My mouth snapped shut. See? I still knew her well.
“Well, why are you here, Lincoln? You’d better talk fast and go outside to check on your sweet ride. I’m not sure this neighborhood has seen many Porsches just lying around. I fear for its safety.”
I scoffed. “But not yours?”
“I’m a big girl, Lincoln. I’ll be fine.” She impatiently raised her eyebrows. “Well, what’s this visit about?”
Twirling my glass, I began, “I’m here about what you told me the other night.”
“I told you many things. What’s that?”
“That story you’re pursuing. You’re not doing it without me.”
She blinked. Her expression then twisted into a mix of disbelief and humor. “Excuse me?”
I met her gaze steadily. “You heard me. I want in. I want to help.”
“Because between rising to NFL stardom and managing other athletes’ careers, you somehow found time to study journalism…?”
“Ava.”
She let out a laugh. “Wait, you’re serious?”
“Very.”
That suspicious look she’d eyed me with since the night we reunited appeared. “Why?”
“Because I care.”
Her eyebrows arched almost to the ceiling. “Care about what, exactly?”
You. Maybe she’d balk at that. So, I tried another angle. “I care about what this could mean. Look, I know I don’t have ties to that athlete you mentioned, but I don’t want to see any athlete wrapped up in anything nefarious. I’ve been around this business long enough to know that things can take a dark turn if someone, especially someone that young, doesn’t have a little sound guidance.”
Ava was quiet, her skeptical expression still firmly in place, but there was a flicker of curiosity now.
“I know what it’s like to be young and overwhelmed,” I continued. “To have people whispering in your ear, promising you the world while slowly dismantling your foundation. I had people who kept me grounded—who steered me away from the darker paths. This kid might not. If something is going on, maybe I can help protect him and others before it’s too late.”
I exhaled, my tone softening. “It’s not just about him. It’s about the game, Ava. The sport I love. I don’t want to see it tainted. If you’re on a mission to find proof of something shady, I want in.”
Her arms crossed. “Okay, nice speech. I get it, buthowcan you help? What are you going to do?Proofreadmy exposé if there turns out to be one?”
“Don’t be a smartass.”
She laughed. “I don’t know how else to be.”
“I can’t help you with the actual writing of the damn thing. I can help you get information…withoutgetting arrested.”
Her bottom lip protruded into that cute little pout I loved. “I’m listening.”
“I think you’re fearless. You proved that when you snuck into that party. But you need access. Let’s be honest—you’re not getting into some of those parties or VIP areas without someone like me.”
“A celebrity?”
I grimaced. I never did like being called that. “Someone who has access to them.”
She scowled but didn’t argue.
“I can take my ‘girlfriend’ to any event, no questions asked.” I tilted my head. “What do you say? Want to fake-date your ex-boyfriend for a few weeks in the name of truth and justice?”
