Maid For Beckett Catching The Baseball Legend’s Heart novel Chapter 22

Chapter 22

10 Vouchers

-Andi-

I had to admit, at some point in my secret relationship with Carter, I had thought of us being out in the open. I had wished for people to see us together, to see me as someone worthy of Carter Benette. All of that vanished when he slapped that check and NDA in my face. I meant it when I cut off all communication with him, not just to grab his attention.

Siobhan drove me to the trailer park, cutting our girly time short. We had plans of seeing the city lights at the hilltop cafe later, but after seeing that viral photo of Carter and me, public places made my stomach turn.

Siobhan had been very understanding. I didn’t have to explain why I wanted to go home early.

‘Hey, call me if you need someone to talk to, okay?” Siobhan said as she stopped in front of our residence. “I mean, anything at all.”

I hummed a yes. “Thank you for today, Siobhan. I had a great time.”

‘I did, too.” She looked thoughtful. “Let’s do this again, minus your ex.”

That put a smile on my lips. “Yeah, minus Carter and that viral photo.”

Grabbing the one small bag of my purchase, I slid out of the car and watched Siobhan drive away. It was late afternoon, the sun already dipping into the horizon, and the men at the construction site in front of the trailer park were leaving. The day was done. My neighbors were starting to come home from their jobs, too. I greeted a few on my way to the house.

I was trying to step back into reality. No one knew who I was–unless Carter spilled the tea, of course. Which I doubted he would. He wouldn’t make me sign that NDA if he wanted information about me spilling out in the media, right?

The trailer was only a few steps away when I heard a voice I didn’t expect to hear in my residence.

‘Andi.”

I stopped in my tracks, dread spiraling down my system.

He can’t be here, I thought as I turned so slowly, feeling my bones creak. Please tell me this is just some kind of joke.

My blood froze. There he was, walking toward me with the hood of his jacket shadowing his face. The one person I prayed to every star in the sky I would never see again.

Carter Bennett.

“Carter.” I swallowed hard, my hands starting to sweat as I threw a glance at my neighbors‘ trailers. Our house was at the corner, close to the wired fence, but people were already watching us. “What are you doing here?”

He looked distressed. He was far from the confident Carter who crowded me at the thrift store. “I need to talk to you.”

My feet were glued to the ground, the dread I felt when Siobhan read the comments about me in that photo crashing back into me.

Cheap.

Homewrecker.

Desperate fangirl.

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2:17 pm

Chapter 22

PW

10 vouchers

I was none of the above, but people were now commenting about me as if they knew me. The social media trolls who loved Carter and Sarah together were now on a mission to tear me limb from limb and feed on my remains like vultures–all because of this guy.

“I have nothing to say to you,” I said, swallowing hard to dampen my parched throat.

In my shocked state, he managed to stand before me–stormy eyes, tightly clenched jaw, tense shoulders. He looked like a tidal wave about to wreck me.

“Don’t be like this, Andi. You know we have a lot to talk about,” he demanded.

The rough handle of the bag dug into my palm as I clenched my fist. “What do you want from me, Carter? You made it clear that I am merely a notch on your bed.”

When we were at the thrift store, I was keeping the rage I had buried in the cage of my chest from lashing out. But Carter was asking for this. Demanding it, even.

His stormy eyes softened. He pushed the hood of his jacket down, showing me his face. The same face I had dreamt of for over a year was also the same face that snatched my heart from my chest with his bare hands. Then he dropped it onto the ground and stomped on it with his branded sneakers.

“I wanted to explain. I wanted to apologize for what happened. Lara was putting pressure on me, so I made you sign the papers and take the money,” he started. “But when you signed the NDA and didn’t take the money, I woke up to my senses. You never wanted me for money–you loved me for who I am.”

His sincerity coasted in the air, filling the gap between us with so much tension it made it hard to breathe. I lowered my gaze to the ground, blinking away whatever emotions his words stirred inside me. I was done with him. He hurt me, and I had no plans of coming back.

I accept your apology,” I said. “But we are done, Carter. I’m happy with where I am right now. I don’t need you in my life.”

He recoiled as if my words had physically struck him in the gut. “You… you don’t mean that. I know I hurt you, and I’ll do whatever I can to win you back.”

I stared at him, eyes misting. “Why?” My voice dipped into the lake of sadness my tears made when he broke my heart.

He stared at me, parsing what was going through my head. Silence fell between us–thick, boiling.

‘Because I realized that I’m in love with you,” he admitted. He didn’t take his eyes off me. He wanted me to see how genuine the confession was.

Just hearing those words made my stomach twist.

I knew nothing good would come of this conversation. He said the right words at the wrong time. It was already too late. Coming back into his arms would only paint me as the person those trolls were naming me. I had to keep in mind that he

was with Sarah.

I stepped back, gripping the bag tightly. “That’s not enough. I listened to you. Now, can you please leave?”

“Andi.” He stepped forward, trying to reach for me, but I stepped back. His touch would burn my resolve to the ground. I could not have that. “Please, just give me another chance.”

I shook my head. “I can’t, Carter.”

“Why?” He dragged a hand through his hair, his eyes wild and confused. “You love me.“.

If I hadn’t seen him with Sarah on TV. I might have jumped back into his arms. “I… I don’t love you anymore, Carter,” Those

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PW

Chapter 22

words were like poison I was forced to swallow,

He swallowed hard. “Is there someone else? Is that it? You already found a replacement for me?”

10 vouchers

My pulse spiked. He made it sound as if I had broken us–broken his heart. This man was unbelievable. He had Sarah, for crying out loud. “That is none of your concern. I have nothing more to say to you, so please just leave me alone.”

“No-”

“Do what the lady tells you to do, kid.”

Both Carter and I snapped out of our trance when a deep, raspy voice boomed from the side.

I didn’t even have to turn to know who it was.

My pulse recognized that cold command before my brain did.

Beckett.

He wasn’t wearing his usual stern scowl or his casual morning jog clothes. No. He walked toward us like he owned every inch of ground in the trailer park–white suit jacket open, black shirt half–unbuttoned, hair tamed back but still messy in a way no normal man could pull off. He looked expensive and dangerous and impossibly out of place among rusted grills and peeling paint.

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