadn’t spoken since. I stopped by your place with a peace offering. I met Vanessa and apologized for what I did. I think I made things worse.
Fuck!
A combination of panic and fury weighed heavily on my chest. I hadn’t told Vanessa about Milana, so of course her showing up at my house was going to make my life hell.
With my phone clutched in my hand, I took a deep breath. My stomach was in knots. Because of my face and the fact that I couldn’t focus on anything but getting in touch with Vanessa, I let Cam drive us home.
Dread filled my stomach as we rolled to a stop outside the double iron gates. After what felt like for-fucking-ever, they finally swung open, and Cam sped up the driveway.
“Who’s that?” Cam asked as he parked beside the silver SUV idling in the driveway.
“Fuck if I know.”
We both climbed out of the car, and Cam hurried inside.
The driver of the SUV eyed me skeptically as I peered through the tinted windows. Two large suitcases were lying on the back seat, and Princess Buttercup’s crate was in the far back with her inside.
Vanessa was leaving me.
Before I could even process what was happening, the front door slammed, pulling my attention toward the house and Vanessa as she stomped down the steps, glaring daggers at my head.
“I met your friend Milana today,” she said bitterly, drawing out the words “your friend.”
“Let me explain.”
Vanessa huffed as she stopped in front of me. The tip of her tongue darted out to lick the corner of her mouth, and that was when I noticed her nose was red and her cheeks were wet with tears. My gaze flicked up to her eyes, red-rimmed and swollen.
“Vanessa.” I reached for her, but she jerked away.
“The only thing I ever asked from you in this relationship was honesty. I told you—” Her voice cracked, and she paused to take a breath. “I specifically asked you to tell me if you needed a break. I would’ve been hurt, Liam, but I would’ve understood.”
My heart dropped like a lead weight into the pit of my stomach, and my throat constricted to the point of choking. “I know I fucked up, but—”
“You didn’t just fuck up,” she cut in, shaking her head as she slipped the ring from her finger and slapped it against my chest. “You broke your promise. I told you cheating is a deal breaker for me.”
A cold sheen of sweat covered my skin. “Vanessa, please just listen—”
My explanation was cut off when she shoved my chest. An animalistic screech ripped from her throat, breaking my heart.
“I gave up everything to be with you,” she screamed hysterically. “And you—” She shook her head, lowering her voice as she turned to the SUV, her hands balled into fists. “I hate you.”
I deserved that. But she had it all wrong.
“I didn’t cheat on you,” I pleaded, my voice wavering. “We’re just friends.”
She threw me a scathing look over her shoulder as she yanked open the rear passenger door and slipped into the back seat. “If you were just friends, then why did you kiss her?”
“I didn’t kiss her,” I argued. “She kissed me.”
She leaned toward the open doorway. “Because you never told her about me. You had dinner with her—you hung out with her—for weeks, and it never occurred to you to mention your girlfriend until a line was crossed. I’m not buying it. You knew exactly what you were doing. You brought this on yourself, Liam.”
She reached for the handle to close the door, but I gripped the top to keep it open. “This isn’t prom, Vanessa. You can’t just take off. We’re married.” My eyes welled with tears. “Stay. Please.” My heart was racing. I was panicked, afraid, and pissed. My cheek throbbed, and I wanted to punch something.
She shook her head, sobbing. “No.”
“You and me, Vanessa.”
She shook her head again. “Not anymore.”
“Vanessa,” I growled. “If you leave, it’s over.” I didn’t mean it, but I was desperate. But once Vanessa made up her mind, that was it.
“It was over the moment you started hanging out with your new friend behind my back.” She sniffed. “You broke my trust, you broke my heart, and”—she choked out another sob—“you broke us.”
JUNE. PRESENT DAY.
LIAM
Whoosh!
The ball slams into my glove and I shuffle to my right, tagging the runner out at second before sending the ball to Alonzo at third for a double play and the win, five to two. There’s a mixture of cheers and boos from the crowd, as we just handed Chicago their asses on their home turf.
Reynolds, our starting pitcher, falls in line beside me and slaps a hand on my back as we jog back toward the dugout where the rest of our teammates are celebrating the win.
“Yo, Mackenzie,” Alonzo calls out as I enter the locker area from the showers. “We’re hitting up Foxy’s tonight when we get back to LA. You in?” He jerks a thumb over his shoulder. “Preston’s got a hard-on for Pink Kitty.” He holds his hands out in front of his chest. “The one with the big titties.” He throws his head back and laughs at his own joke. No one is more entertained by Alonzo than Alonzo.
I chuckle at his ridiculousness as I dig around in my bag and pull out my deodorant.
“Her name is Kitty,” Preston argues. “I just said she’s nice.”
“Of course she’s nice. She’s a stripper, and you got a fat wallet.”
“She’s not a stripper. She’s an entertainer.”
The whole locker room explodes with laughter except for Preston, whose face is flushed with embarrassment.
Poor kid.
Alonzo shakes his head in disbelief. “Holy hell, Preston. You fucked her, didn’t you?”
Preston smirks. “A gentleman never tells.”
Another round of laughter erupts. As team captain, I could put an end to Preston’s misery, but he’s gotta take his licks like the rest of us.
“I think Preston might be in love,” I add teasingly as I pull on a pair of boxer briefs and toss my towel into the locker. “Maybe you can double-date with Reynolds and his soon-to-be fiancée.”
“Hey, I resent that,” Tyge defends. “Heather and I have only been dating for three weeks.”
Tyge Reynolds is a serial dater who claims they’re all “the one,” but none of his relationships ever last more than a month. Some of them didn’t even look old enough to date, like they should’ve been at prom and not walking the red carpet of the ESPYs. Not that I have much room to talk. I snatched Vanessa up at the ripe age of eighteen, after all.
Instead of breaking things off in person, Tyge sends flowers thanking them for a wonderful time and wishing them the best.
Dumbass.
How do I know this? Because Tyge Reynolds is my roommate. He moved in with me after my best friend, Cam, signed with the Tampa Bay Thunder. I�
�ve lost count how many times I’ve come home to find smashed vases, shredded flowers, and crumpled-up cards. I may have read one or five.
All I can say is thank fuck for the security gate.
“As much as I’d love to tag along and watch the shitshow, I gotta catch a plane. My baby is getting married tomorrow,” I say to no one in particular.
My baby is actually my niece, Jayla—Jay for short. Though she’s not really my baby anymore now that she’s eighteen. She’s my favorite person in the entire world and the only child of my sister, Emerson, and her late husband, Marcus, who passed away about a year and a half ago.
“Shit. That’s this weekend?” Alonzo asks.
“Yep.” I grin as I’m greeted with a round of “Cheers” and “Congratulations.”
Jay’s wedding is all the media has been talking about for the past month, calling it the wedding of the year.
“I can’t believe Jay’s getting married.” Deacon shakes his head in disbelief.
Deacon is one of my best friends. He was drafted as a first baseman around the same time as Cam and me. When Cam moved on to play for the Thunder, no one—and I mean no one—was more devastated than me, but Deacon was pretty bummed.
Tyge plops down on the bench beside me. “I can believe it.” He chuckles. “She’s been dating that kid since kindergarten.”
“His name is Zach, jackass.” I slug him in the arm. “You’re still coming, right?”
“Fuck yeah. I’m flying in with Dad tomorrow afternoon.”
Tyge’s father is one of LA’s top entertainment lawyers. He and Marcus were good friends, so Tyge’s known Jay for quite a while.
I quickly finish dressing, grab my bag, and head for the door. “I’m out. See you in a couple days.”
“Excuse me?” I look over my shoulder to find a petite woman with short blonde hair standing just a few feet away. Her hands are resting on the shoulders of a little blond boy who looks about six or seven years old. “Liam Mackenzie?” she asks.
“That’s me.” I smile.
“We were just on the same flight as you,” she tells me as she nudges the little boy forward. “This is my son, Cody. He’s your biggest fan. We don’t mean to bother you, but would you mind taking a picture with him?”
These are the moments in my career that I live for. Kids are the real deal. Their excitement is 100 percent authentic, and it’s something I’ll never tire of.
Baseball became my obsession at the early age of four after my sister bought me a plastic T-ball set, a glove, and a bright red baseball cap with “Mackenzie” stitched across the back. I became obsessed with the game. I never thought I’d love anything more than baseball until Vanessa.
After she and I split, I went off the rails. I stopped giving a shit about myself, my career, my reputation… hell, my life. I drowned myself in women and booze until my family confronted me and verbally kicked my ass.
Since then, my focus has been entirely on my career.
“Of course.” I set my bag on the ground and gesture for Cody to come to my side. Placing my hand on his shoulder, I feel him vibrating with nervous excitement. His mother snaps a few pictures with her phone before slipping it into her purse. “Thank you so much.”
“My pleasure.” I look down at the little boy. “It was nice to meet you, Cody.”
He smiles up at me, and I notice he’s missing one of his front teeth. “You, too, Mr. Mackenzie.”
I chuckle. “Call me Liam.”
I hold out my fist, and he bumps it with his. “Liam.”
“Thank you so much for your time.” She holds out her hand, and I shake it.
“My pleasure.”
A horn honks in the distance, and I look over just as a shiny black Denali pulls up to the curb. The passenger window rolls down, revealing a familiar face behind the wheel.
“Well, that’s my ride.” I wave to Cody and his mom and walk over to the truck.
“What up, son?” Bass drawls.
“Sup, B.” Reaching through the window, I pound my fist against his before opening the back passenger door, tossing my bag inside, and then climbing into the front seat.
“Congrats on the W,” he says as he pulls away from the curb and eases into the flow of traffic.
“Thanks, man.”
Bass is Emerson’s best friend. They met their sophomore year of college after he’d sustained a career-ending football injury. Marcus hired Bass to be his right-hand man and to look after my sister, then Jay after she was born. He’s been a part of the family ever since.
The rehearsal dinner is at an upscale establishment called Private Affair. It’s a high-class club for patrons looking for a low-key night out. Privacy comes at a cost, and this place is the most exclusive club in Heritage Bay. I made sure of it when I bought it.
“There’s my boy,” my father cheers, wrapping me in a hug and smacking me on the back before pulling away.
It’s evident by the flush on his cheeks and the twinkle in his eyes that he’s had a few drinks. It’s not often I get to see him let loose like this. Even in his midsixties, he still gets up and goes to work every day at the hospital.
“You look good, Dad.”
“I feel good,” he replies with a wide grin, throwing an arm around my shoulders. “I always feel good when everyone I love is under the same roof.”
I rarely get to come home during the season unless my team is playing against Tampa Bay or there’s a family emergency. Occasionally, I squeeze in a quick trip for one of my mother’s charity events. And, of course, Jay’s wedding.
“Uncle Liam,” a sweet feminine voice calls to me, and I turn my head to see Jay crossing the room.
She looks absolutely stunning in a white one-shoulder fitted dress and heels. Her long dark hair is pulled into a high ponytail, and she’s wearing makeup. I shake my head in disbelief. When the hell did she grow up?
“There’s my favorite girl,” I say, hugging her tightly. “I’ve missed you.”
“I’ve missed you, too,” she replies before pulling away. “I’m glad you’re here. I was worried you wouldn’t be able to get away, and I didn’t want this wedding to happen without you.”
“I wouldn’t miss it for the world.” I tug lightly on her ponytail, and she smiles. “Look at you,” I croon. “You’re so happy you’re glowing.”
Jay rolls her eyes playfully. “I’ll be much happier when this wedding is over with.” She turns to face the room and fixes her gaze on her other half, Zach. “I didn’t think it was possible to love him more than I did the day we eloped.”
Jay and Zach’s love story started when they were just kids. A few months ago, they flew down to St. Thomas for spring break and secretly eloped. They managed to keep their marriage hidden for nearly two months before someone leaked the details of their marriage applications. The news spread like wildfire. My sister was pissed, and needless to say, the families were not happy. Emerson works in PR, and this wedding is her way of doing damage control and protecting Jay’s sweetheart image.
“It’s possible,” I tell her.
Jay turns back to me with a curious expression, and I shrug, wearing a tight smile. I won’t taint her fairy tale with my broken love story.
A wide smile stretches across her face before she leans in and pecks my cheek. “I love you, Uncle Liam. Mean it.”
“Love you, too, baby.”
She narrows her eyes and points at me.
I raise my hands defensively and chuckle. “It slipped out.”
Smiling, she shakes her head before turning and heading over to Zach.
After making my way around the room, I come to the end of the table where my brother, Max, and his wife, Jessica, are sitting with Emerson and Cam. Pulling out a chair beside Emerson, I kiss the top of her head before taking a seat.
“Hey, baby brother,” Emerson croons sweetly. Curling an arm around mine, she leans her head against my bicep.
I nod to Emerson’s belly. “How are you feeling?”
“Great.” She rubs her hand in a circle over her baby bump and smiles up at me. “I’m still in awe.”
It’s been a long time since I’ve seen Emerson this happy. After all she’s been through, she deserves it. I know it wasn’t easy for her to move on after losing the love of her life.
Marcus and Emerson were married just short of twenty-two years when he passed away from an inoperable brain tumor. His death hit the music world hard, shifting a lot of attention to Jay, so Emerson packed up her life and moved back to Heritage Bay.
While settling into her new normal, she fell in love with my best friend. For months, they kept their relationship hidden, mostly out of concern for Jay and me. And understandably so, because for obvious reasons, neither Jay nor I were happy about it.
Throughout our entire friendship, Cam and I had never fought, much less argued over anything. Until the day I caught him with his arms around my sister. Things got ugly, punches were exchanged, and secrets were spilled. It wasn’t our finest moment.
Needless to say, all is forgiven now and we’ve all moved on. He’s still my best friend, and truthfully, if anyone is capable of loving my sister as much as Marcus did, it’s Cam.
I reserved a separate VIP room for Zach’s pseudo bachelor party. He didn’t want a real one, but his friends insisted on a guys’ night, at least. The VIP room is completely decked out with a full bar, leather sofas, and flat-screens lining two of the four walls. The other two walls are solid glass, one with a view of the bay, the other overlooking the club, specifically the dance floor.
Kicking back on the leather love seat, I prop my feet on the coffee table, crossing my ankles, and look over at Cam. The man hasn’t stopped grinning all night. Zach is on the cushion beside Cam discussing the Gulf Coast University’s football team where he and my nephew Cole will be playing in the fall.
Half listening to their conversation, I shift my gaze to the glass wall overlooking the club where Max is standing with his two oldest boys, Dylan and Cole. Just then, Max turns to look at me over his shoulder.
