Page 53 of Those Heartbreak Scars

“When do you want to go?”

“Sometime next week. The sooner the better, probably.”

“Then we’ll go Monday. And if you want to stop by his wife’s office and let her know why you’re pulling out, I’ll be right there with you for that too.”

Am I a terrible person for wanting to call Indy and thank her for letting go of him so that I could have this time with him? Probably. It’s not something I will do because it would cause her pain. But I am grateful to her because he is everything I have wanted for so long.

When we are done eating Gray scoops up the trash and tosses it. He wraps his arm around me as we hit the pavement.

It’s super late now and as much as the idea of going back to Gray’s bed sounds like heaven… “I should head home.”

He drives me back to my little flat. He seems awkward and fidgety as we sit out front in his warm car. “Do you want me to—”

“I don’t think so.” I purse my lips. “I need to talk to Everett in the morning. Tell him…”

Gray’s thumb starts to tick against the steering wheel. His upper lip twitches into a sneer. It’s as if something smells rotten, but there’s only my perfume and his cologne.

I wrinkle my nose. “What?”

“I don’t want to be this guy.”

“What guy?” My heart sinks. It was nice while it lasted.

He reaches across the gear stick and covers my hand while he swallows uncomfortably. “The one that asks you not to break up with him until I’ve signed him.”

I twist in my seat. “What the—”

“I need to sign him.”

“I know.” I unclip my seatbelt and climb out of the car.

“No, you don’t know.” He jumps out and makes eye contact with me over the roof of the vehicle. “I have to sign Everett Mann. If I don’t, I’ll lose my job.”

That doesn’t make sense. Gray was the MVP of the agency for years. He singlehandedly brought in a dozen superstar athletes. He has awards. He showed them off behind his desk. I saw them when I stopped in with Indy a few times. Surely this can’t be right. “But you have Bryce Manilow and Mikey Valance and—”

“All-Star has Manilow and Valance.” His voice rises and becomes strained. “I lost them when I went off the rails. I’m on probation. If Mann doesn’t sign, I don’t have a job. I barely survived Indy leaving me. My job is the one thing I have left. That I’m good at. If they fire me, I’ll have nothing left. Believe me if there were any other way—”

I don’t even factor. Of course I don’t. Because what we have isn’t emotional. For him.

I cover my face with both my hands. “This is what I get for screwing my best friend’s ex. For sneaking around with you. I’m a terrible person. You’re asking me to be a cheater?”

“You’re not.” Coming around the car, he peels my hands from my face. Wraps an arm around my shoulders and buries his face in my hair. “You’re not his girlfriend. He’s a flavor of the week kind of guy.”

“Now wait a minute.” I push him away. “Just becausewedon’t have a future doesn’t mean that Everett doesn’t want one with me. You keep insisting he’s a player—”

“Because he is.” Gray crosses his arms over his chest.

“Well, I don’t see him that way.” Sure, he’s friendly when women come up to talk to him. He flirts while giving out autographs and letting them take selfies. Being sociable is part of his job. It’s not sleazy or bad like Gray is making out.

I was the one who suggested we keep our relationship on the downlow. “He doesn’t deserve to be cheated on.”

“You’re not cheating on him,” he says, hard and clipped.

“Feels like it.” I laugh. It’s a little unhinged. “Which is why I can’t believe you, of all people, are asking me to do this.”

“I’m not asking you to string him along. Or be his girlfriend. Just don’t tell him that you don’t want to see him anymore yet. Give me time to work out how to handle this.”

“You’re asking me to lie to him.” I press my fingers to my temple. This is crazy. Getting caught up in him is crazy. I shake my head, knowing if I could go back to Positano and avoid the first night we spent together I would still do everything exactly the same way.

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