Page 7 of Stick Fight

Since he’s being honest, I let myself be honest too. “Good,” I whisper. “I don’t want you to leave. I could use the company.” I take another sip of my drink and try not to wince.

Roman sets his glass down, puts his hands on my shoulders, and walks me backward until my knees hit a plush chair. “You also need to sit.”

I laugh. “Picked up on that, did you?” The man seems to pick up on a lot.

He drops down onto the coffee table, a deep seriousness about him. It’s something I only ever see when he’s playing hockey. The social media pictures are of a happy-go-lucky guy who has the world in his hands. Dammit, I don’t mean to be bringing him down this weekend.

Rethinking all this, I set my drink down and put my hands on the cushiony arms of the chair. Before I can push to my feet, he speaks.

“Gabby, don’t.” My gaze flies to his. “I want you to stay.”

My heart thuds and fresh tears press against the backs of my eyes. “I’m really sorry this happened to you.” I try to speak, but can’t. “What I’d like to do is go say hello to…” he pauses, and I’m about to tell him my ex-fiancé’s name when he shakes his head. “No questions. Besides, I don’t even want to know his name. But what I’d like to do is say hello with my fist.” I’m about to protest, but before I can, he continues. “That’s not what you want or need.” He taps my phone. “This has been lighting up. Is there anyone you need to call?”

I shake my head. “No. I mean, yes. I need to talk to my parents.” I lean forward and press my palms to my eyes. “It’s so embarrassing.”

“I can go talk to them for you, or bring them back here. I’d hate for them to be waiting for you to walk down the aisle.”

That’s when it occurs to me. “Roman, no. I was only trying on my wedding dress. The ceremony is tomorrow. I was in my suite alone. Cass…” I catch myself. “I mean, my ex-fiancé had his own room for the night. I was having trouble with the zipper, and went next door to ask my now ex-friend, Todd for help. That’s when I saw…”

“It’s okay. I understand.”

“I am such an idiot.”

“No,” he shoots back quickly. “Your ex-fiancé, and your ex-friend are the idiots, and while all this sucks, Gabby. I’m glad you found out who he—they—really were before…you know.”

“You’re right.”

His phone pings, and he stands, to pull it from his pocket. He quickly reads the message and once done, he says, “Why don’t you get comfortable, maybe take a soak, have another drink.” My stomach tightens, and I grip the arms of the chair. Is it one of his wedding party bridesmaids wanting to hook up? I don’t want to keep him from that.

“It’s Rip,” he tells me. “He got your things.”

“Did he see…”

“Apparently your ex is irate. Searching everywhere for you. He went to your parents’ room.”

My stomach twists. “Oh no.”

“I’m going to go get your things, and I’ll be right back, okay? Is there anything else you need.”

“Maybe for the ground to open up and swallow me whole.” I gulp. What am I supposed to do now? My whole damn life, my work, was centered around Cass. God, my internship. Gone. I reach for my phone and try to settle my shaky hands. I glance at my screen, and see all the calls and messages from my parents and from Cassian. There’s even a few from my former best friend, Todd. How could he do this to me? “I need to call my parents. They must be so worried.”

He stands over me, and his presence doesn’t feel overbearing, it feels protective. “Want me to wait?”

“No. I appreciate it, though.”

“Okay.”

He stands there a little longer, uncertainty in his dark eyes. “You’re going to be here when I get back, right?”

“I have nowhere to go, Roman.” As that reality hits, it steals the air from my lungs. My God, not only do I not have a room to go back to tonight, I don’t have a home to return to in New York. I moved in with Cassian months ago, letting my own place go. When we got engaged, he thought it was a good idea, and my rent was killing me as it was, so I agreed, even though I wasn’t sure it was a great idea. There was something in my gut…warning me.

Then why did you do it, Gabby?

“Gabs?”

Shoot, I’d lost myself for a second there. “Yeah?”

“I’ll be right back.”

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