Page 41 of Cocky Player

“Yes, and best friend.”

“Ah, the woman who had no problems dancing in a circle of men.Looked like she could handle herself.”

“You have no idea.”Gina was legendary at our girl’s college, getting into more trouble than I could even remember, but mostly she kept her heart tightly fastened closed from men, always declaring it was because she needed to focus on school.She was starting law school at Duke in a couple of weeks, so I didn’t blame her.Her hard work had paid off.She was the person the phrasework hard play harderwas designed after.

This wrench in her plans had me more curious than ever.But with Connor on the phone, I didn’t want to think about Gina.

“Sorry I missed your text earlier.”

“Sorry it was so lame.I meant to send you another right away but got a phone call I had to take and just got off.”

An hour long phone call?“Hope it was nothing bad.”

“It was Oliver.”

Shit.My wine settled in my stomach like a brick.“Yeah.”

“Yeah, angel, and it was football-related.If Shannon said anything to him, he wouldn’t have held back.Everything’s fine.”

I ignored the way my pulse kicked up every time he called me angel.I wasn't as pure as he thought, at least not in my personal thought life.Only in action maybe, and even then, he was divesting me of that quickly.

And I’m definitely not complaining.

“Well, that’s good I suppose.”He didn’t offer more information, yet my mind was running wild.He was the one who insisted we kept it physical then he showed up at the market and sent me spinning all over again.I had no idea what Connor was thinking.What he really wanted.Or more importantly, whatIwanted.

A low rumble came through the phone and there was a pause.Too long.“I thought we could talk about the conversation we were having before we ran into Shannon today.”

If it was possible for hearts to melt with words, mine had just become a puddle.My grip tightened on the phone and I took a large swallow of wine.

“Your family?”My throat was dry.I knew exactly what he was talking about.Where we’d left off.

I didn’t have a mom.Both of my parents took off…

I felt that pain acutely in my heart as I had earlier.Piercing.I couldn’t fathom.My parents loved me to smithereens.Unconditionally.They would do anything for their children, and for me, theyhadone time.

“Yeah…they were young.Teenagers, really.Hooked on drugs.Dropped me off one day at my grandfather’s house and took off.”

“Oh Connor.I can’t even imagine.”

“Bet with a dad like yours, you can’t.”

It wasn’t only that.It was being old enough to have been ripped away from my family.The fear of never seeing them again.Maybe not living.The ripples of my trauma swarmed around me, closing me in my bedroom.

I squeezed my eyes shut and pushed the thoughts back.This was about him and he’d already said he never talked about it.

He was choosing me, though.

What does this mean?

“So yeah, anyway, my grandpa raised me.He wasn’t exactly a family man but not a bad man.Just a simple man who liked his sports and his beer and worked.”

His words were a fist to my heart.The darkness in his voice.

“He must be proud of you, then, I would imagine.”

“He was, when I got a full ride to Clemson.He died after my freshman year of college.”

Jesus.Tears beckoned and fell before I could sweep them away.“I don’t know what to say, Connor.”

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