Second Chance Arrangement

Chapter 5

Paige

I’ve been taking care of Dallas for a few days now. He has mostly been sleeping and taking it easy, but today, he is going back to the gym. “Before you head out, you have to take the medication which your doctor prescribed, or else your pain is never going to subside.”

Dallas groans in protest and tries to hide under his blanket. I would find it cute if I weren’t his caretaker. So what if he is a grown-ass man? His fear of medication is silly. He is so precious, and when he peeks at me, his brown hair is all messed up.

Adorable.

“Do I have to?”

I almost smile. It’s the same rodeo every morning. “Yes.”

“Really?”

“Uh-huh, or else your agent is going to be very angry when he comes to get you later today.”

Dallas groans again. “What if we just pretend that I’ve taken my medication when Julian comes? He won’t know the difference.”

“He will definitely notice,” I glance down at Dallas’ phone, which is vibrating on my bedside table. “And he is probably the one calling you right now. Do you want your phone?”

“You can, but I’m sure Julian is just calling to remind me of my time with my personal trainer later today. Even though I’m injured, it’s important I keep in shape. I’m a star football player—something Julian won’t ever let me forget.”

“Do you want to forget about it?” I’m about to hand the phone over to Dallas. Julian’s name is flashing on the screen, but he suddenly hangs up. “Oh…he stopped calling,” I wrinkle my eyebrows when I notice Dallas has thirty missed calls and about ninety-nine text messages. “Dude, are all these missing calls from Julian?”

“No,” Dallas says and doesn’t even seem bothered by me looking at his phone. “Christina called me a billion times while I was trying to sleep.”

It stings hearing the name of his ex-girlfriend. I’m afraid they are going to get back together, but I push that fear aside and remind myself that Dallas is my friend. Nothing else. Our relationship is strictly platonic.

Dallas wouldn’t want to be with me anyway. I still have no clue why he asked for a second chance before his memory loss, but I suspect he must have been drunk.

“I see,” I say, hoping to sound friendly. “Aren’t you going to call her back?”

“I probably should…”

As Dallas reaches for his phone, I can’t help but feel a twinge of jealousy. Plain and simple, I’m still in love with him. He is an itch that doesn’t go away.

“Oh...” his face lights up. “Julian is already outside and about to pick me up.”

“Hey, don’t forget about your medication,” I remind him gently as I hand over the pills and a glass of water.

“Right,” he says, taking the pills from me and swallowing them with a grimace. “God, I hate these things.”

“I know, but they will help you feel better.”

“Yeah, yeah,” he mutters, handing me back the glass. “I just hope Julian doesn’t keep bothering me.”

“Bothering you?”

He nods. “He keeps talking about how important it is for me to get back on the field as quickly as possible.”

“And you don’t want that?”

“I do, but...no...forget it.”

“Forget it?”

“It’s stupid.”

“Tell me what it is.”

“Well...” he chews on his bottom lip, hesitating briefly before searching my eyes.

There is insecurity in his gaze, and I lean forward, placing my hand on his big arm. The intimacy shocks him—it shocks me too. I can’t believe I’m touching him out of nowhere, but it felt like he needed it.

“You can trust me,” I say in a soft voice. “There is no judgment here. If you haven’t noticed, I live in a dumpster, and most of my walls are covered with strange art. So if it’s any comfort, I’m probably way weirder than whatever you’re hesitating to tell me right now.”

That makes him chuckle. “You’re not weird.”

“Oh yeah?” I arch an eyebrow. “Is that a challenge? Because I can give you a hundred reasons why I’m weird.”

Another chuckle. “You’re funny,” his eyes soften, and he places his hand over mine. “Promise not to laugh.”

“I promise.”

He takes a deep breath. “Okay...so I’m loaded, right? Not only am I a football prodigy, but I inherited all of my parents’ money when they died.”

I blink. “Do you remember your parents?”

“Julian told me about them,” he says. “But that’s not the point. The point is that...what if...what if the only reason people like me is because they expect something from me? What if they don’t like me but my money?”

My heart aches as I listen to Dallas’s fears, and I squeeze his arm gently. “That’s not true, Dallas. People like you because of who you are, not because of your money. You’re kind, funny, and a great friend.”

“But sometimes, I feel like I’m just a tool for people to use,” he says, his voice barely above a whisper. “Like Julian, he is always talking about getting me back on the field, getting me back in the game, but does he actually care about me? Or is it just about the money I make for him?”

I shake my head. “I can’t speak for Julian, but I know that I care about you. And I’m pretty sure your other friends do too.”

“What friends?” he snaps. It’s a tone so unlike any tone I’ve ever heard him use that I’m speechless. And when Dallas notices my reaction, he grimaces. “Sorry... I’m just...I haven’t received a whole lot of phone calls since the accident, so I’m questioning everything.”

“It’s alright,” I say. “I can’t imagine how stressed out and confused you must be after your accident.”

“My head is spinning so fast it’s hurting.”

I giggle but then feel bad. “Sorry for laughing.”

“No, no, feel free to make fun of me.”

My lips twitch. “If it’s any comfort, at least I’m here for you, and I’m not going anywhere.”

Dallas looks up at me, his eyes shining with unshed tears. “Thank you, Paige. That means a lot.”

I give his arm one more squeeze before standing up. “Now, let’s get you ready for your personal trainer. You don’t want to keep him waiting.”

Dallas nods, and I help him get dressed in his workout clothes. As he goes to leave, he turns back to me. “Hey, Paige?”

“Yeah?”

“Can we hang out later? Maybe order some food and watch a movie together or something?”

My heart skips a beat. “Of course, Dallas. I would love that.”

He grins like a Child on Christmas day, and I can’t help but smile back. Maybe...just maybe...there is a chance for us after all.

“Anyway, you should probably get ready.”

“Get ready?”

The edges of his lips curl. It’s not a smile. It looks more like he is celebrating a victory. “You’re my assistant, Paige. You go where I go. So chop-chop.”

“Oh, I’m coming with you?”

“Of course.”

“Ah, that’s okay. Just know that I’m already ready,” I gesture at my sweatpants and colorful pink t-shirt. “This is what I’m wearing, and I’m not going to change.”

Dallas pauses, wrinkling his nose. It’s clear he isn’t a fan of the flamingo on my t-shirt. “Seriously? People are going to think you’re a swinger.”

I gasp. “Not all swingers wear flamingos! And how about you, huh? You’ve been wearing the same underwear since yesterday!”

His gaze narrows.

Holy s**t, what the heck am I doing? I can’t antagonize him! Dallas is technically my new boss. Julian is paying me for taking care of him, and my life won’t be a happy one if I piss off Dallas. I’m as good as dead if he finds me unsuitable for the job because, like it or not, I sort of need the money for my rent.

Luckily, Dallas sounds too angry, just annoyed. “I changed boxers after waking up. They all just look the same,” he nods at the door. “Anyway, let’s get ready. Julian must be getting tired of waiting for us.”

I nod and help Dallas sit in his wheelchair. We make it to the elevator, and minutes later, we are sitting in the car. Julian talks about his cat, and once we park outside the gym, I can’t get out of the car fast enough.

Hugo, Dallas’ professional trainer, is waiting for us inside, but as I roll Dallas forward, a female voice calls his name.

“Dallas!”

Dallas tenses up, and I turn around his wheelchair, watching as a blonde woman runs up the street. It’s Christina—Dallas’s ex-girlfriend. She is gorgeous, and I grow bitter seeing her large, fake boobs bounce up and down.

I wish I had boobs that big...

Wait, what am I thinking? This is not the time to be envious of someone else’s body. I need to focus on Dallas and make sure he’s okay.

“Hey, Christina,” Dallas says, his voice cold.

“I’m so glad I caught you,” Christina says, gasping for breath and brushing sweat off on the back of her arm. She doesn’t even look at me; it’s like I don’t exist. “How are you feeling? You never responded to any of my messages.”

“I’m fine,” Dallas says shortly. “And I have a personal trainer waiting for me, so if you could excuse us...”

“Wait, Dallas,” Christina says, her hand reaching out to touch his arm. “Don’t go. I have so many things that I want to tell you. Can we talk? Please. I’ve missed you so much.”

Dallas hesitates. “It’s nice to see you again, Christina, but I have a very busy day ahead of me.”

“And yet you have time for her?” she nods at me. “What is she doing back in your life anyway?”

Suddenly it feels like someone has poured a liter of lead into my stomach. How the heck does Christina know about me? The only explanation I can think of is that Dallas must have talked about me in the past or something. Maybe he showed a picture of me on social media?

Either way, this isn’t good. Dallas doesn’t know I used to be his girlfriend in the past, and so far, Julian hasn’t told him about that either. He is probably convinced it’s better if Dallas doesn’t know about our past just yet.

Christina, however, could disturb the peace, and fear swirls in the pit of my belly when Dallas looks at Christina and asks, “You don’t like Paige?”

“Of course, I don’t like her!” Christina growls. “And you wouldn’t either if you listened to what I had to say.”

Dallas’s jaw ticks with fury, and my gaze locks with his. Rage-filled eyes hold mine for a moment before his attention travels to Julian, who is oblivious to the dramatic situation while sliding on his phone.

“Give me five minutes with Christina.”

Julian looks up from his screen, “Alright,” he turns around and gives me a tight smile. “Looks like you’re stuck with me for the next five minutes.”

I try to smile back, but my mind is racing. What is going to happen in those five minutes? I don’t trust Christina one bit, and I can’t shake off the feeling that she is up to no good.

What if she ruins everything?