Page 97 of Playing a Player (Sweet Cravings 1)

I couldn't let him leave. I couldn't lose him like this. "Rory, you told me that all you care about is being happy. Do I not make you happy?"

"You do. I love being around you." His words hung in the air.

"I love being around you too."

He stared at me for a second. His lips parted slightly like he was about to say something. Instead he shook his head. He stepped out of the apartment and slammed the door.

The apartment was eerily quiet. I could feel Connor and Jackson's eyes on me, but I just stared down at the paper on the counter. I felt numb. Rory had just dumped me. He was out looking for some girl to hook up with. Or calling one of the five stars on his phone. I felt so empty.

"That wasn't what I wanted," Jackson eventually said. "We should probably go after him."

"Okay," I said. I didn't want Rory to go sleep with someone else. I needed to stop him. If he would just talk to me. I had explained it all wrong. Or maybe I had explained it right. Maybe his reaction was totally justified. I'm a monster. I picked my purse up off the counter.

"Not you, Ke

ira. He needs to blow off some steam."

"Yeah, blow off steam. That's an elegant way to put it." I could feel the tears welling in my eyes.

"He's drunk," Connor said. "He didn't mean any of that."

"He did."

"He didn't." Connor walked over to me and hugged me.

"He did." I let the tears run down my cheeks. "I messed up. I messed everything up."

"Yeah, you did," Jackson said.

"Jackson," Connor said. "She's already upset."

"I just mean that you shouldn't have written an article about your relationship. But honestly, whatever you did fixed him. And if it was writing the article that somehow made you help him realize he was being a dick for the past six years, then it's good that you wrote it. He really likes you, Keira. He hasn't dated anyone in forever. If he asked you out, then he has it bad."

"He hates me. He just broke up with me." My voice cracked when I said it. "And I handled it all wrong. I'm mad at him for being mad at me. He never apologized for hurting me. I didn't realize how angry I was."

Connor put his hand on the back of my head. There was something so comforting about the gesture. Again it felt like the last time I'd ever see him. I didn't want it to be the last time. And I definitely didn't want Rory and me to be over.

"I need to go find him," I said.

"Jackson and I will find him."

"Please don't let him sleep with someone else, Connor. Please..."

"I won't." Connor released me from his hug. "Let's go, Jackson."

"If you can just get him to talk to me again..."

"I'll explain it to him," Connor said and walked over to the door with Jackson.

"But you don't know what..."

"I'll handle it."

I didn't care what Connor told him. I just wanted Rory to come home.

Chapter 35

"Why won't any of them answer me?" I stared down at my cell phone.

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