“Fine, he sent me away when he was finished with me like I was nothing more than a bunny he’d never think of again.”
Anger radiates from Parker in waves, her lips pursing and her fists clenching.
The thought of her stepping up to him and throwing a punch is almost enough to make me laugh.
She’s so small, and he’s so…not.
“That’s bullshit, Casey,” she spits. “You’re not a bunny. You’re so much more than a bunny. You’re his coach’s daughter, for fuck’s sake.”
And that right there is exactly the problem.
Reaching up, I swipe the few tears that escaped from my cheeks.
“Yeah, exactly. I’m his coach’s d-daughter.” I try to keep the emotion out of my voice but fall at the last hurdle.
“Oh, sweetie.”
Parker steps closer and pulls me in for a hug.
I don’t respond. I don’t need to. Kodie Rivers has always been my dream man. Since the very first time I saw him online, I was borderline obsessed. And nothing has changed.
No. That’s a lie. Everything has changed.
I’ve shared the same air as him, I’ve tasted him. And now…I want him more than ever.
Even if he is a massive asshole.
I allow myself a few seconds to absorb my best friend’s support before dragging in a few shaky breaths and pulling back.
“I’m going to shower. All I can smell is him.”
Emotion burns up my throat as I walk to the bathroom.
“You need to talk to him,” Parker says before I disappear from her sight.
I shake my head and close my eyes.
“Kodie and I have never talked,” I confess. “It’s probably for the best if I just slip back into the shadows and watch him from afar.”
The words cause a physical ache in my chest, making it hard to breathe. But it’s the right thing to do.
Kodie and I aren’t and never have been friends. Hell, until the night of the masquerade ball, I’m not sure he even knew I existed. We’ve had two nights together. One where he had no idea it was me, and another…
A sob bubbles up, and I clamp my hand over my mouth to stop it from erupting.
“Casey, I think?—”
“It’s fine, Parker. I got what I wanted, and now it’s over.” I just need to figure out a way to be okay with that.
Isleep like shit. While Parker lightly snores beside me, I toss and turn, getting more and more pissed off and agitated.
His dismissal repeats over and over in my head until I want to scream.
The sad thing is, I get it. I really fucking do.
We shouldn’t have been together again.
We shouldn’t have been together in the first place.
