Page 56 of The Player I Can’t Pick

She stares at me for a long second, then she asks, “Did you tell Skyler I’m the one?”

My eyes widen. Shit. “Is that what’s freaking you out?”

Nicole pulls her arm away from my touch. “Did you say it?”

I nod. “Yeah. I said it.”

She gives a small shrug, but there’s nothing casual about it. “Why? Why would you say something like that? And why would you tell your family?”

I turn in my seat so I’m facing her completely. “Because they’re my family. I don’t understand why it’s such a big deal. They already knew about us. It’s not like I went on television and announced it.”

She shifts away from me and crosses her arms over her chest. “Guy, I think we need to take a break.”

For a second, I’m sure I heard her wrong. “A break?”

She looks down.

“What the fuck are you talking about, Nicole? We’re not taking a break.”

The words are out before I can stop them. It feels like my whole world is crashing in around me. My chest tightens, and I can’t sit here pretending I’m okay with what she just said. I start the truck and pull out of the parking lot. Neither of us speaks the whole way across town. When I pull up outside her apartment, Nicole is still staring out the window.

I almost expect her to jump out as soon as I stop, but I’m surprised when she doesn’t. “Talk to me, Nicole.”

She slowly turns toward me. “This is getting too complicated, Guy.”

I shake my head.

“I know you don’t want to hear that, but it is. This is too much.”

I put my hand over hers. “Nicole, you’re the one making it complicated. I love you, and you’re trying to hide us. You want me to hide how I feel about you. That’s what’s making this hard.”

Her eyes widen. “Love?”

I nod.

“You don’t love me, Guy Brody.”

I give her a small smile. “Yeah, honey. I do.”

She shakes her head like she can’t accept it.

“I think it happened the first night I saw you. Maybe I didn’t know what it was then, but I know now. I love you. I just want to be with you.”

“Guy… We can’t.”

My stomach drops. “What do you mean we can’t?”

She sits straighter. “You have a new series starting tomorrow. You should be focused on that, not this.”

I stare at her. “That’s what you’re worried about?”

“I’m worried about all of it.”

I get out of the truck before I say something I’ll regret and pace in front of it for a few seconds, then I go around to her side. I open the door and hold out my hand. She hesitates and then puts her hand in mine.

I walk her to the apartment and wait while she unlocks both locks. She steps inside and turns toward me. “I’m sorry, Guy.”

I shake my head. “Honey, this isn’t over.”