“Get out!”
“I’m going!”
Their angry voices echoed off the walls as she stormed off – barefoot. Her feet were slapping against the wood, almost like she was trying to stomp away like a child… and he realized just how badly things had fallen apart. He’d wanted to take a photo with her to get his mom and brothers off his back – and thought about trying to have a conversation, to keep this fake engagement thing going… and failing miserably.
“Steffi – wait!”
“Go to hell!” she shrieked out tearfully – and slammed the front door shut. The sound echoed around him, through him, and took root inside of his chest as he stood there, dripping on his feet with a cool awareness that left a chill deeper than he ever imagined.
“I think I’m already there,” he whispered painfully.
4
STEFFI
This was the stupidest idea,Steffi thought wildly as she ran across the wet lawn that thankfully the sprinklers turned off just in the nick of time for her escape. She had awoken this morning feeling like Cinderella with so much hope in her heart that it inspired her to take a chance. She would go next door, make peace with the infernal man, and talk about this fake engagement… because it would be so nice to have someone gentle to talk to. She had a few friends at work, but they’d already texted asking her to ‘hook them up’ with free tickets. What kind of friends did that the moment they found out she was engaged?
It was a painful realization that she had nobody to share the news with – not after her mom had passed away from throat cancer and her father had all but abandoned her for his new wife and their kids. She had half-brothers she never talked to and not for lack of trying. There was just too big an age gap, and she was never invited over during the holidays. But then, like fate had heard her deepest whispers, her most private wishes and dreams, and offered her up a fairy-tale chance – to be plucked upfrom the toilet scum, literally, and offered the hand of one of the most beloved and famous baseball players.
She knew, because she googled her neighbor’s info until two in the morning. She knew where Drake grew up, where his brother was stationed, that his other brother was a stay-at-home dad for some bigwig in Detroit… and she knew that somewhere in that stuck-up version of Drake was a lively outgoing personality who loved to act up when the camera was on him. She just wished that he could be that way around her, too…
“Ha!” she wept tearfully, wiping her face. “Didn’t see that guy this morning - at all.”
Almost an hour later,Steffi got a text – and rolled her eyes. Drake was taking the coward's way out to apologize, and that grated on her nerves. If he was man enough to bite her head off, he could do the same by apologizing face-to-face.
I need some details
On how to be nice to people?
What’s your shoe size? Dress size? And ring size?
Doing a double-take – she squinted at the phone and re-read his text several times. None of that was even remotely an attempt at an apology. He was so stubborn, so frustrating, that she was practically seething as she texted a response to him.
Are you on crack?
I’d probably be having a better time if I were…
You must be high if you think we’re still engaged – in fact, this is your official notification that we are distinctly NOT engaged.
Yes, we are!
No, we aren’t!
Don’t act like this…
Act like what? Huh?
You gonna come yell at me again? I bet the media would love to know that you yell at me – a lot!
Are you threatening me?
Shoe fits, buddy… notice there was no IF at the front of that? Hmm?
I’m trying to be nice to you
I don’t like your version of ‘nice.’
Her phone rang almost immediately, and Steffi was too incensed to answer. She clicked ignore without hesitation. It rang again – and she clicked ignore once more.
