Bile rises up my throat. “Yes.”
“Were you fucking her when you wired money to my account?!”
Shaking my head, I wish I could tell Scott that he’s wrong. But when I gifted money for a second time, I knew when this moment inevitably arrived that I wouldn’t have the truth to fall back on. While I might not have slept with Billie, our bodies and minds were way past involved. Trying to fool myself into justifying the thigh ride was as ill-advised back then as it is now.
“When Billie returned from Austin, nothing had ever happened between the two of us. And that’s the way it stayed for a good while.” Like my body is willing him to listen as much as my mind, I edge closer to Scott. “I knew how it would look when I gave you more money, and I wanted to tell you right then what was happening.”
He scoffs loudly. “Fuck off, Emmett. The only thing you wanted was to keep buying your way into my daughter’s life.” He gets into my face. “Having her move out and across town was the perfect fucking solution, wasn’t it? Maybe you’d even planted the idea of getting her own place into Billie’s mind.”
“No,” I deny.
“Yes,” Scott tosses back. “Maria was right.”
At the mention of my ex-wife’s name, I catch a glimpse of Archer shaking his head.
“Fucking witch,” he whispers.
“What did she say to you, Scott?” I ask.
He just shrugs like the detail doesn’t matter when it absolutely does.
“What did she say?” I repeat, rain starting to pound the asphalt beneath our feet.
Still, no one makes a move, every one of my teammates now standing by my side.
My throat grows thick when Archer’s hand lands on my shoulder, fingers squeezing gently.
“Emmett asked you a question.” Jack speaks up, voice devoid of aggression. “How can he defend himself if he doesn’t have all the facts?”
Something in my captain’s logic resonates with my friend, and his hardened expression twitches with the faintest hint of empathy.
Resetting his hard demeanor, Scott delivers the news I was dreading. Not because my ex-wife discovering my relationship with Billie is a problem, but because she was the first one to speak with Scott. Hell knows what kinds of twisted bullshit she planted in his head.
Fingernails bite into my palms as I form fists at my sides, thinking about the hurtful things she likely said about my girl. Finding out your ex-spouse has a new lover is a hard pill to swallow, but that’s exactly what you should do—swallow it and move on with your own life since you are no longer an active part of theirs, especially when you don’t share children.
As Scott clears his throat, sadness enters his eyes. “Maria showed up at our place first thing this morning when Freya was taking a shower.”
“And?” I bite through clenched teeth.
“And she told me the truth that should’ve come from your mouth, Emmett.”
“For what it’s worth, I was headed to your place straight after practice.” Heart racing in my chest, I know that Jack is right; I need to hear the accusations that Maria has landed at my door. “Whatever Maria has alleged, I guarantee it isn’t true.”
He snorts a doubtful laugh. “Well, she said she thinks you’re fucking my daughter, and you just confirmed it.” His fingers twitch by his sides as his jaw tics before he speaks again. “She expressed concerns that you’re taking advantage of an impressionable young woman who just got screwed over by her ex-boyfriend.”
Hot breath hits my cheeks. “But Maria’s main concern revolved around you and the way you have clearly gone off the rails since the divorce was finalized, searching for affection wherever you can find it.” His lips twist wickedly. “And what better place to stick your dick in than in my beautiful baby girl? I’m sure it was a real power flex—your millions keeping her dad’s head above financial water while you secretly lured his daughter into your bed. She’d trust you after all; you’ve been like an uncle to her.”
How I don’t empty the contents of my stomach, I’ll never know.
There’s only one person and her daughter on my mind, forcing me to swallow down every bit of pride that I possess. “Have you spoken to Billie?”
When Scott shakes his head, I heave a sigh of relief.
“Nope, but when Maria suggested that she and Freya head out for breakfast and invite Billie, I’d hazard a guess that your former wife wanted to talk.”
“Whythe fuckdidn’t you stop her?” I yell, all sense of calm fully out of the window.
I guess Scott and Freya have never seen the side of my ex-wife she reserved especially for me. Not that I even thought for one fucking minute that Maria was capable of this level of manipulation. Billie was right to express concerns over her, and I should’ve taken them more seriously.
