I clench my fists at my sides, determined to keep my cool. “What’s the end game here, DeMarco? It’s not up to me or you—it’s up to her.”
“I just wired her a bunch of money and it’s in her bank account. You do the math. She’s going to pick the guy that takes care of her. I mean, I get that it’s shiny and new but you let her live in that dump? It’s on a farm, for fuck’s sake. What kind of guy lets his woman live like that?”
I’m annoyed as fuck but I’ll be damned if I let him see how annoyed I am.
“Like I said, it’s her choice, not mine.”
DeMarco claps me on the shoulder. “Good man. I knew you’d be reasonable.”
“You planning to get traded to Atlanta?” I ask, even though I know he can’t.
He smiles broadly. “It’s an option. I know it’ll be easier for Serena. At least in the beginning. Once we get married, then she’ll be more amenable to anywhere I need her to go. Especially once I put another baby in her.” He winks again, like we’re friends or something and what he’s saying is completely…reasonable.
There’s that word again.
Unreasonably reasonable.
It makes no sense but fits the situation to a T.
“Dude, I still don’t know what you want fromme.”
“I told you—I want you to walk away so Serena and I can work things out. It’s important for the kid to have two parents, you know? I didn’t handle it great when she told me about it, but the six figures that just landed in her account are going a long way to forgiveness.”
Now it makes sense.
The new car.
Not telling me what’s going on.
I hate being insecure, but right now I don’t know which way is up.
“It’s up to my agent and Mr. Carrier to come up with an offer. Then I’ll be down there and I’ll be able to win her over.”
I get the feeling he’s already started.
And the worst thing is, she’s letting him.
“Do what you have to do,” I say finally. “But whatever’s going to happen has nothing to do with me.”
With that, I turn and stalk toward the dressing room.
Why didn’t Serena tell me what was going on?
A cold resignation settles over me as I change out of my street clothes.
That same feeling I had the first time I saw Briar and her ex together.
Because I knew she was going to choose him. They had too much shared history, too much love, too much everything.
It’s different with Serena and DeMarco but at the end of the day, it’s going to end the same way. I don’t know how much money he tempted her with but she’s struggling. Taking money from me feels wrong because we’re sleeping together and it hasn’t been long, but DeMarco owes her for almost four years.
He won’t be good to her, but he can give her and Joey a good life.
And Joey will have not just everything he needs but also his actual father. Not some closed-off guy with trust issues. I’ve been careful not to bond with the kid until the last week or so, so that may have played a part in her decision.
My phone buzzes and I see that Serena’s calling.
Well, I guess it’s now or never.