Page 77 of Once Upon A Player
He’s lost me, but I’m not about to let him know it. “It happened all right? Girls who’d never looked twice at me before suddenly would do anything just to hang off my arm.”
“Jesus, Lucas. This isn’t still about Clare, is it? That girl was a prime bitch, and we all know it.”
She was a piece of work, no mistake, but it stillhappened.
I’ve always liked you, Lucas. You’re so cute. But you can’t let anyone take advantage of you. With me by your side, you’ll have the winning combination of beauty and brains…
Even now, I can’t figure out whether she was referring to me as the beauty in her fantasy relationship, or herself. No prizes for guessing who had the brains.
Fuck, she was up herself.
That realization hits me, unexpected. I’ve despised her for years, but I’ve never gone so far as to deride her whispered comment as she’d rubbed up against me.
How did she ever seriously think I’d want to go out with her after the way she treated Harry?
Not all girls are like Clare. Not even close.
“Fuck me.” Will grabs the coffee jug and waves it in my direction. “I know she did a real number on Harry, but I didn’t think she’d screwed you up as well. Let me tell you something. Even the most self-centered, ambitious chicks you’ve dated over the years weren’t half as mercenary as she was.”
“Is that meant to make me feel better?”
“Yeah.” He pours us both a coffee. “And I’ll remind you of something else while I’m philosophizing. Violet wasn’t after you just so she could grab her five minutes of fame, was she?”
I exhale a long breath. “She didn’t want to go out with me at all. I don’t know how I managed to change her mind.”
I saw a different side to him. That’s why I agreed to date him.
A weird prickle inches along my spine. I didn’t act any differently after she turned me down. Sure, I wrangled things so she’d come around here and we could talk, and the work she did is great.
I told her I wasn’t my rep, and although it’s true, I was joking when I said that to her. But she saw through my public face.
She sawme.
I’ve always known that, but for some reason it hits me with the force of a sledgehammer to the brain, like an epiphany for the soul and all that crazy shit.
But if all that’s true, then why doesn’t she want to come to Madrid with me?
Chapter Twenty-Four
Violet
It’s late Saturday afternoon by the time I arrive home after my double shift at Sycamore Lodge. Even though I was rushed off my feet, it didn’t stop me thinking about Lucas.
Obsessing about him, if I’m honest.
Katie’s accusation has gnawed at me all day. He’s not an entitled prat. He never has been. Unlike me, when he decides to do something he does it straight away, without giving it a second thought. It probably never crossed his mind that most people—well, okayme—need more than five days’ notice before they turn their lives upside down.
Look at how I’ve procrastinated about legally changing my name. And what was the first thing he said to me when I told him about that?
If you want something, you’ve gotta go for it.
I sit in the car and pull some documents out of my bag. During my lunchbreak I printed out a deed poll, filled in the details, and got Katie and Tristan at work to witness it. I’ve also filled out the forms for a change of name on my driver’s license.
If I want something, there’s going to be no more fucking about.
I let out a shaky breath. I haven’t phoned Lucas yet, even though I’m desperate to hear his voice again. But the way he saidcall me, like it was a command—no, like it was a foregone conclusion that I’d phone him, when by rightshe’sthe one who should be callingme.
He’s leaving England in three days, Vi.Am I really going to let him go without even trying to fix things between us?
