Page 16 of Heartbreaker
“He’s going to think I knew who he was. That I’m a fucking psycho.”
“Don’t you think you’re overreacting just a little bit?” Kingsley asked, returning to the screen.
“No,” I snapped.
“It’s been…What? A year?”
“Eight months.”
“If you were a stalker, you would’ve been there long before now,” Cassandra said to further prove her point. “Sav, youdidn’tknow who he was. It’s not like you’re some groupie who has been following these guys around. I guarantee the thought never even crossed his mind.”
But a terrible thought entered mine. Could this ruin my career before it even begins?
Juliet was right, you’d have to be blind not to notice something was going on, and that was only confirmed by Bennett when Raelynn and I walked outside. Bennett stood in the space between my car and Raelynn’s, waiting to throw his own two cents in on the matter. And amid his flurry of questions, I realized that ifhenoticed, that meant it was likely that everyone else did, too. Despite their constant badgering, I maintained my innocence.
“What if they kick me out?” Eyes locked on the ceiling, my thoughts began to spiral, thinking of all the ways this could ruin me.
“They’re not going to—”
“If he sees me as some wacko and wants me gone, I think they’d make that happen.”
“I think you’re overthinking this whole thing,” Cassandra said. “Did he seem weirded out when he saw you?”
“I don’t know. Maybe.” I sighed, trying to remember how he reacted. A thousand-watt smile that slowly fell into a thin line, matching the look in his eyes. He studied me with a narrowed gaze, trying to piece together what was going on. It wasn’t exactly the welcome I had anticipated if I ever saw him again, but I can’t say I blame him. This wasn’t exactly how I expected a reunion to occur. “He didn’t really…say anything. Not that I wanted him to, because the last thing I need is someone thinking I’m fucking my way up.”
“So, you’re not going to fuck him again?” Kingsley asked.
“Kins!” Cassandra and I shouted at the same time.
“Don’tKinsme. I’m just asking what we’re all thinking, and in my humble opinion, I agree it seems like the universe is offering you a chance to get another taste of it.”
Cassandra sighed, rubbing the space between her eyes. “Fuck him, don’t fuck him, whatever. But I think you should at leasttalkto him.”
“I’m overreacting,” I finally said. I wasn’t sure who I was trying to convince more—me or them? “It’s not even a big deal. I probably won’t even see him again.”
Kingsley laughed. “Until you get called up.”
“And then you’ll be working with him four or five days a week,” her counterpart added.
“Seems very unlikely that he’d be working with a rookie like me. I think it’s better if I keep my distance—”
“I think that’s a bad idea,” Cassandra said, drawing out the last syllable.
“I concur. Avoiding it is a bad idea, Sav. You need to face it,” Kingsley said. “Talk to him.”
I rolled my eyes, mouse icon hovering over the big red button that would end the call. I needed some time to think about this on my own. Time to figure out what I was or wasn’t going to do. “I’m not going looking for this man. Thatwouldbe stalkerish.”
“Okay, then the next time you see him, commit right now that you’ll talk to him. You’ll make sure he knows you’re not some groupie stalker chick.” Cassandra sat with her arms crossed, brow raised. I knew she wasn’t going to let this go until I did. I groaned, rolling my eyes again, and begrudgingly said okay before I ended the call.
Now, staring at the training center from behind my steering wheel, I don’t feel any more confident than I did yesterday. With one final breath, I open my car door and get out. Baby steps—each one will get me inside eventually. It doesn’t help that today we are combining all classes of trainees to work on promos, and I am not looking forward to it. If there is one thing I don’t think I anticipated about this new career, it’s the amount of acting that I have to do. Wrestling is storytelling, and wrestlers tell a story in and out of the ring. Delivering promos is just one of the ways to do that, and you have to make them believable and interesting, keeping the audience engaged the whole time. Promos are one of the areas of this circus where I have yet to feel confident and comfortable.
Tugging my bag across the center console, I throw it over my shoulder and close the door. I turn and walk straight into the chest of none other than the one man I’d been hoping to avoid.John Brooks. John? Brooks? Brooks Taylor? What in the hell am I supposed to call him?
So much for keeping a distance.
His brow quirks as he stares down at me, followed by his mouth. A mouth I’d come to know all too well during our night together, and I’d be lying if I said I didn’t think of how good that mouth made me feel. I avert my gaze down to the ground, and it occurs to me that he isn’t wearing a boot or any kind of protection on his foot. Does that mean he’s healed? You mean to tell me all of this is happening because he came here to—
“Mornin’, Sweetheart.” His voice draws my eyes forward, and his use of that name chips away at the mental barrier I put in place.
