Page 43 of The Secret Play

I smiled as I approached, hoping to shake off the strange knot of nerves that had been following me all day. This was supposed to be a fun, casual date—just a quick break for him before he had to get back to work. That was why he picked this place. It was a few blocks from the arena. But as I slid into the seat across from him, I immediately sensed something was off.

“Hey,” I said, setting my purse on the bench beside me. “How’s your day going?”

“Busy,” he said, his tone clipped. He didn’t look at me right away, instead focusing on the menu in front of him like it was fascinating.

“Everything okay?”

“Yeah,” he said, finally glancing up. His smile was small, but it didn’t reach his eyes. “Just a lot on my mind.”

I studied him for a moment, trying to read the tension in his posture, the way his shoulders were stiff, and he twisted his father’s ring on his thumb. This wasn’t like him—not with me, anyway. Casey was usually a rock in the whirlwind that was my life.

“Are you sure?” I asked, leaning forward slightly. “Because you’re acting…weird.”

He sighed, setting the menu down and rubbing the back of his neck. “I guess I am being weird.”

“Want to tell me why?”

He hesitated, his jaw tightening like he was trying to hold something back. But then his eyes met mine, and I saw the conflict there, the storm of something dark he was trying to keep under control.

“Five years ago,” he said slowly, “you were at the Fire’s masquerade fundraiser, right?”

My stomach dropped.

For a split second, I thought about lying, about denying I’d been there and playing dumb. But I knew that wouldn’t work. Casey wasn’t stupid, and the look on his face told me he’d already connected the dots. Besides, all he had to do was ask Nico to check me. He had a source, so lying would be pointless. And I didn’t want to lie to Casey any more than I already had.

“I was there,” I said carefully, my voice steadier than I felt. “Why?”

“Your daughter is almost five,” he said, his tone soft but pointed. “That means she would’ve been conceived right around then.”

My heart started pounding in my chest, the blood rushing in my ears. I forced myself to keep my expression neutral, to pretend I didn’t understand where this was going.

“And I’ve raised her on my own. I don’t need you to recap my personal history to me, so what’s your point?” I asked, my voice colder than I intended.

Casey’s eyes didn’t waver, his gaze locked on mine. “Did you hook up at the masquerade?”

I froze, my body going rigid as his words sank in. For a moment, all I could do was stare at him, my mind racing with a thousand different responses. I could lie, I could deflect, I could tell him the truth…but none of those options felt safe.

“That’s none of your business,” I said finally, my voice sharp. “And I’m offended that you’d even ask.”

His eyes widened slightly, and he leaned back in his seat, clearly startled by my tone. “Gemma, I’m not trying to judge you. I just?—”

“No,” I interrupted. “What I did or did not do that night is not on the table. If you want to continue this date, fine. But I will not be interrogated or judged by you or anyone else.”

He exhaled slowly, rubbing his hands over his face. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean for it to come out like that. I just…” He trailed off, his voice faltering.

“You just what?” I asked, my heart still racing.

“I hooked up with someone that night,” he admitted, his voice barely above a whisper. “And I’ve been thinking about it ever since. Not because I regret it, but because until I met you, she had been my gold standard for sex.”

Even now, with so much on the line, I couldn’t help but be flattered by that. “Oh.”

“That hook-up was amazing. My first and only one-night stand. Pretty much figured no one else could measure up to a memory, so why try to relive that high, you know?”

I swallowed. “I think I get it.”

He blew out a breath, the lines near his eyes softening. “And I don’t know…I got it in my head that if you were there…I thought Winnie might be mine.”

It felt like the ground had shifted beneath me, like the entire world had tilted on its axis. My chest tightened, and it took everything I had to keep my face neutral, to keep my voice steady.

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