“But he did because of me,” Grey finished. “I replay that in my mind because I had you. You were mine. Fear got the best of me.”
We held hands silently, staring at each other. “What did you actually tell Carter to get him to take me back, because the man I married would never forgive cheating? A part of him still resents me.”
He whistled. “That was an intense conversation. Thought we might have fought when the conversation started. I reminded him of Chelsea, and that calmed him.”
My heart dropped to my stomach. “Why?”
Grey slanted his eyes at me. “He knew how it felt to be torn between two people, too.” He gave a derisive chuckle. “This love shit is complicated like a motherfucker. I never thought you and Chelsea would ever be cool again. Definitely not cool enough for Carter to be the godfather to her son.” He gulped down his water, shaking his head with a slight smile. “Crazy how we are all somehow still connected.
The FUCK??“We haven’t spoken since we were roommates,” I replied calmly, though my lungs were slowly constricting. Every breath seemed like my last.
Grey’s brow wrinkled. “She told me that she’d visited L.A to see you and Carter. It’s been a minute since she and I spoke, but that’s what she told me.”
“Apparently, she just visited Carter. I didn’t even know she had a son until Danielle told me a couple of weeks ago.” I dropped his hand, swung my legs over the side, and pushed my head between my legs, trying to regain my ability to breathe.
“Fuck.” Grey kneeled before me, rubbing my back. “Breathe, Darren. Shh...just breathe.”
“How often do you talk to Chelsea?” I squeaked.
“A few times over the years. Nothing frequent or regular. She reached out to me first when I won my gold medals. I assumed you were cool again because she told me she visited you and that Carter had been a good Godfather.”
I panted. “What happened between Chelsea and Carter back in school?”
He tightened his jaw. “I’m not answering that question. I assumed you and Carter worked through all that. It’s enough that I dropped a bomb on you about Carter being her son’s Godfather. Whatever questions you have, the answers should come from St. Patrick.”
I resumed, placing my head between my legs, and mused, “I can tell when you’re mad with Carter. You call him St. Patrick.”
“I’m pissed with her and him all over again. She set me up. I never asked about you out of loyalty and because I didn’t want to hear about you and Carter. She figured sooner or later we would talk, and she dropped those seeds. And I just fucking planted them.” While kneeling, he lifted me to sit up and held me tight. “I’m sorry.”
I hugged his neck and cried, “I knew he was keeping some secret. I never thought it could be Chelsea again. He acted like he couldn’t stand her. That she was just a fuck situation, and he’s the Godfather to her son?”
My phone suddenly rang, and I knew it was Carter.
Grey pulled back and looked at me, tears in his own eyes. “You want me to give you privacy?”
“No need.” I picked up my cell from my side. “Hey.”
Carter’s deep voice cajoled. “Hey...I’m sorry about everything. This isn’t how I saw your birthday going at all. Don’t be mad.”
“Let me guess, you have to leave with the team, right? So, I don’t get to spend my birthday with you at all.” I didn’t even feel disappointed. Just numb as Grey stood and moved away from me.
“We had this morning, and we’ll have many more. Next year, you’ll just travel with me. Maybe that’s what we’ll do. If it’s an away game, you come with me, so at least we’re still together. Iwould tell you to fly with me tonight, except we’ll be up at the crack of dawn, and I know you want to spend time with your mother this weekend since she’s already there.”
I listened to him ramble. Something else was happening tonight. He changed his plans with me for another reason. Grey stood facing the ocean, fully aware of our conversation. Carter’s voice carried as if he were on speaker.
“I’ll be on the first plane back Sunday night, and maybe we can have a late-night meal somewhere. We can take the twins and go somewhere for the entire Christmas break. Anywhere you want to go.”
Unable to listen to another promise, I cut through the bullshit. “What woman is going with you tonight?”
He growled. “Don’t start that shit. It’s your fucking birthday. What kind of man would I be to ditch my wife for another woman?”
“Oh, I don’t know. Maybe the same man who has still been seeing Chelsea. The same man who’s the Godfather to her son. Or maybe you’re really the father?” Suddenly, a thought flashed. “You were with Chelsea on my 21st birthday, weren’t you? That’s why you were so willing to forgive me for Grey... why you were so willing to marry me and be a father to my children. That’s what her letter said, didn’t it? It told me that you still fucked around with her, and when you went missing on my birthday, it was because you were with her. Is that who’s with you now? Or who you plan to see later tonight?” I was a yelling and bumbling mess by the end of my questions. Snot running and tears drowning my face. Grey grabbed me to him.
It remained silent on Carter’s end for a long time, and I wasn’t sure if he could hear Grey’s quiet voice reassuring me that I’d get through this. Finally, he sighed, “Go spend time with our babies and Ma. Tomorrow night, catch a late flight and spend the weekend with me. We’ll talk about everything, okay?”
“No,” I shot back.
Grey took my cell and muted it. “You need to go and hear him out.”
