Page 73 of Once Upon A Player
Plus, I left my overnight bag in the limo.
He stands by the door, his elbow resting on the roof of the car as I climb inside. I should say something cool and witty, so he doesn’t guess how I’m dying inside, but I’m brain dead.
Please say something…
He ducks his head, so he can see me, and I try not to let his blue eyes hypnotize my messed-up mind.
“Call me,” he says before he slams the door.
Friday morning is damp, chilly, and cloudy, which matches my mood perfectly. As I trudge through the local park with Scout, Lucas’s final words keep spiraling through my mind, an endless, infuriating refrain.
Call me.
Arrogantdick. Does he really think I will, after what he said to me?
Why didn’t he just believe me?
I hunch my shoulders and grasp my coat together at my neck as the wind picks up. My eyes are gritty from lack of sleep and the annoying tears that wouldn’t stop for half the night. I feel as though I’m coming down with the flu.
I wrap my arm around Scout’s comfortingly huge neck and give him a hug. I don’t want to imagine what Lucas did after I left the party but can’t stop thinking about it. Did he spend the night with Pene?
But he asked me to call him.
No, he didn’t. Hetoldme to call him, as though he was expecting an apology from me.
After everything he said to me.It’s like I never really knew him at all.
I don’t have a shift at Sycamore Lodge today, and I could really do with it to take my mind off Lucas. Not that I’m thinking about him.
Much.
At least Mum and Dad don’t notice I’m a limp wreck, as they’re focused on the upcoming surgery, and I help out by rescheduling some of her clients for the next two months. Unfortunately, that only takes a couple of hours, and then I’m back to chewing my nails.
Did Lucas go home last night? I glance at my phone. Maybe there’s some juicy gossip about the party in the gutter press. My stomach pitches, and my nerve fails. It’s not even from worry there’s a humiliating picture of me leaving the boat. It’s the thought of seeing Lucas with a gorgeous girl wrapped around him, giving his famous, sexy smile to the camera, as though it’s the best night of his life.
I grind the image to dust.Notthinking about it. I open my laptop and start on the work from the agency. Which reminds me, I need to contact them about more contracts.
Even if Lucas doesn’t seem to think it’s important.
It’s harder than usual to concentrate, but I finally complete the work and send it back.
Another three hours before I meet Katie at the White Hart. Not that I feel like going out, but at least on Friday afternoons the alcohol is cheap.
Katie’s already found us a table by the time I arrive ten minutes late, as I caught the bus instead of bringing the car, since there’s no way I’m driving home later.
She pushes my drink across the table at me as I collapse opposite her. “No need to ask you how last night went. What happened?”
I gamely swallow half my cocktail, even though now I’m here, I don’t even feel like getting drunk. “I walked out after an hour.”
She’s clearly torn between admiration and shock. “Why?”
I prop my chin on my hand as disjointed fragments of last night replay through my brain-splitting headache, which hasn’t budged all day, despite all the painkillers.
Where do I even start? The only thing I keep seeing is the disbelief on Lucas’s face and his scornful retort.
Don’t make up some lame excuse.
“I was stupid to think it could ever work between us.” I take another sip of my drink, but it’s no good. Alcohol isn’t going to help. “You were right. I should’ve never gone out with him.”
