Page 76 of A Whole New Game

A flicker of doubt crosses his expression, but he doesn’t walk back his accusation. “And yet, here we are, with my deepest secret about to be out in the open.”

I throw my arms up, exasperated. “What are you talking about, Corey? What secret?”

“No one knows all the details about my childhood, Carlee, not even you,” he snaps. “I’ve kept it quiet. I’ve done my best to forget it. Now, when people start digging into my connection with Soup Soul, they’re going to learn all about how shitty my life was before I moved to play college ball.” He turns his head away from me, but not before I see embarrassment coloring his cheeks. “The last thing I want is for people to learn the details about my childhood. I don’t want anyone to pity me or judge me.I reinvented myself after I left Texas, and I never wanted to come back in the first place.”

Words escape me. I try to think of something to say—anything to help cover the wound Corey’s childhood has left on him. I feel like an idiot for not realizing the depth of his hurt. He does such a good job at seeming like he’s okay. Even as a kid, when I saw the random bruises, I believed him when he said he was all right.

Maybe I just wanted to believe him because not believing him would be distressing.

But I’m not a naïve little kid anymore. I should have known Corey’s scars run deeper than I ever could’ve imagined.

“I’m sorry, Corey.” I sigh. If Victor hadn’t shown up… if I had just walked away and refused to speak with him, Corey wouldn’t be in this situation right now. “I feel like this is all my fault.”

“Don’t do that,” he shouts, making me jump back in shock.

“Do what?”

“Put any of this on you,” he seethes. “Or blame yourself for my shitty life. This is the hand I was dealt, Carlee. It’s ugly. It was never good enough for you. That’s why we never should’ve dated.”

My heart begins to pound. Fear makes adrenaline race through my veins. “What are you talking about, Corey? This has nothing to do with our relationship.”

“It has everything to do with it,” he counters. “My past dictates my present. I have my father’s temper. I can’t escape that part of me.”

“Of course you can,” I sputter, feeling confused. “You’re the most level-headed person I know.”

“It’s an act. Just another lie. Like our relationship.”

My body feels numb. “You’re saying our relationship is a lie?”

“We’re keeping it from everyone, aren’t we?” He huffs an unamused laugh. “How can either of us expect this to work?”

All of the arguments I have to counter his declaration sit on the tip of my tongue, but I hold them back. I think about what he’s saying, and it hits me that the last thing I want to do is convince someone to be with me.

“Are you…” I pause and swallow the lump in my throat. “Are you breaking up with me?”

He hesitates for the briefest moment, giving me a hint of hope. Then, he tells me, “I’m saying I need space. I want to be alone while I deal with this crap.” He looks at the office door.

It feels like my world is crashing down. I take in Corey’s expression, and it’s a punch to the gut when I realize it’s the same one he wore the night he ran away from me after prom—the night he gave me hope for a future between us and the same night he stole it all away.

I can’t shake the feeling that the second I let him leave this office, it will be the end of us. But as much as it hurts, I can’t be with someone who doesn’t want to be with me.

“Okay, Corey,” I murmur.

His eyes dart back to mine. “Okay?”

I nod and hold back the tears burning in my eyes. “Okay. Be alone. Enjoy your space. Do whatever you need to do to process whatever it is you’re going through.”

He looks at me like he isn’t sure he hears me correctly.

But after scanning my face, he replies, “Thank you.”

“Of course.” I take a deep breath. “But just so we’re clear, it’s obvious you have some personal stuff to work through. Until you get that handled, stay away from me.” I won’t be a yo-yo, pulled back in when he misses me, only to be thrown back out when whatever demons from his past rear their ugly heads.

It’s Corey’s turn to rear back. It’s not like me to be so abrupt or sound so hostile, but I just had my heart ripped out of my chest. I’m allowed to be a little upset.

His lips turn down in a frown, but he dips his head and says, “I understand.”

“Good.” Before I lose my nerve, I turn on my heel and stride towards the door. My quivering chin stays level with the ground.

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