Page 95 of Playmaker

“You have someone here? In your room? I can go back to mine.”

Darcy walked up behind me, picking up on my panic. Stupid emotions, all over the place.

He wrapped his arms around me. “No, it’s just me. But I thought you’d be with Cooper.”

I couldn’t help stiffening when he said Cooper’s name.

Darcy pulled back. “What’s up, Callie?”

I swallowed. Might as well start spreading the news. “I won’t be spending time with Cooper anymore.”

Darcy’s eyes widened. He wrapped himself around me again. “What happened? Something at the wedding? Do I need to hurt him?”

The thought of Darcy hurting Cooper was laughable. Cooper was a lot bigger, and so much fitter. I appreciated the offer, though I’d never accept it.

I appreciated it so much I broke down in tears.

Fuck.

I sobbed on him for way too long, but he just held me and let me get it out. Get those feelings out. Which was good. I needed them gone. Gone, over, and forgotten.

“I’m s-sorry,” I finally hiccupped. “I don’t know why I did that. It was stupid.”

Darcy dragged me over to the couch. “No, it’s not stupid. Sit down and tell me what happened.”

I sniffed. “Sex. And then I got feelings. Romantic feelings. We had an agreement we weren’t going to do that. So I told him we had to stop this…whatever. He had his wedding date and I’m ready for the golf tournament, so it was time to end things anyway Do you think maybe it was just wedding or sex hormones or something?”

Darcy rubbed my back. “I haven’t seen you cry since you were twelve. Sorry, Cal, but I think that’s more than wedding hormones and orgasms.”

I’d known it but hoped anyway. “I told him on the flight back.”

His hand stilled. “And what did he say?”

Despite my overall weepy miasma, I had to smile a little bit. “He said he was an asshole and I’d get over it.”

Darcy leaned against me. “He didn’t want to stop being with you.”

I closed my eyes. I had enough problems with my own hopes, let alone dealing with Darcy’s. “He’s not an asshole. But Darcy, I don’t want this.Feelings. And not with Cooper.”

“Do you want it with anyone?”

I was twitchy, talking about this. “I don’t know. I like things simple. Easy.”

“Controlled,” Darcy responded.

I nodded. Years of chaos growing up, and yeah, I wanted calm. Order.Control.I’d worked hard to get to where I was. And Cooper—well, damn it, I’d cried. I couldn’t risk more.

“What if he has feelings too? You two just…worked, I thought.”

“Come on, Darce. I’m not the woman who organizes charity events and watches hockey games and whatever else his girlfriend would need to do. I have a job, a really demanding job, and it’s important to me. I’m not good at peopling. I’d bore people talking about tax. I can’t even pick out the right clothes.” Cooper could do his Cooper thing. Be charming and smile and no one but Faith and Seb would know what he was like under all that. Which was what Cooper wanted as well.

But we’d been a little too honest with each other. Exposed things we didn’t want exposed. He’d got past the protection I put up to make sure my life would be under control, and I needed to get that set up again. I’d had a good life before Cooper decided he hated my dress and took me on as a project. I’d learned from him, and I’d use the knowledge he gave me. About golf and country clubs and how to put on a better outer layer to impress people.

I’d learned other, less welcome lessons. That part of me still wanted to be loved. I had Darcy, and if he found someone to love him—and god, I hoped he did—I would be what Cooper was with Faith and Seb. It was a good life, and a safe one.

I gathered myself together. Time to start that life. “Wanna go out for breakfast? My treat.”

Darcy grabbed my chin so I had to face him.

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