Page 90 of Her Game Plan

Is he right? Because that could explain the sinking feeling I get in my stomach every time I think about Charlotte moving out. About her being out of my life forever. About the flicker of hope that’s been growing in my chest since she hugged me earlier. The one I can’t seem to snuff out.

When Beckett gets back, I tell them about the call from my agent and how Charlotte wouldn’t deny it. That we’re still pretending to be dating, but she moved back into my guest room.

“I’m sorry, she’s still living here? But you broke up?” Nate asks. “That’s fucking psycho levels of ‘helping a friend out.’ You know that, right?”

I shrug. “I told her I would help. I’m helping.”

What I don’t say is that it would break my heart to ruin this for her. That I already let her down by missing some of those meetings, and I can’t do that to her. I don’t tell them that she holds a piece of my heart that she will take with her if she ever leaves, and I’m not sure how I’m supposed to function without it.

And I certainly don’t tell them that, against my better judgment, I might want her back.

Nate grimaces. “Okay, so you’re—out of the goodness of your heart—helping this woman try to win her dad’s company, which is worth hundreds of millions, maybe billions, of dollars, and she can’t even give you a heads-up that you might be getting traded?”

I sigh. “Would your owner tell you?”

Nate shakes his head. “No, but I’m not sharing a bed with him.”

If only we were still sharing a bed. I know I was the one who told her to leave, but I didn’t realize how much I would miss the little things about Charlotte. The warmth next to me while she sleeps. The way her chatter fills the constant silence that was my life.

“I think you all have gotten off topic here,” I say. “I can’t be traded. If it actually goes through, I’m going to have to retire. I can’t move Nan again, and I don’t want to abandon her here with no family.”

“You can’t retire because your grandma is old, Callan,” Pitty chastises me. “You know I love Nan, but that’s fucking crazy. Plus, you still have another year on your contract.”

“I know. Which is part of the problem. So, I told Jon to tell the Stallions I’d renegotiate my contract down.”

The judgment rolling off each of these men is intense. “And he told you you’re a fucking moron?” Beckett crosses his arms, leaning back in his seat.

“He definitely didn’t like the idea, but I reminded him that it’s been done before. If the salary cap is the issue, I can work with that. If it’s play quality, well, then maybe it’s time I retire anyway. And yeah, I’d lose tens of millions in salary as well as having to pay back part of my signing bonus, but I could transfer some assets. Maybe sell my place in Florida. I haven’t been there in almost a year, anyway.”

Pitty is glaring at me. “You’re not fucking retiring, and you’re not getting a pay cut. If you get traded, you get traded. Nan can move to another swanky home. Or she can stay here. You can stay here when you’re not in season. I’ll visit her when you can’t make it.”

I thumb through the cards on the table in front of me. “She was always there for me. Even when my parents left me behind, she never did. I can’t do that to her.”

“Then she goes with you,” Beckett says firmly. “Have you talked to her about any of this? Because it seems like she’s not the type of woman to let you give up your dreams for her.”

“But isn’t that the thing? The only people worth giving up your dreams for are the ones who would never ask you to.”

That doesn’t mean I shouldn’t, anyway.

“What I want to know,” Jameson cuts in, “is what you’re going to do about Charlotte. Because I hear you saying it’s fake, but I’ve seen that look you’re sporting on my own face. I can tell you that, for me, there was only one solution—getting the girl back.”

“Bryn?” I ask, unaware they have ever been anything but the perfect couple they are today.

He nods.

“I don’t know. I honestly don’t know if it was ever anything but fake to her.”

Jameson nods back. “Maybe it’s time you find out.”

I sit with the idea. He’s right. Maybe I should find out if it was real to her. Because it was to me, but I never said anything. It could be the same for her.

Nate releases a derisive snort. “Why the fuck would he do that? She was still going to trade him without telling him. She still might trade him.” He glares at me. “Since he’s not retiring like a fool, he needs to prioritize his job right now. What good would knowing do? What good could possibly come from pursuing her?”

It’s quiet after Nate’s outburst. “You’re right,” I say slowly. “Nothing has changed. She didn’t tell me, even though she did tell me there would be information she couldn’t. And, yeah. I’m still not the man any woman deserves, especially not someone like Charlotte.”

“Are you fucking kidding me?” Nate’s expression morphs into confusion as he looks at the other men at the table. “You know that’s not what I said, right? I said I agree she should’ve told you. And that you’re too good for her, not the other way around.”

Beckett turns toward me. “I’m not sure I would go quite that far, and, for the record, I really don’t think she could’ve told you about the trade. Based on everything I know about her father and the organization, I literally think it would’ve cost her the company. And it still isn’t confirmed. Plus, there is no trade to tell you about.”