FAKE DATING MY EX'S TEAMMATE

Chapter Eight

Maya's POV

"You can head home early today."

I look up from my desk. Tara stands in the doorway of her office, tablet in hand, looking almost... pleased?

"Really?"

"You've earned it." She taps the screen. "Keep doing what you're doing with Jax. We're getting the exact response we need."

I nod, not trusting myself to speak.

The second she disappears back into her office, I grab my bag and practically sprint for the elevator. I don't want to run into Celeste. Or Jax. Or,God forbid—Finn.

The doors close, and I finally exhale.

Lina's surprised when I walk through the door at three in the afternoon.

"You're home early!" She's folding laundry on the couch, one of Leo's dinosaur shirts in her hands.

"Tara gave me the rest of the day off." I drop my bag by the door. "You can go. I've got it from here."

"You sure?" She glances toward Leo's room, where I can hear the faint sounds of him talking to himself—probably narrating some elaborate adventure with his toys.

"Positive. You deserve a break too."

She doesn't argue. Within five minutes, she's gone, and the apartment is quiet except for Leo's voice drifting down the hall.

I stand in the doorway of his room and watch him for a moment. He's on the floor, action figures scattered around him, completely absorbed in his own world.

When was the last time I just... watched him? Really watched him, instead of rushing through bedtime or kissing his forehead while he's already asleep?

"Mommy!" He spots me and scrambles to his feet. "Look! The T-Rex is fighting the spaceman!"

"Who's winning?"

"The T-Rex. Obviously."

I laugh—really laugh—for the first time all day.

We spend the afternoon together. Building Legos. Reading picture books. Playing hide-and-seek until I'm out of breath and he's giggling so hard he can barely stand.

This is what I need. What he needs.

Not a nanny. Not a stand-in. Just me.

By the time the sun starts to set, I realize we're out of groceries. The fridge is embarrassingly empty—half a carton of milk, some questionable leftoug, and a single apple.

"Want to go on an adventure?" I ask Leo.

His eyes light up. "Where?"

"Grocery store."

"Can I ride in the cart?"

"Deal."

The taxi takes thirty minutes to reach the store. Leo bounces in his seat the entire way, pointing out every dog, every bus, every interesting cloud.

Inside, I lift him into the cart despite his protests that he's "a big boy now." He settles in happily enough once I start pushing.

We weave through the aisles. Bread. Eggs. Milk. Leo grabs a box of sugary cereal with a cartoon tiger on it, and I let him keep it because I'm too tired to argue.

"What do you want for dinner?" I ask, pausing in front of the pasta section.

"Pizza!"

"We had pizza last week."

"So?"

I shake my head, smiling. "How about spaghetti?"

"With meatballs?"

"With meatballs."

"Okay!"

I reach for a jar of marinara sauce. Leo's hand shoots out at the same time, grabbing for a tin of glue on the shelf beside it.

"Don't touch." I smack his fingers lightly.

He pouts. "But I want it!"

"We don't need glue, Leo."

"But—"

"No."

His bottom lip juts out, but I ignore it and push the cart forward.

We turn into the next aisle—toiletries. I scan the shelves, looking for shampoo, toothpaste, and—

Oh. Right. My period's due any day now.

I grab a box of sanitary pads and toss it into the cart. Leo immediately snatches it up, waving it in the air like a trophy.

"Leo, no—" I reach for it, but he's faster.

"What is it, Mommy?"

"Nothing. Give it back."

"But—"

I yank it from his hands. It flies out of my grip and skids across the floor, landing at the far end of the aisle.

I close my eyes and count to three. "Look what you've done."

Leo grins, completely unbothered.

"Stay here," I say firmly. "Don't touch anything."

I walk down the aisle, muttering under my breath. Bend to pick up the box.

That's when I see him.

Ray.

He's standing at the end of the aisle, leaning against a display of paper towels. His clothes hang off him like he's lost twenty pounds since I last saw him. His fingers twitch at his sides. There are streaks of gray in his hair that weren't there before.

I freeze.

No. Not here. Not now.

I straighten slowly, clutching the box of pads like a shield. My first instinct is to turn around and pretend I didn't see him.

But it's too late.

"Maya-girl!" His voice carries down the aisle. Too loud. Too familiar. "There's my baby!"

Fuck.

I spin on my heel and walk back toward Leo as fast as I can without running.

"Mommy?" Leo looks up at me, confused. "Who's that?"

"Nobody, sweetheart."

"You sure?"

"I'm sure." I kiss the top of his head and grip the cart handle so hard my knuckles turn white. "Let's go."

But Ray's already moving. He closes the distance between us, and the smell hits me before he does—alcohol and stale cigarettes.

"That's no way to greet your old man," he says, grinning. His teeth are yellow. One of them is chipped.

He reaches toward Leo.

I slap his hand away. "Don't you dare touch him."

Ray laughs, low and rough. "Relax. I just want to see my grandson. He's a cute kid."

Leo shrinks back in the cart, his little face scrunched in confusion.

"We're leaving." I pull the cart backward, but Ray steps in front of it.

"Come on, Maya-girl. Let's talk business." He leans on the shelf beside us, casual, like we're old friends catching up. "I heard you got yourself a fancy job. Hockey agency, right?"

"That's none of your business."

"Oh, it is." He scratches his jaw. "I need money, Maya. Just a little. Then I'll leave you alone. Promise."

"I don't have anything for you."

"Now, now. Don't be like that." He holds out his hand, palm up. "Hand it over nice and slow, and I'll go. Simple."

My pulse pounds in my ears. "I'm calling security."

His grin widens. "Then I'll find other ways to get paid. You know I have other ways."

The threat hangs in the air between us.

Before I can respond, a security guard rounds the corner. He's young, broad-shouldered, wearing a nametag that says KYLE.

"Is there a problem here, sir?"

Ray straightens immediately, hands up in mock surrender. "No problem, officer. Just catching up with my daughter."

Kyle looks at me. "You okay, miss?"

I force a smile. "I'm fine. Thank you. Just a misunderstanding."

Kyle doesn't look convinced, but he nods. "If he causes trouble again, call the police. Don't hesitate."

"I will. Thank you."

He gives Ray one last warning look before walking away.

Ray waits until he's out of sight, then leans in close. "See you around, Maya-girl."

He disappears down the aisle.

I stand there, shaking. Leo tugs on my sleeve.

"Mommy? Can we go now?"

"Yeah, baby." My voice sounds far away. "Let's go."

I abandon the cart and lift Leo out. He's confused—we didn't finish shopping—but he doesn't argue.

Outside, I hail the first taxi I see. I don't care that we didn't get half the things we needed. I just need to get Leo home.

Safe.

By the time we pull up to the apartment, Leo's asleep on my shoulder. I carry him inside, tuck him into bed, and stand in the doorway watching his chest rise and fall.

Then I go back to the living room and collapse onto the couch.

My hands are still shaking.

Ray knows where I shop. He knows I have a job. He knows about Leo.

What else does he know?

A sharp cramp twists through my abdomen. I clutch my stomach and curse under my breath.

Perfect timing.

I drag myself to the bathroom. Confirm what I already knew.

My period.

I rummage through the cabinet. Nothing.

Then I remember—the sanitary pads. The ones I grabbed at the store. The ones Leo threw across the aisle.

The ones I forgot to pick up.

"Damn it."

I sink onto the bathroom floor, head in my hands.

This week is killing me.

Finn. Jax. Celeste. Tara. Reporters. And now Ray, crawling back into my life like a cockro

ach I can't get rid of.

I press my palms against my eyes and try not to cry.

I didn't sign up for this.

But here I am anyway.