Page 83 of Vegas Heat

“You’re less of a fighter than I remember,” she says, pursing her lips.

“Nah, you just never knew me that well,” I tease, and she laughs.

“Go get her, Coop. It’s obvious you’re in love with her.”

I shake my head and drain the rest of my second beer. “Doesn’t matter. It’s over.”

“Coward.”

I shrug. “Fine. If disrespecting my friend and boss makes me a coward, then I’m a coward.”

“You disappoint me, Cooper Noah.”

“Thanks, Kaylee Olson. Way to kick a guy when he’s down.”

She laughs, and she kicks me lightly under the table to drive her point home. “I’m rooting for you. If anyone can find a way to make it work, it’s you.”

I glance over at Gabby. She’s laughing. She’s having fun. She’s with people her age, not some old man who’s ready to settle down and have kids when they shouldn’t even be on her radar at this age. “Thanks,” I finally say.

And I leave it at that.

Kaylee takes off shortly after that since Ben is done with practice and she wants to soak up every minute she can with him while he’s in season, so I’m sitting alone in a corner booth sneaking glances across the bar pretending to eat the plate of nachos that has long grown cold.

She’s had at least two drinks since I spotted her, and I have no idea how many she had before that.

She’s drunk, and she’s out with people she doesn’t know.

I’m worried about her.

I’m not leaving here until I’m sure she has a way to get home safely—no matter how long that might be.

Spongebob tosses his arm around my girl and leaves it there while she drains another drink.

I can’t take it anymore. I have no rights over her, no claim to her when I’m the one who told her it’s over, but I can’t sit here and watch her with another guy. I send her a text.

Me:Are you having fun or are you looking for a way out?

She slides her phone out of her pocket, reads my text, and glances around. She doesn’t see me, but she also doesn’t reply to me.

She slips her phone back into her pocket, purposely ignoring my text. She has to know I’m here. She has to know I’m looking out for her. She has to know she’s safe, that I’d never let anything happen to her regardless of where we stand.

But knowing all that and ignoring my message tells me she wants to play games.

The only game I’m into playing is baseball.

My blood boils as I watch the girl across the table from her stand and pull Gabby up with her when the song changes. They start dancing and giggling with each other right there at the end of their table, and douchenozzle stands and moves in behind Gabby, grabbing her hips and swaying behind her.

That’s when things take a turn. I know she’s doing it because she knows I’m here somewhere watching her, but she starts sticking her ass back toward him. She’s dancing with him while she dances with the girl across from her.

They’re still laughing, still having a good time, and I’m sure the kid is fine—smart, according to Joanie, though I have yet to see any evidence at all of that—but the fact that she’s dancing with him when she’s drunk just to play games with me pisses me all the way the fuck off.

I’m seething as I sit watching her. Steam pours out of my ears as I glare across the bar at her, and I don’t even realize my fists are tight balls until I glance down and force myself to unclench them.

The girl Gabby’s dancing with points toward the restroom, and Gabby nods. This is my shot, and I’m not fucking missing it.

I leave some money on the table and bolt toward the hallway where the restrooms are.

It’s dark here in this hallway. There are no overhead lights, and the only light comes from the flashing lights over in the bar or the occasional swinging of the restroom doors as they open and close.

---