Page 278 of Vegas Heat

Me:PS Cooper broke up with me. Not ready to talk about it.

I stare at the words without hitting send. The doorbell rings and I grab my food. I settle back on the couch and pick up my phone.

Send.

I draw in a deep breath and let it out slowly.

A reply comes through, but I’m just not ready to talk about it yet. Maybe tomorrow.

Maybe not.

It’s not until morning when I read what she says.

Kaylee:I had no idea. I’m here when you’re ready, and Ben and I will be in Vegas for a charity soon. I’ll be around if you want to meet for morning kickboxing or evening vodka. Or afternoon vodka. Love you.

Welp, afternoon and evening vodka are both out.

And then there’s morning kickboxing.

Can I even kickbox when I’m pregnant? I run a quick search before I write her back, and the consensus is it’s probably dangerous but I should talk to my doctor.

Great.

I can’t even work out all this aggression building up inside me.

I continue ignoring texts from my father.

I continue waiting to hear from Cooper. From Joanie. From Mia.

Still nothing.

I just got back from my Wednesday night marketing class and I’m eating dinner while scrolling my phone when I come across an Instagram post from the Vegas Heat.

It’s from Dylan, obviously, since there are photos of the players. I scroll through the images and stop when I spot Cooper. He’s lining up to catch a ball, and he looks…intense. Focused.

Maybe this is easier on him than it is on me. He got to walk away the day after he ended it, and I’m stuck in the same place. It’s always harder on the person who has to stay. Now I’m living the same life I was living before, only the main key element is missing.

When I get to the office Thursday morning, I fire up Joanie’s computer and do a quick check for Vegas Heat to see what sorts of social images are being posted across the web on our behalf.

And that’s when I spot some photos I didn’t see last night.

AJ Winters and Danny Brewer were spotted out on the town. They’re chatting up some ladies, and just behind them sitting in a booth with Rush Ross sits Cooper Noah, sipping a beer with seemingly no cares in the world.

Has he already moved on?

Did he chat up a lady like AJ and Danny? Did he take one home?

It’s not my prerogative to care anymore…yet I do.

Just the thought of him with another woman causes my stomach to twist.

I set a hand over my stomach. “It’s okay, baby,” I whisper.

That’s the moment Joanie chooses to walk in. Her eyes zero in on my hand over my stomach, and then her wide eyes move to mine.

I slide my hand away and pretend like she didn’t just catch me soothing the growth in my stomach.

“Oh my God, Joanie,” I say softly. I rise to a stand, and I move across the office toward her. I wait for her to make the next move. Do we hug here?

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