Page 129 of Ruin The Friendship
I toss my phone into my locker. I want to run home. I don’t want to speak to the press. They, and Lydia’s mom, are the ones who caused this mess in the first place. I have to talk to her. She has to know what I said wasn’t true. God, I can’t imagine how stressed she is. I need to call her, need to get home, and make sure she knows they cut the video.
“Fuck.” I groan, pulling at my hair.
“Whoa,” Calvin says, stepping up beside me. “What’s going on?”
“That article is bullshit,” I breathe, running my hands down my face. I yank my jersey over my head, not caring about putting my gear away neatly. My life is falling apart.
“What article? What’s happening, dude?” Calvin squeezes my shoulders and turns me to face him. “Breathe.”
I take a sharp inhale of air, letting it out slowly. “Lydia’s mom leaked photos of the baby shower to the press, and they used a quote I said a long time ago about not wanting to settle down and have kids, but they cut it off, so it sounds horrible. And I’m pretty sure Lydia saw it, and that’s why she didn’t answer me before the game. Now, my mom took her home.”
Calvin’s eyes widen. “Oh,fuck.”
“Pretty much.” My heart is threatening to burst from my chest. “I have to do press when all I want to do is get home to my girl.”
“I’ll go with you. We’ll get it over with and then get you home.”
Within a minute, we’re walking to the press room, and my dread grows with each step. We’ve barely entered theroom when they start asking questions, their words overlapping until they don’t sound like words anymore.
Calvin holds up a hand. “One at a time.”
I shake my head. “No. I need to make a statement first.” I clear my throat. “The photos shared in that article were shared without our consent or knowledge. It’s true that Lydia and I recently had a shift in our relationship, but I firmly believe a friendship is a perfect ground for a strong relationship. Yes, I will confirm that we are expecting our first child together. When I did that interview, things were different, and the video cut off one of the most important parts of my words—when I said ‘never say never,’—skewing the tone of the video. I never saw myself having kids, but when you find the right person, things change. Now, I cannot wait to become a father and raise our child with my favorite person in the world.”
The room is silent, and a few of the reporters smile.
Calvin chuckles to break the tension. “And here I thought I was your favorite person.”
The reporters laugh, and Calvin claps me on the back, running his other hand through his damp red hair. “I think that covers everything. Do you need anything more from my boy, or can he get home to his family?”
The reporters shake their heads, and Calvin offers to stay and answer their questions about the game, which they take him up on.
I leave the room without another moment of hesitation, running through the halls to get back to the locker room to rinse off and grab my things.
Within ten minutes, I’m in my car, heading home. My skin prickles with fear as I worry about what’s to come, but I need to stay calm and hope Lydia can see what went wrong.
55
I LOVE YOU
LYDIA
Isit on the couch, waiting for Fletcher. Part of me wants to burrow under my blankets and avoid it all, but I know I can’t. We have to talk about this if we have any chance of saving this relationship.
The front door opens, and Fletcher strides in, looking as haggard as I feel. His hair is disheveled, his face contorted into fear, and his shoulders slumped.
“I’m sorry about your game,” I say, making no move to get off the couch.
“I don’t care about the game, Lydia.”
A tear slides down my cheek. “You never wanted kids.”
He sits beside me and tries to take my hand, but I pull away, and he winces. If he touches me, I’ll crack.
“Did you watch the whole video?” Fletcher asks.
“Yes. When was it taken?”
“Did you watch thewholevideo, or the one they edited for the article?” He takes his phone out, swiping.
