Taran’s eyes narrowed. She knew the eldest of the Evans brothers was Beth’s late husband. Lynn Evans had been Beth’s gymnastic coach for the Olympics, so Beth had known the family for a long time. From everything Taran heard, Corey had been very close with the family since he was a teenager. She always assumed Corey had become close with the Evanses when he and Beth started dating, but it sounded like he knew them first, which didn’t make sense.
“How was it—” She cut herself off.
“What?” Corey asked.
She shook her head. “I was curious about what happened. You might as well share a last name with the Evanses. For as close as you are with them now, they’re family. How was it ever okay for Bob to marry your ex-girlfriend? Were you and Beth not as serious as the press made it?”
He swallowed and sucked in a breath.
“At the time, I thought Beth was it for me. We had plans to become a family just like the Evanses. From the second we met, we understood each other. Her dad was as shitty as my parents. We were unwanted barnacles who were sometimes the grip our parents needed on the slippery rock of fame, and other times we were the things that cut them to shreds—it all depended on the moment.”
Every instinct in Taran said to hug him. Offer him some form of comfort, but it was like invisible spikes were shooting out of his body, protecting him from the world.
Corey shook his head.
“But you know what happened. My college roommate, a guy I thought was my friend, used my name, my fame, and the fact that the world wanted every detail of my life to make money. He got paid hundreds of thousands of dollars for the tape of Beth and me having sex. I took a page out of my dad’s book and lashed out—made stupid comments, and I almost lost the only family I ever had.” He swallowed again. “Luckily, Beth forgives, and our promise of family forever meant something to her.”
His eyes were closed, but he continued. “Every single time a media outlet asked questions, I reacted. The reporter twisted my comments, implying Beth was an out of control teenager.” Corey sighed. “If I’d corrected that sooner, it might have been different, but I was dumb. So, I’m not blameless. But by the time I got my head out of my ass, it was too late, because she needed the only thing I couldn’t give her.”
“What?” Taran asked.
“Anonymity. A new name, a new life away from the media that trashed her. Even if I gave up baseball, I was famous. My mother won her fourth Tony award that year for her performance in Mama Mia and my father was arguably the best pitcher ever. Not to mention their crazy toxic relationship and need to drag me into it at every turn, which only got worse when Houston drafted me and he announced my games.”
Taran remembered watching some of those games. The Astros were her father’s and brother’s obsession. They could do no wrong as far as either was concerned. But even they took issue with some of the harsh criticism Orlando Matthews spewed on his son.
“Beth needed an escape. So, I gave it to her. I told her to move on, and said I was over her. And I told Bob it was fine. She deserved to be happy, and she became a part of the family we had always dreamed of belonging to.”
She didn’t have to ask him to know he’d lied. He’d sacrificed to keep her happy.
“What about you?” she asked. “Didn’t you deserve to be happy?”
He shrugged. “Houston was good for me. Besides the national games that my dad called, I had space from stuff. And now that Mom and Dad are gone. I get to set the boundaries that I can enforce with the press.”
Taran respected that. She’d always felt like his stance with the media was harsh, but she understood it now. And there was no way in hell she’d ever disrespect his view on it.
“I’m going to add this because I’d rather get all of this out of the way now and we can move on.” Corey cleared his throat. “All the rumors about Holls’s eating disorders are true. My need for privacy fed on her insecurities. She thought if she was thinner, prettier, I’d be more willing to go public with our relationship. I didn’t realize how much I was screwing with her head. I wasn’t good for her.” His hand brushed up and down her back. “But that worked out too because she’s doing better. And Hunter and Holls work together. He’s even become a friend, and I’m happy for them.”
That didn’t sound like a line.
“But you don’t want to go to the wedding?”
Corey sighed. “I don’t want to be the story at the wedding, Taran. It’s their day, and I worry that if I’m there, the press will start talking about her and me again. That’s not fair to them.”
How perfectly Corey that sounded. And yet, two months ago, she would have assumed, like everyone else, he was either bitter about the end of his relationship with Mel Holly or the whole thing had been made up.
But the truth was, Corey just wanted some things that were his alone. Being in the spotlight meant he shared a lot with the world. But she got how he didn’t want to share everything. Corey should be allowed the small amount of private life he created for himself.
“Does any of that make sense to you?” he asked.
“All of it,” she said and lifted her head off his chest. She leaned forward, letting her lips brush against his.
He groaned. “Damn, I wish I didn’t need to be at the stadium for pregame because I could spend another two hours in these satin sheets without complaint.” He pulled his hand back and swatted her on the ass cheek. “I gotta shower. Want to join me?”
Taran ran her hands over his shoulders, imagining him wet.
“Nope, never mind.” Corey shook his head. “If you shower with me, I’m never getting there on time.”
Taran laughed. “Rain check?”