All Chapters of Play Me Like You Mean It: Chapter 11 - Chapter 20

129 Chapters

Chapter Eleven – Collision Course

Walking into the training facility felt less like showing up for work and more like stepping into a courtroom, and I was already the defendant.It started this morning, when I went to Cade’s place expecting to ride with him.No Cade.Just a folded note on the counter in his terrible handwriting:Since you’re miraculously well enough to hang out with Kelvin, I bet you can find your way to the training ground just fine.I stared at it for thirty seconds, debating whether to laugh or set it on fire. In the end, I shoved it in my bag.By the time I made it to the facility, the place was alive with the sound of squeaking sneakers, bouncing balls, and the low hum of men who’d been up since dawn.A tall guy in team gear spotted me just inside the door. “Uh, media day’s not today.”“I’m not media,” I said, hitching my bag higher.He looked me over like that answer still didn’t compute. “Family?”“Worse. Personal assistant.”His brows went up. “Ah. So you’re here for Reeve.”“Unfortunately, ye

Chapter Twelve - Out Of Play

The whistle snapped through the court, cutting practice in half.The squeak of sneakers faded, and every player’s face carried the same truth– fear for Cade, for the team, for a season that had barely started.The trainers had Cade off the court in under two minutes, straight down the tunnel to the medical wing of the facility. The head athletic trainer walked with him, hand hovering near his arm in case he stumbled, while another carried the portable ice unit.I shut my laptop without thinking and caught up, grabbing his duffel, water, and phone from the bench.He didn’t look back or call for me, but I followed anyway.---Ten minutes later, we were pulling into the small brick building the team used when they didn’t want cameras sniffing around. No logos on the sign. Just privacy.Cade sat in the passenger seat, silent, his gaze fixed on the window. His hand flexed against his thigh now and then, the only thing moving.The exam room smelled of antiseptic. The doctor, calm in the wa

Chapter Thirteen – Days of Gratitude

My hand lingered on the doorknob longer than it should have. Zayne Reeves had a face cut from stone and eyes that didn’t just look at you, but unearth what lay beneath.When his gaze locked on mine, I realized I’d been looking too long.“Planning to stand there all day,” he said, his voice carrying the kind of quiet authority that wasn’t up for debate, “or let me in?”Heat crept up my neck. I stepped aside, hoping it looked polite rather than flustered.He walked in with the kind of presence that didn’t need volume to fill a room. Cade was the type to burst in like a storm; this man carried himself like the weight of the room naturally shifted toward him.His eyes held mine for a beat before he spoke. “Your name?”“Mira.”He nodded slowly. “And you are…?”“Cade’s assistant.”Something flickered in his expression, gone too fast to catch. “At least he’s smart enough not to…” The rest trailed off, quiet enough that I wasn’t sure if I was meant to hear it.Before I could ask, his eyes sha

Chapter Fourteen: Beneath the Smile

The doctor said recovery takes patience.But patience and Cade Reeve don’t belong in the same sentence.Watching him sit still was like watching fire trapped behind glass–restless, flickering, daring the glass to shatter.He’d been sulking on the couch all morning, which might’ve been pathetic if it wasn’t borderline comical. I’d just finished arranging his ice pack and making sure he didn’t sneak a call to his trainer.His left ankle rested on a cushion, wrapped snug in bandage. His wrist, though less swollen now, was strapped into a brace.“Don’t give me that look,” I said, setting his water on the table. “You’re supposed to rest it, not burn a hole in it with your eyes.”He leaned back, smirk tugging at his mouth, looking far too at ease for someone under orders. “You’re enjoying this. Admit it. Having me locked down.”“Not at all,” I lied. “But watching you sulk like a kid grounded from recess is oddly satisfying.”He let out a low laugh, the kind that softened his face and lighte

Chapter Fifteen– Cheap Thrills

Spending so much time with Cade was changing the way I saw him.It was in the way he cheated shamelessly at cards, grinning like he’d just invented new rules.In the way his laugh burst out, careless and alive.Also, how I sometimes caught him staring when he thought I wasn’t looking, eyes lingering on my mouth like he was imagining something he had no business imagining.Something between us had shifted, especially after Kimberly’s ultimatum, when Cade told her to leave instead of asking me to.We never spoke of it. We acted like nothing had changed. But I felt it in the silences, in the way my chest tightened when he looked too long.And I hated it. Because this soft spot I was developing for him? It wasn’t part of the plan.So when Kelvin messaged, asking how Cade was holding up, I told him Cade was fine. When he suggested we hang out, I said yes.Partly because Kelvin was fun, easy laughter, no heavy edges.But mostly because I needed the distraction. From Cade. From myself.I inf

Chapter Sixteen – Crossing Lines

I leaned back against the edge of Cade’s dresser, still catching my breath. “I’m grateful you’re a great kisser. Even if we shouldn’t have… at least it was worth it.”Cade barked a laugh, shaking his head. “You have the wildest ways of dodging serious moments, you know that?”“Survival mechanism,” I said sweetly. “Now, your turn. Gratitude time. Go.”He tilted his head, studying me with that unnerving focus. “I’m grateful I just confirmed something.”My brows lifted. “Which is?”“That you like me.”I scoffed, folding my hands. “Don’t get ahead of yourself, Reeve. It was just a good kiss. Nothing else.”“Mm.” He didn’t look convinced, but he let me change the subject.“Specialist yesterday,” I said. “What did they say?”Cade shifted, flexing his bandaged ankle. “Healing well. If it keeps up, I’ll be back on the court sooner than they expected.” His grin flickered, sharp with determination. Then his tone dipped, casual but edged. “What about your outing with Kelvin yesterday?”My lips p

Chapter Seventeen – Hearts Off Balance

Jesse had school in the morning, so after we dropped him off, Cade insisted on coming with me to my house.“You really think you’re going to be useful with that ankle?” I teased as we drove, one eyebrow raised.“I can supervise,” he said, flashing the cocky grin of someone convinced that watching was work.I rolled my eyes. “In other words, I work, you watch.”When we pulled up, I braced myself for the destruction, shattered plates, toppled furniture, books scattered in wild disarray. But the second I opened the door, I froze.The house was spotless. Not just cleaned, restored. The center table was new. A flat-screen sat where the broken TV had been. If you hadn’t seen it yesterday, you’d never know havoc had torn through here.My stomach flipped. “Am I hallucinating? Cade… tell me I’m not going crazy.”I turned, and there he was, grinning like he’d just won a bet.My eyes narrowed. “Cade? You did this?”“Surprise.”“But… how? I didn’t give you the keys.”“I borrowed them.” His grin w

Chapter Eighteen – Kisses and Excuses

The sight of my home spotless, furniture in place, the thoughtfulness behind it had nearly knocked the breath from me just hours ago.Now, walking back in after leaving Cade’s house, the same image only made it worse. Because the man who had done all this, the man who’d kissed me like it meant something, had gone and kissed another woman minutes later.Like I was some placeholder in between.The anger bubbled sharp and hot, and underneath it, shame. Shame because I had no claim on him. Cade Reeve wasn’t mine. Yet every part of me wanted to scream that he had no right.I dropped my bag on the floor, ignored the buzzing of my phone lighting up with his name, and told myself over and over: You don’t care. You don’t care. You don’t care.Except I did.All night, I ignored every text that came through. I didn’t open a single one.By morning, my head was pounding with leftover frustration, so when Romi texted that she had the day off and wanted to hang, I jumped at it.We ended up at our fa

Chapter Ninteen. – Between Pride and Surrender

After Cade left, Jesse strolled into my room, giving one polite knock like he’d just discovered what manners were.I narrowed my eyes on him. “Careful, Jesse. Whatever comes out of your mouth next determines whether you walk out in one piece.”He grinned. “Relax. I’m not here to tease you. I’ll save that for later.” His tone shifted, serious now. “I came to tell you something.”That got my attention. Jesse rarely turned serious unless it was important. I sat up straighter. “Out with it.”He stuffed his hands in his pockets, rocking on his heels. “Cade asked me if it was okay to take Mom to rehab.”For a second, the words didn’t land. Then they did, and it felt like a weight cracked open in my chest. Cade didn’t have to say a word to Jesse. But he had. It wasn’t just about me, he saw Jesse too. He respected him enough to ask.“He’s cool with it,” Jesse went on. “And Cade said I should be the one to convince you. His words, not mine. Apparently you’re too ‘prideful’ for your own good.”

Chapter Twenty – Making It Official

I waited for Cade to say something, but he just kept staring at me. The silence was suffocating, so I snapped, “What, you’ve got a rule against rookies?”Far from it,” he admitted. “The only reason I stopped is because you matter more than the moment. I need to know you’re certain before we take a step we can’t undo.”Heat crawled up my neck. “If I wasn’t sure, you wouldn’t have gotten a kiss at all.”“Who would’ve guessed?” he said, amusement flickering in his tone. “Sharp tongue, stubborn as hell and still…”“Finish that sentence, Reeve, and you’ll regret it.”He chuckled. “Don’t tell me, underneath all that sass, you were saving it up for the one who finally got past your walls.”I shoved his shoulder and stepped back. “Your physical therapist’s due any minute. Try to act like a patient instead of a brat.”---Cade's therapist arrived not long after, the same tall man with his duffle of gear. I've seen him enough times now to know the drill: resistance bands, foam rollers, ankle we

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