Page 82 of Nothing to Win

No.No.It couldn’t be.Over?No.

He’d been drinking.Alcohol skewed a person’s thinking.She couldn’t believe this was set in stone, that he really wanted them to be done.No, she needed to hear it, he had to say it, in the light of day.He’d call tomorrow.They’d both backtrack and they’d be back on.

Right?

This couldn’t be final.

Forever?Never seeing him again?Never speaking to him?Unthinkable.

What if it was true that he didn’t want her?That they were through.This would be her new reality, whether she liked it or not.

TWENTY-SEVEN

“HE HASN’T CALLED,” Gia said to Roxie, phone tucked against her ear.

Sitting in her bedroom, she was doing a good job of feeling sorry for herself.

“You thought he’d call yesterday.”Yeah, and it was embarrassing just how intensely she convinced herself of that.“Don’t lose heart yet.Mondays can be busy.Work stuff piled up over the weekend, and he left the office early Friday.”

For their double date dinner with Roxie and Zairn.Things were right then.Fun.Optimistic.Everything could change in a flash, and her life was the evidence for it.

“It’s Tuesday night,” she said, unable to hide the misery from her voice.“I stupidly thought…” She closed her eyes.“We always had dinner on a Tuesday.He didn’t call but… Some part of me still thought… I expected a car to show up.”

“Did you get ready?”Roxie’s wince was audible and her lack of response was enough.“Oh, honey.”

“I didn’t get dressed or—” Who was she kidding?She’d done everything but put on the dress.“My mom usually releases my clothes and—the only thing I have is the dresses I wore the weekend we stayed for Bram’s birthday.”

Her mom apparently hadn’t secreted them away.That didn’t mean she hadn’t come into the room to criticize.Maybe her mom worried Brogan would sue for theft if she put them out of reach; they were purchased by him after all.With their relationship now truly over, she should return everything paid for on his dime.

“Honey—”

“I’m such an idiot,” she said, squeezing her eyes closed.“I expected him to call.For a car to come get me.I even thought about showing up at his office.”Which would achieve what, exactly?“I convinced myself we… I’m completely delusional.”

“You’re not delusional.He was into you; he is into you.Guys are just stupid when it comes to this stuff.He probably got scared because he felt too much.”

Relaxing, a little, she found her smile.“Isn’t that what we tell each other to make ourselves feel better about getting dumped?Brogan is tenacious.If he wants something, nothing gets in his way.This proves definitively he doesn’t want me.”

“There’s still a chance.”

“You know guys like this, like Zairn, these high achievers.Zairn would never let you go.”

“Some guys are game players.They get off on screwing with us.”

“Brogan is not one of those guys.”Their game was of a different variety.And, damn, she missed it.“He doesn’t leave things to chance.He believes in hard work and straight shooting.”

Roxie’s sigh was an answer.“I won’t have you sitting over there all dressed up with nowhere to go.”

“I’m in a robe now, it’s after ten.I gave up.Gave in.He doesn’t want me, we’re done.”

“You and me will make a party of it.”

Of what?Her embarrassment?“No.Thank you.There’s no point you traipsing all the way out here from the city to—”

“Then I’m sending transport for you.”

“Rox—”

“No, you’re not sitting out there alone with only your parents and brothers for company.”