Claim My Heart

Chapter 17

As soon as we got out of my jeep, Veronica looked around the deserted grassy field with a frown. She raised an eyebrow at me in question and I shook my head. "Come on, you'll see."

 When I started leading her into the wooded area at the edge of the field she gasped and threw her hands up in the air dramatically. "That's it, I'm calling the cops. Where the hell are we?"

"Too chicken to find out yourself, Tiger?" I teased.

Just like I had expected that shut her up and she started following me, muttering under her breath

I chuckled to myself as I looked at her. It was not a big surprise and at this point, I was making this a huge deal to just get on her nerves.

"What were you doing at the hospital?" She asked, ducking down to avoid a low tree branch. 

"We were replacing Neil's position in the team and I thought he should be the first one to know about that." She nodded, suddenly looking lost in her thoughts. "What's wrong?"

"I don't know," she mumbled, "It's just...I don't understand what's going on in Neil's head sometimes. I know he is beyond disappointed about not being able to play anymore, but he doesn't act like it."

"He has a lot on his plate right now, maybe it hasn't hit him yet. Just be there for him when it does."

She nodded. "I try to spend as much time as I can with him and I think he secretly enjoys people fussing over him."

I chuckled, shaking my head, "It's just like Neil to take advantage of any situation life puts him in."

"True. He is a whiny baby when he is hurt or in pain and he knows I'd do absolutely anything to make him feel better. Even fluff his damn pillows every hour." She huffed.

"Don't act like you don't enjoy it."

She ducked her head, a reluctant smile on her face. "Ugh, yeah, okay. I do. It makes me feel useful. Like I can somehow ease his pain a bit."

I smiled at that. "I get it."

"How's your mother doing?"

"Good, she is on bed rest for a while." 

"And...how are you? You know, now that you know the real story...about your Mom and Andrew Stone."

I sighed, trying to find the right words. "Conflicted? I just didn't like being in the dark. For all these years I always put all the blame on my dad...I still do, but now I know what was the situation that led him to that night with Julian's mother...and it—"

"Changes things." 

"Yeah. I mean, I know it shouldn't, it shouldn't change things. He cheated and it's wrong. And technically my mom did nothing wrong by seeking comfort from a friend, even though that friend had feelings for her, and she knew that. My dad asked her to stay away from him but she refused, deciding to lead Andrew on and hurt my Dad. But technically she didn't cheat on him—"