Society Girls: Neveah (22 page)

“Do you have proof that she set those
explosives? Because her being there doesn’t mean shit, and we both
know it,” Reina tells her.

“So I’m to believe it’s a coincidence?”

Instead of answering her, Reina looks to me.
“What were you doing there, Nev?”

“I needed to clear my head, and the guys
invited me to go deep-sea fishing with them. I was exploring the
beach behind that estate when it started blowing up. Luckily for
me, I had been wanting to try out one of the new parachute purses
Darcy developed, so I was able to quickly climb up high enough to
use one of the blasts to fly high enough into the air.”

“And get yourself shot.”

“I know, right? I was totally unprepared for
that.” It’s always good to add some truth into a story. “Thank God
for Theo, who dove into the ocean to save me.”

I smile up at him, and he smiles back. I
know he’s trying hard not to laugh, but he’s doing a good job of
holding it in. The Chairman isn’t doing such a good job of holding
her anger in, and she tries to unleash it on me.

“You really expect me to believe that this
had nothing to do with the threats against Dylan Gallagher after
the attack on your father?”

“Unless you can show some proof that she was
doing anything other than sightseeing, I’m going to have to ask you
to leave.”

“I have enough circumstantial evidence to
bring her up on charges.”

“You’ll have to bring me up on them too,
Mom,” Jake says, walking into the room with Matt, Nate, and Aiden.
I didn’t see Reina let them in, but then again, maybe Matt can get
in on his own.

“Stay out of this, Jake.”

“Can’t do that since I’m in it. I flew to
that island on the same plane as Nev, watched over her while she
slept after passing out from her bullet wound, ate the fish we
caught with her, and flew back here with her.”

“So did I,” Aiden says. “Your phone should
be ringing any minute now, since I just got off the phone with my
dad.”

His dad? Whoa! I not only tend to forget who
Jake’s mom is, but I also forgot that Aiden’s dad is the Vice
President of the United States. He’s leaving office soon, but he’s
still there right now.

“Those men were going to give me intel I’ve
been wanting for a long time.”

“Those men were murderers, drug dealers, and
probably rapists. This world is better without them,” Nate tells
her.

“It appears that our meeting is over,” Reina
says as she stands up, and Mrs. Mason’s phone rings.

“You are not above the law, Reina, and
neither are your women.”

“You should probably answer your phone and
get the hell out of my building.”

“I’ll be watching you, Miss Ayoub,” she
tells me before storming out with her troopers behind her.

“Thank you,” I tell everyone who’s left in
the room.

“Have a seat, gentlemen. I want to hear all
about this ‘fishing trip.’”

Its two hours before I leave Reina’s office.
I’ve had to apologize to Ainsley, Stella, and Darcy for taking
their information and physical items, and promise to pay back the
Society for the costs of what I took. Matt offered to pay while he
was defending me, but I need to do it on my own.

I’ve also had to listen to a lecture about
how stupid I was to go in there alone, and then I had to hear Reina
say how disappointed she is in me. Faith backed me up, and so did
all the guys, but it was still touch and go there when Reina got
quiet and just stared at me over her steepled hands.

In the end, she told me that if she couldn’t
fire Sierra for jumping into a mission with help, she couldn’t fire
me for doing things on my own—with help. Unlike Sierra, I’ve been
unofficially trained for years, so I was better equipped to go
rogue, but I’ve been warned not to do it again.

I’m still in trouble for using Society
resources without permission, and I have to cover the front desk
while Alex goes on vacation with Miles, but I get to resume my
studies after that. Everyone says the front desk is almost worse
than the most dangerous mission, but I think it’s a small price to
pay for my future.

* * *

Dylan

Nev isn’t answering my calls or texts, and
it’s freaking me out. It’s been four hours since I left Corrigan,
and I’m pretty sure I’d know if she was arrested by now. My sister
would call me at least, or would she? Maybe I should call her. Or
not. I don’t know. I hear a text alert before I make up my
mind.

My Heaven: I’m okay. Please stop texting and
calling. I need to figure things out. I love you, Dylan, you have
to know that. But I need to be alone right now.

I want to scream at her to
let me back in, but that’s not going to solve anything. I
do
know she loves me. If
she needs time, I’ll give her time. I have this basketball game to
finish planning and a new agent to find. Not to mention keeping up
with my off-season training and another photo shoot next week.
Plenty to keep me busy until she’s ready for me. For us. There will
be an
us
, and then
it will be forever. I just need to remind her of that.

Me: Take whatever time you need, because
next time I have you in my arms, I’m not letting you go. I love
you, too.

Game, set, and match. Yeah, I know that’s a
different sport, but any sports analogy is a good one, so I’m going
with it. I haven’t won anything yet, but I will. This isn’t really
a game, and I can’t afford to lose.

Dylan

This last week has been one of the hardest
in my life, but also one of the most rewarding. I signed on with
Joel Cruz’s agent after Reina suggested I talk to him, confirmed
the rest of the players for tomorrow’s game, took part in a fun
shoot for one of my endorsement deals—it had kids and not
supermodels—and saw Nev almost every day. That was the hard
part.

She smiled at me as I went to Reina’s
office, or met with Camari and Matisse, who were assigned to the
game. She didn’t try to initiate any conversations, and I kept my
word, leaving her alone when I really just wanted to pull her into
my arms.

I don’t even know if she’ll be at the game
tomorrow. Matisse asked her, but she said she wasn’t sure she
should be there. I have a surprise coming for her today, and with
any luck, it will tip the scales in my favor. If not, then I’ll
deal with it. It’s going to suck if she’s not there, but I’ll deal.
Reina is helping me do a great thing, and helping the refugee
families is more important than the fragile state of my heart.

* * *

Neveah

This front desk is a beast. Seriously, it’s
no fucking joke. I have mad respect for Alex, because all these
phone lines, deliveries, and people stopping in are enough to drive
me insane. Not to mention seeing Dylan every day. I know I told him
I needed space, but thinking that and then seeing him barely
acknowledge me are two very different things. And one of them hurts
way more than the other.

“I’ve got a delivery for you, Nev,” the mail
room guy says as he walks into the Foundation lobby.

“What else is new?”

“This one is specifically for you.”

“Me? Is it internal?”

“Nope. It says it’s from a photography
studio in Chicago.”

“Oh. Thanks,” I say as I take it from
him.

“You’re going to leave me hanging?”

Yeah, I am. No way am I opening this in
front of him. I have an idea of what it is, and I don’t need a
witness to the breakdown that’s going to commence once it’s out of
the envelope.

“Yeah, sorry. I have a bunch of stuff to do
before I can even think about looking at this.”

“Fine. Catch you later.”

Of course he will. This company is so big
and powerful that one mail delivery a day isn’t adequate. The
random things you learn when your punishment has you doing a job no
mere mortal is capable of. With one of the alternatives being jail,
I’ll happily sit in this chair and let the world know just how
incompetent I am.

I run my finger over the flap of the padded
mailer, and then rip off the Band-Aid—um, I mean seal—before I can
change my mind. Closing my eyes for a moment, I summon the courage
to pull the picture out. A note slides out along with it, and I
choose to focus on that first.

Dylan said we couldn’t use this picture
because it was too raw and personal. He said he was thinking of
you, so I thought you should have a copy. Damn, because he would’ve
sold billions of bottles of cologne with this shot. You’re one
lucky girl!

I put the paper down, and then the picture’s
there in front of me. Dylan’s staring back at me, and I have to
fight the tears, because the look on the face is the one he used to
give me. It’s full of love, desire, and respect. I don’t know how
he manages to convey those emotions all at once, and I don’t know
how it was so accurately captured by a camera, but there it is. I
could wax poetic about his abs, or his cheekbones, or yeah, his
dick. Even his sexy lips. But it’s his eyes that really do it for
me.

I may not be seeing into his soul, but I see
into his heart when he looks at me. Just meeting his captured gaze
is enough to make my heart beat faster. I’m going to that game
tomorrow, with his jersey on. Just like we talked about. I can only
hope for some kisses to get blown my way.

* * *

Dylan

The nerves are starting to hit me. I don’t
usually have nerves before a game, but this isn’t just any game.
It’s not the playing that I’m worried about, because although I’d
love to win, I’ve really already won as far as the event is
concerned. This sold out crowd just helped a bunch of displaced
people. I know most of them came for the players, but the money’s
still going for good, so I don’t really care.

It’s the speech I have to give, and the
check I’m giving to Reina that have me feeling like I’m going to
throw up. Plus, I’m still wondering if Nev will show up. Seeing her
in my jersey would be the icing on tonight’s cake. I don’t even
know how I’d handle it, but it would be awesome.

As I’m thinking these thoughts, she’s all of
a sudden there in front of me. Not dream Nev, but the real one.
She’s taking a seat courtside next to my sister. As for the jersey,
yeah she’s in one, but it’s not my regular one. Somehow she has the
exact replica of the special jersey I’m wearing tonight covering
those curves I love so much. Cropped leggings cover her legs, and
Chucks are on her feet. I look back up, and notice her long hair in
a ponytail, and the bandage covering her left biceps. Damn, she
looks hot, and she’s here for me, and only me.

“You’re welcome,” Matisse says, coming up to
stand next to me.

“Thanks for getting her here.”

“You got her here. I just got her the
jersey. Don’t blow your chance at taking it off her tonight.”

“I won’t.”

I make it through the speech I wrote—again
with Audrey and Camari’s help—thanking everyone for being here. I
nearly lose it when every other player hands their own check to
Reina after I give her the one from the game proceeds. I gave her
my own donation privately, but I never expected these guys to do
anything other than come here, and help me draw a crowd as we
played a game. When I look over, Nev is practically beaming as she
claps hard for me. Everything’s finally alright in my world.

* * *

Neveah

It’s almost half-time in the game and
Dylan’s team is up by two points. He’s made five baskets, and my
heart cracked a little more with each one. I thought he was happy
to see me here, but I haven’t gotten even one kiss blown my way.
Was I too late in realizing that nothing matters but us? Did I make
him wait too long? I honestly don’t know what to do right now.

I should probably just go, but I don’t want
to do it while they’re playing. Matisse told me there’s a half-time
mixer for the players and VIPs since no one is worried about using
the time to work on game play. I was planning to go, but now I
think it’s best if I use that time to sneak out. Or maybe I
shouldn’t. This isn’t just Dylan’s game—the money he raised is
going to be used by the Foundation to help Muslim refugees. People
who’ve had to flee their country because of those damn bastards who
make so many people fear us. I should be standing tall here,
showing my support, no matter how ridiculous I feel right now.

I make the decision to stay as the buzzer
rings. I’ll stay, but I won’t go to the VIP party now, or the
private one that’s taking place later at the apartments. I’ll sit
here in this jersey that no less than fifty women have come to ask
me about, but I’ll take it off as soon as I’m alone. Take it off
and hide it in the back of my closet, along with every other piece
of clothing and shoes I ever wore when I was with Dylan. Extreme, I
know, but necessary.

“Nev, aren’t you coming?” Ellie asks as
everyone around us heads to the mini-party.

“No. I wouldn’t be welcome there.”

“What? Dylan would love for you to be
there.”

“I wish that was true, but he’s done with
me.”

“How could you know that? You haven’t even
spoken to him.”

“We talked once about me watching him play
in a game. I said I’d cheer him on in his jersey, and he said…he
said he’d do something. Something he hasn’t done tonight. It’s
pretty obvious that he’s changed his mind about me.”

“I don’t think he has. Maybe he forgot about
what he said.”

“Maybe, but I’m not feeling like being
humiliated if I walk in there thinking he wants me, and he
doesn’t.”

“I’m sorry, Nev.”

“It’s okay. I’m the one who kept pushing him
away.”