Page 83 of Playing to Win

Chapter 27

izzy

He has a child. Well, a young adult. Okay. I can handle the idea. We had a great day, yesterday. Cady is nice; she’s funny. She reminds me of Brooks in too many ways to count.

But she’s an adult, going to college, and I don’t even know what I want to do with my life yet.

Brooks tells her to get a job and be responsible but I don’t have a real job. My parents still pay for my apartment.

Does it really matter? Am I beating myself up over nothing because I would never be number one if I were to be part of Brooks’s life? I’m not just talking about Cady but Alice. Alice in bloody Wonderland. He couldn’t tell me he is over her.

Oh, Izzy, grow up. Of course, he isn’t over her, she is the mother of his child. She will always be there.

See, this is my point exactly.I need to grow up myself.

“Izzy? Does that all sound okay?”

I move my attention from my fingers to Kerry, as she and I sit with Madge and Brooks around a table in the gym bistro. “Erm, yes. The studio will send a car. Brooks and I will drive to AMTV together. They’ll ask about the results of the two weeks.”

Brooks puts his hand on my thigh and questions me with his gaze. I force myself to smile back at him.

“Great,” Kerry says, shuffling pieces of paper on the table in front of her. “Next, we need to go over a few details of your London promo events when you get back. Brooks, Madge, you guys are free to go if you like. You’re welcome to stay too.”

“We’ll leave you to it,” Brooks says.

After saying their good-byes to Kerry—Brooks seemingly increasingly less offended by her—I watch Brooks and Madge move into reception. As Kerry starts talking me through three book signing dates in the UK, I can’t take my eyes off Brooks. He drags a hand back through his hair and across his chin. Madge reaches a hand to his shoulder, as if she’s comforting him. Then she folds him into her arms and they linger there.

Sickness builds in my stomach. I can tell he’s nervous about the TV appearance tomorrow but I think it’s more than that. Has he realized I’m not right for him? Or, like me, is he dreading tomorrow because it is day fourteen, our last day together?

“You’ve fallen for him, haven’t you?”

I look at Kerry through clouded eyes. I don’t answer her question. There’s no need. I know the answer will be written all over my face. I’m in love with him.

“You can always come back, babe. You don’t have to stay in London forever.”

Right on cue, my mobile rings and “MUMMY” lights up the screen. I silence her—again. I know she will be freaking out after seeing my blog. She’s my mother; she’ll know there’s something going on between Brooks and me. And she’ll hate it. Since I already know that, what’s the point in hearing it from her?

A text message follows the call and I delete it after reading the words:

ISABELLA COULTHARD, YOU ARE IGNORING ME AND I WILL NOT STAND FOR IT.

Kerry and I part ways and I go in search of Brooks.

“Are you ready to get some results?” he asks when I reach his office.

A distraction. “Yes, sure. Are we doing it here?”

He flashes me a sly look.

“Doing the tests here!”

He chuckles. The sound thaws the ice that is starting to build around my heart to protect me from what is coming.

“We can take a few measurements here. We’ll use the scales downstairs. I don’t think we need much, just something to talk about tomorrow. Do you agree?”

“I do. Now, take that shirt off,” I say with a wink that has him laughing again.

I kick his office door shut and he draws the blinds before pulling his T-shirt off over his head. Taking the measuring tape from him, I close the space between us, knowing the one thing that will make me feel better about tomorrow is having his arms around me now, being with him completely.

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