Page 219 of Vegas Heat

“I mean this shit between us is not worth it,” he says, and even though I know we’re staging this, his words still cut into my heart. “You’re too young for me, too clingy, and I’m just…done. I’m here in Vegas, baby. I just want to have a good time in a brand-new city with my brand-new team. I’m out.”

Too young.

Too clingy.

Does he mean those things?

It’s like he’s choosing my deepest fears and laying them out on the table in front of Mackenzie, and that hurts my heart more than I thought it would.

Tears fill my eyes, only they’re not fake. “Oh.”

He shrugs. “It was fun while it lasted.” He shoots Mackenzie a grin and raises his brows as if he’s issuing an invitation, and then he disappears from the door.

Justin walks over and puts his arm around me. “I’m so sorry, baby girl. Are you okay?”

I shake my head. “No. What a dick,” I mutter, and then I actually do allow myself to cry for a beat.

What if that was real?

What if he meant those things?

He didn’t, and I know he was doing this on the fly. The words he said to me last night are far more meaningful than these fake ones. But that doesn’t lessen their impact.

Just the mere thought of him ending things with me has me feeling this way. I can’t imagine how it might feel if weactuallyended things.

“I’m so sorry, Gabby,” Mackenzie finally pipes in. I sense just the tiniest bit of smugness in her words.

I suck in a breath as I rememberwhyI talked him into doing that. “Thanks,” I mutter, and she walks out of the room.

I have zero doubts in my mind that the reason she walks out of the room is in order to track him down and shoot her shot, and I’ve never hated someone more than I do in this moment.

“You okay?” Justin whispers while I blow my nose.

I nod. “I’m fine. It just cut a little deeper than I expected it to.”

“You’re really in deep.” He raises his brows pointedly.

“Deeper than I’ve ever been into anything before,” I admit.

We get back to work, and by the time we leave, the stadium is decorated beautifully with tons of welcoming messages, and we have a pile of posters drying that we can pass out to people watching the parade.

It’s not until I’m on my way home that I finally get the chance to call Cooper.

“Hey babe,” he answers, his voice filling my car speakers.

“Hey,” I say quietly.

“What’s wrong?” he asks immediately.

“Your little speech hurt more than I was expecting.”

“Oh, God. I’m so sorry. I didn’t mean any of it, and I felt like shit as the words came out of my mouth. Come over so I can prove how much I didn’t mean it.”

“I’m the one who told you to say it. I guess I just didn’t realize how invested I am until I thought about a real end.”

“It’s not something you have to worry about, Gabby. I promise. I’m not going anywhere.”

“But you called me too young and clingy.” I sniffle at the memory.

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