You’re the rotten snitch, Mimi’s voice said in her head.
Den mund halten, she commanded back. She could say shut up or be quiet in many, many languages.
Sadly, the voice never listened.
Kylee pushed that away and focused on Chandler. She had no clue how she would get to him, or how she would whisper secrets in his ear. She couldn’t have Creepy Eyes turn his sights on Chandler.
The buzzer sounded, and the crowd exploded with cheers. Some people immediately headed for the exits. Quite a few others lingered, including Kylee. The rest of the fans were probably reluctant to relinquish the glorious feeling of a victory with their team, or maybe hoping the players would come talk to them.
Kylee prayed for some way to get Chandler’s attention. Would he even remember her? She was an obsessed fan girl of his, but it had been years since they’d seen each other, and she’d put on twenty pounds.
Thirty, Mimi’s snarky voice said in her head.
Càllate, she begged.
Keeping a positive self-image as a shapely girl in a thin-obsessed world was next to impossible, but she tried. Half-heartedly, but at least she hadn’t thrown in the towel. Her mom and dad had believed she was the most beautiful, smart, hardworking, and charming person on the planet. When they were killed in an airplane accident, she’d had to endure the last two years of high school living with Mimi. Grandpa Seamons had loved her and tried to be there for her, but he was a stern military leader not a gushing parent, and nobody could overcome the snark and digs Mimi was capable of. How she missed her parents.
The Boston players started jogging around the stadium, slapping hands with the fans who surged down to the edge of the bleachers, hanging over the side for a chance to interact with their superstars.
Kylee’s stomach hopped. This was exactly the opportunity she needed and had been praying for during the long hours of driving and hoping she was making the right move.
Looking around for Creepy Eyes, she still didn’t see him. She climbed over the three rows in front of her and pushed her way between two teenage boys to somehow get Chandler’s attention.
“Hey,” one of the boys protested.
“Sorry,” she said, giving him a desperate smile. “I have a huge crush on Chandler Delta.”
He grinned back at her. He had her by half a foot, but that didn’t mean much as she was only five-four because of her four-inch heels. As her grandmother would be happy to remind her, she was probably exaggerating her height just like she downplayed her weight.
“Lucky dude,” the kid said. “You could have a huge crush on me.”
She couldn’t help but laugh. She was disheveled, her hair in a sloppy bun and her blouse and skirt wrinkled. She couldn’t imagine she looked attractive right now. It was embarrassing, as she wished she could look her best for Chandler, but that wasn’t the mission right now.
“Well thank you, sweet boy, but I think I’m about ten years older than you.”
“You’re so beautiful. I’m sure age wouldn’t come between us.” He winked, and she thought he was adorable. “Has anybody ever told you that you look like J. Lo?”
“Oui.I have heard that before.” She was impressed he knew who J. Lo was. Wasn’t Jennifer Lopez in her fifties? “I’ve always wanted a younger brother.”
His nose wrinkled. “Gross. I don’t want to be your brother. I want to take you out.”
Players started surging past, and she had to ignore her crazy but complimentary teenage friend to make sure she didn’t miss Chandler. Sometimes her high-school students hit on her, and it always made her laugh. Silly kids were just trying to get extra help or a better grade. She wasn’t sure what this kid’s excuse was, but she appreciated the bolster to her confidence as Chandler was approaching.
Her heart seemed to stop, then take off at a gallop. Her palms grew sweaty. She completely missed the hands of the two players before him, so focused on those incredible blue eyes, that irresistible grin, and his handsome face. His dark hair was mussed from his helmet and his jersey was drenched in sweat. She didn’t mind. Maybe the fact that he wasn’t clean and perfect would help him forgive that she wasn’t.
She shook her head. It didn’t matter. She had to discreetly get him alone, share the conversation she’d overheard, and then find a way to St. Lucia, the Caribbean island of her dreams, where Mimi and her hitman would hopefully never find her.
ChapterTwo
Kylee could hardly catch a full breath as Chandler approached. He was right there. It was all she could do to not scream his name and beg him to help.
Chandler stopped a couple people away from her and cocked his head at a gorgeous, tall blonde. “Excuse me?” he asked kindly, like he sincerely wanted to hear what his fans were saying.
She leaned over the railing and begged him, “Can I have your jersey … please?”
A couple other players streamed around him, laughing and obviously not wanting to wait.
“Chandler, always the ladies’ man,” a huge redhead, one of Chandler’s teammates, said to a shorter, dark-haired guy.