Page 72 of Once Upon A Player
But I was wrong. Underneath his beautiful face, he’s just as shallow as everyone else on the boat.
I trusted you.And now I’m paying the price.
I stare at his throat as I try to slow my racing heart and force the scalding tears back. There’s a scary echo vibrating through my head, and the room spins. All around, the party is in full swing, with the beautiful people in their designer gear and oversized egos. Snatches of conversation float by, distorted, like I’m underwater and drowning.I need to get out before I break down.
Somehow, I wrap the tattered remnants of my dignity around my heart and straighten my shoulders. I’m not crawling out of here on my knees, no matter how much I want to sink through the floor and hide.
“I’m going home.”Is that really my voice?I sound so distant, strange…unreal.
“We’re on a bloodyboat.”
His words thrust me back to the present.Shit. “So I’ll ask the captain to pull over for me.”
“Pull over—Jesus, Violet. You can’t be serious.”
Panic thuds as everything closes in on me. Already some people are glancing in our direction and whispering behind their hands. Within minutes, everyone’s going to know that, once again, Violet Henderson has been publicly dumped from a great height by a football player.
He hasn’t dumped me.Has he? Are we finished? Is this the end?
The truth whispers in my ear.How can this not be the end?
“Iamserious.” I grip my bag so tightly my fingers ache, and keep my gaze fixed on his throat. I can’t face him. One glance into his blue eyes will crush me. No matter what’s just happened between us, I’m not going to stumble out with my mascara running down my cheeks.
Lucas swears before he appears to realize I’m not changing my mind. “Fine. I’ll get Chad to pick you up.”
Hot needles stab through my heart. Was I really stupid enough to hope Lucas would abandon his own party to take me home? It’s not even that I want him to. The reason I’m leaving is because I want to getawayfrom him.
Stop lying to yourself.I wanted him to care enough to at least offer. But his silence speaks volumes. All Lucas cares about is himself and his career.
“I don’t need Chad to pick me up.”
“If you want to bail, Chad’s driving you home.”
I’m almost speechless, and a scalding betrayal streaks through my chest.Bail?Is that what he thinks I’m doing? Is he totally insensitive? “Don’t be so stupid. You don’t get to tell me what to do.”
He doesn’t deign to answer. Instead he marches off, and I have to run to keep up with him. Within moments, he’s speaking to the captain.
“Violet needs to disembark ASAP. Her mum’s not well.”
I’m shaking, can’t help it. He doesn’t believe me but has no compunction in using that as an excuse as to why I need to leave.
So no one thinks his girlfriend is running out on him.
He doesn’t make any move to return to the party, and we stand there, like a couple of strangers. He doesn’t try to take my hand, or speak to me, and even though I’m mad at him, I desperately want him to look my way.
I might as well be another decorative anchor hanging on the wall.
Within half an hour the boat slows down, and Lucas runs a finger over his earring. I’ve only seen him do that a couple of times before, and I hate the wave of guilt that burns through me knowing that, this time, I’m the reason why.
He accompanies me to the limo which has met up with the boat at Tower Pier. The Tower of London looms across the river, a great shadowy fortress of doom, and the watery entrance of Traitor’s Gate leers at me.
It all feels very appropriate.
I sure lost my head over Lucas.
And it’s a million times worse than what happened with Geoff.
I could dig my heels in and refuse to use the limo, but that’d only give everyone something else to gossip about, and I’d rather a dignified exit than an ugly spat with Lucas on the pier. It’s just not worth it.
